The claim that Joe Biden “spent Veterans Day praising John Kerry” is misleading and falls apart once you look at the full context. This narrative was built by cherry-picking a single sentence from his speech while ignoring what was actually said and the broader setting of the remarks.
During the event, Biden stated: “I want to thank one proud American veteran — a lifelong public servant and dear friend and literally one of the most decorated men to fight, special envoy for climate John Kerry,” which drew applause from the summit attendees (NY Post). This was not Biden “spending his day praising” Kerry, but rather a quick acknowledgment of a longtime friend and colleague who also happens to be a veteran. Reducing his entire Veterans Day remarks to this one sentence is a deliberate distortion.
The Western Journal went even further, criticizing Biden for highlighting someone within his own administration rather than another veteran. But this argument falls flat. The article itself admits that Kerry is, in fact, a decorated Vietnam veteran. The real issue seems to be more about who Biden praised rather than the act of praising itself. Even more telling is how different outlets slightly altered Biden’s words: some quoted him as saying “and literally one of the most decorated men to fight,” while others left out the word “literally.” That single word changes the tone of the statement, and the inconsistency shows how media framing can manipulate perception.
Finally, Discover the Networks tried to discredit Biden’s remark by pointing out that Kerry was not among the top 50 most decorated Vietnam veterans. While this may be true, it completely misses the point. Biden was not giving a historical ranking of decorated soldiers—he was offering a moment of praise for a friend on Veterans Day. To frame this as an insult to all other veterans is disingenuous. The same article even dredged up decades-old controversy about Kerry throwing medals or ribbons during a Vietnam War protest, which is irrelevant to the specific claim being made about Biden’s speech.
In conclusion, the claim that Biden “spent Veterans Day praising John Kerry” is false and intentionally misleading. At most, Biden gave Kerry a short shout-out during his remarks, which is hardly the same as dedicating an entire holiday to him. By exaggerating and twisting Biden’s words, these outlets created outrage where there was none. The real takeaway is not that Biden disrespected veterans, but that media outlets once again weaponized selective quoting and framing to push a partisan narrative.
