Get PolitiFact in your inbox.

President Joe Biden signs the Democrats' landmark climate change and health care bill at the White House on Aug. 16, 2022. (AP) President Joe Biden signs the Democrats' landmark climate change and health care bill at the White House on Aug. 16, 2022. (AP)

President Joe Biden signs the Democrats' landmark climate change and health care bill at the White House on Aug. 16, 2022. (AP)

Ciara O'Rourke
By Ciara O'Rourke May 3, 2023

Altered image fuels unfounded claims that President Joe Biden has a ‘body double’

If Your Time is short

  • President Joe Biden is right-handed, and an image purportedly showing his "body double" signing an executive order with his left hand was altered. The original image shows him signing with his right hand.
 
See the sources for this fact-check

If you ever try to trick an entire nation into believing an actor is the current president of the United States, make sure both the actor and the president are right-handed, or else you may get called out on social media. 

A recent Instagram post suggests that just such a misstep happened when President Joe Biden’s "body double" was photographed signing something with his left hand. 

"Oops, Biden’s body double is left-handed," the post says. "Casting director slipped up."

In the photo are two images of Biden signing something. In the first image, he appears to be signing with his right hand. In the second, he appears to be signing with his left hand.  

This post was flagged as part of Meta’s efforts to combat false news and misinformation on its News Feed. (Read more about our partnership with Meta, which owns Facebook and Instagram.)

(Screengrab from Instagram) 
 
The first photo shows Biden signing a condolence book at the Polish embassy in Washington D.C., in April 2010, when he was vice president.
 
The second photo was taken on Jan. 20, 2021, when he signed his first executive order in the Oval Office after being inaugurated as president. Only the image in the Instagram post has been flipped to make it appear as if Biden is signing the order with his left hand. The original image, taken by an Associated Press photographer, clearly shows him signing with his right hand.
 
We rate this post Pants on Fire!
 

Read About Our Process

The Principles of the Truth-O-Meter

Our Sources

Instagram post, May 1, 2023

The Associated Press image, Jan. 20, 2021

Obama White House Archive image, April 14, 2010

Browse the Truth-O-Meter

More by Ciara O'Rourke

Altered image fuels unfounded claims that President Joe Biden has a ‘body double’

Load more

Support independent fact-checking.
Become a member!

In a world of wild talk and fake news, help us stand up for the facts.

Sign me up