Fact Check: Did Biden Grab Zelensky’s Butt at the White House?

President Joe Biden’s meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky drew as much vitriol from certain wings of the GOP as it did support from Democrats and centrist Republicans. But the visit also proved ample ground for misinformation.

Biden has a reputation as a “hands-on” kind of guy, whether it’s handshakes, kisses on the cheek, or embraces that linger a little too long.

An image circulating on social media this week, however, appeared to take the notion of giving Ukraine a helping hand to a whole new level.

U.S. President Joe Biden (right) and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky hold a joint press conference in the East Room of the White House on December 21, 2022, in Washington, D.C. An edited photo of the two leaders went viral on social media on December 22. Alex Wong/Getty Images

The Claim

In a picture, apparently taken at the White House this week, Biden appears to be cupping, if not full-on grabbing, the posterior of his Ukrainian counterpart in full view of the press corps during his historic visit to Washington on Wednesday.

The image was quickly picked up by right-wing media personalities, who used the image to lampoon Biden and Zelensky as the two continue to whip up congressional support for tens of billions of dollars in additional aid.

“So that’s why Zelensky was pulling a vinegar face yesterday,” wrote Alexander McKay, host of the Red Star Radio Podcast. “I guess Biden thinks that $44 billion buys him exclusive groping rights.”

But did Biden really touch Zelensky’s backside during a highly public event at the White House?

The Facts

It is true that Zelensky was in Washington, D.C. on Wednesday, and that both leaders spent a lot of time together, with nearly every public moment of their time together captured on video and on film from multiple angles.

And yes, the two shared a close moment in front of the watchful eye of the press, with Biden’s hand behind Zelensky’s back and largely obscured from reporters’ view in the pool.

But those are the only facts in this story, which is a tale of little more than a cheeky editing job by an anonymous Photoshop wizard.

A quick scouring of official White House social media accounts and reverse image searching soon revealed the source for the image: a rear-facing photo shared by first lady Jill Biden of her and her husband on either side of Zelensky, hands clearly placed in the middle of the president’s back.

A closer examination of the two photos side-by-side offers a number of clues corroborating the idea that the image has been doctored.

Both were clearly taken at the same time, with matching shadows, consistent placement of the curls in Mrs. Biden’s hair, and a lack of movement of any details in a side-to-side comparison.

Further, in the official photo, there are creases clearly visible on Zelensky’s sweatshirt that were artificially smoothed out and erased in the edited version, where Biden’s hand placement was changed.

The official White House photo (left) clearly shows President Joe Biden with his hand on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s back, while the manipulated version (right) shows his hand on Zelensky’s backside. Newsweek Photo Illustration/White House

The edited version also shows an unnatural angle in Biden’s shoulder, as he appears to touch his Ukrainian counterpart, the edge jutting out unnaturally compared to the rest of his suit, while the length of his arm appears to be disproportionate to his body.

Then there is the image itself, taken from behind the two world leaders and the first lady. Nobody else had access to that angle besides official White House staff, a fact clearly driven home by the bank of credentialed photographers depicted in the background of the image.

While Newsweek could not immediately find a video of the scene filmed from the same angle, C-SPAN footage of Zelensky’s arrival provides further evidence that the image was manipulated.

While the video is about a minute long, in a fortunate twist—for the purposes of verification—the exact moment of the photo is in sync with the brief section of the video in which Jill Biden puts her arm on Zelensky’s back. Biden’s arm at the same time is clearly resting on Zelensky’s back, and then drops down and away as he pulls out of the hug.

Newsweek has reached out to the White House for comment.

The Ruling

False.

No, Biden did not place his hand on Zelensky’s buttocks. The viral image is a digitally manipulated version of an official photo shared by the White House press team.

FACT CHECK BY NEWSWEEK