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President Biden claimed in a July 4 speech to military service members and their families, 'I've been all over the world with you. I've been in and
out of battles'
Jasmine Baehr By Jasmine Baehr Fox News
Published July 6, 2024 4:15pm EDT

Biden claims to have been 'in and out of battles' in July 4 speech to
military veterans

At the White House Fourth of July barbecue for military service members
and their families, President Biden appears to claim military service
himself.

President Biden claimed Thursday he's been "in and out of battles" while addressing an audience of military service members and their families at Thursday's White House Fourth of July Barbecue.

"And by the way, I've been all over the world with you. I've been in and
out of battles," the president, who never served in the military, though
as Commander-in-Chief, met with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of Ukraine
in February 2023 and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel in
October 2023.

It's not the first time Biden has come under fire for remarks to military service members. In 2019, Biden came under fire for conflating and misrepresenting war stories after the Washington Post exposed a "moving
but false war story" told on the campaign trail. Biden, then the former
vice president and candidate for president, later defended what he said,
saying the "central point" was accurate.

Veterans 4 America First Institute, a non-profit veterans' group,
responded to Biden's Fourth of July claims in an interview with Fox News Digital.

Peter O'Rourke is a former Acting Secretary for Veterans Affairs under President Trump and a veteran of both the Air Force and Navy. Darin
Selnick, Former Veteran Affairs Advisor for the White House Domestic
Policy Council, is also a former Air Force veteran. They both currently
serve veterans in their roles with Veterans 4 America First.

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President Biden speaks at Fourth of July White House barbecue, background,
Joe Biden makes a grimace into the microphone, inset
President Biden made a gaffe at the White House Fourth of July barbecue Thursday, claiming to have been 'in and out of battles' to military
service members and their families. (Getty Images)

"It's always bad form when a politician tries to make it about themselves
and somehow equate their service with the service of those men and women
who serve," Selnick said. "So the only one who has been in battle are the
men and women who served, not President Joe Biden."

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"The men and women who serve have been all over the world in battle. So
just keep it to that. Don't try to equate what you're doing with that,
cozy up and and and that sort of thing. Just speak about the servicemen
and women, think about the country; don't make it about you. That's the
sad part, because every time Joe Biden speaks he always somehow tries to
make it about him," Selnick added.

"…every time Joe Biden speaks he always somehow tries to make it about
him."

— Darin Selnick
Former Acting Secretary of the VA Peter O'Rourke also critiqued the
president's claim.

"I think the disappointment Darin and I both share is the continued
disrespect, whether it's examples of veterans that have been harmed in
ways that don't make a lot of sense, or just not really providing the
efforts that we'd love to see our presidents give when it comes to
articulating their concerns or their feelings toward veterans," he said.

President Biden speaks emphatically with his hands at White House Fourth
of July barbecue
US President Joe Biden speaks during a 4th of July event on the South Lawn
of the White House on July 4, 2024 in Washington, DC. The President is
hosting the Independence Day event for members of the military and their families. (Samuel Corum/Getty Images)

O'Rourke continued, saying, "we saw this example, trying to find every opportunity to politicize, trying to sneak in a jab at his political
opponent on a day where really, we should just be celebrating our
independence. He was there to recognize and honor both veterans and active
duty members."

Veterans 4 America First Institute supports former President Trump for his military policy in November's presidential election. Selnick told Fox News Digital, "we're in a very crucial time both for the military and for the veterans who have left the military. We need a commander in chief that's
going to move things forward and do what's right, for the veterans, and
for the American people."

President Biden speaks at White House Fourth of July barbecue
US President Joe Biden, center, speaks during a barbecue with active-duty military service members and their families on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, DC, US, on Thursday, July 4, 2024. Biden's reelection campaign limped into the US Independence Day holiday, exhausted by a week
of the incumbent clawing to maintain his hold on his party's nomination. (Tierney L. Cross/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Selnick added, "and that's why we need Donald J. Trump back as commander- in-chief, because under him, we had a thriving military."

Veterans 4 America First Institute's mission as listed on their website is
"To preserve and expand our nation’s commitment to our Veterans, military,
and their families through public education and advocacy."

The White House has not responded to Fox News Digital's request for
comment.

Jasmine is a writer at Fox News Digital and a military spouse based in New Orleans. Stories can be sent to jasmine.baehr@fox.com

https://www.foxnews.com/politics/veterans-respond-biden-claiming-hes-been- in-out-battles-dont-make-about-you

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