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In the whirlwind of American politics wild statements are often made. And sometimes strange anecdotes are told. But Sky News host James Morrow says President Joe Biden’s story about how cannibals ate his uncle may be one of the most interesting “bogus Biden stories”.

Last month, while on the campaign trail in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Biden first shared a tale that left many scratching their heads and others questioning what they had heard.

During his visit to Pennsylvania, Biden recounted the wartime fate of his uncle, 2nd Lt. Ambrose J. Finnegan Jr., whom he affectionately referred to as "Bosie." 

According to Biden, his uncle's reconnaissance plane was shot down over New Guinea during World War II, and the lack of his uncle's body's recovery was attributed to the presence of cannibals in the area.

The tall tale was a little different when he shared it in Scranton. In Biden's “hometown” he still insisted there were cannibals, but he had forgotten that the plane went down in the ocean. And failed to mention that one soldier survived the crash.

Some outlets brushed it off as a "misstatement," while critics compared it to the scrutiny former President Trump often faced for his statements.

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POW/MIA Accounting Agency

Military records from the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency showed:

“On May 14, 1944, an A-20 havoc (serial number 42-86768), with a crew of three and one passenger, departed Momote Airfield, Los Negros Island, for a courier flight to Nadzab Airfield, New Guinea. For unknown reasons, this plane was forced to ditch in the ocean off the north coast of New Guinea. Both engines failed at low altitude, and the aircraft's nose hit the water hard. Three men failed to emerge from the sinking wreck and were lost in the crash. One crew member survived and was rescued by a passing barge. An aerial search the next day found no trace of the missing aircraft or the lost crew members.”

The Media Reacts

Some media outlets brushed off the cannibal references as a "misstatement." His critics compared it to the harsher scrutiny former President Trump often faces for his statements.

Interestingly, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre sidestepped direct reference to the cannibal story during a press gathering, choosing instead to emphasize Biden's pride in his uncle's military service. 

Notably, Papua New Guinea Prime Minister James Marape rebuked Biden's account, asserting that the cannibalistic practices Biden referenced were non-existent in New Guinea by the 1940s, the period in question.

Bogus Biden Stories

Biden's cannibal story was definitely a memory misstep, but he has quite a few of those. The President has always embellished or invented facts in his own biography.

A few weeks ago, on the Howard Stern show, he bragged that he was a civil rights icon and had been arrested in a march with Blacks. It never happened. There is no record that he marched, and he was certainly never arrested.

The truth is as a young senator, Biden worked with former Klansman, Senator Robert Byrd to stop integration. 

He claims now that he was a civil rights advocate. But at the time he was against integration of public schools and bussing. He claimed at that time he didn't want kids to go to schools, in a "racial jungle."

Last month Biden also said he has “never” earned $400,000 in a year. But he has earned that every year since he became president. And he also made millions in 2017 and 2018. 

While on the campaign trail in 2021 his fictional claim that he used to drive an 18-wheeler truck garnered lots of attention.

At a Mack Trucks facility he said, “I used to drive an 18-wheeler, man.”

 At a separate 2021 event, he told college students studying truck technology, “I used to drive a tractor-trailer,” adding, “I only did it for part of a summer, but I got my license anyway.” It never happened.

 During the 2022 midterm elections, he asserted several times that he has significantly reduced the national debt. It has actually increased significantly during his presidency. And so, it goes....