A number of viral social media posts claim that President Joe Biden said he would answer a question about Israel from a reporter only if she got “in front of the car” as he stepped on the gas. Some posts more generally referenced Biden saying he would run over a journalist. 

Seung Min Kim @seungminkim

Via pooler @AlexThomp, as Biden test-drives a Ford F-150: The pool asked the president if we could ask a question about Israel. The president said “no, you can’t. Not unless you get in front of the car as I step on it. I’m only teasing”.

May 18th 2021

370 Retweets1,683 Likes

These are based on real remarks Biden made while at an event in Dearborn, Michigan. The president test drove Ford's electric F-150 Lightning pickup and delivered a speech about electric vehicles and green energy. Biden refused to answer a question about Israel, instead making a quip and driving away. As ABC News reported: “Just before speeding off, asked by ABC News Chief White House Correspondent Cecilia Vega if she could first ask him a question about Israel, Biden joked, ‘No, you can't. Not unless you get in front of the car as I step on it. I'm only teasing.’” The comment was also widely reported elsewhere and the Washington Post has posted video of the exchange.

While Biden made it clear he was joking about running anyone over, it is true that the president made a joke about doing so and refused to answer questions about Israel. 

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