During President Biden's farewell address, a discussion arose concerning truthfulness in politics. CNN commentator Scott Jennings questioned former Biden advisor Ashley Etienne about instances of dishonesty from the Biden administration, prompting a pointed exchange.
Etienne had commended Biden's focus on combating misinformation, referencing what she described as a campaign rooted in falsehoods by then-candidate Trump. Jennings countered by asking if Biden, Vice President Harris, or Press Secretary Jean-Pierre had ever themselves been untruthful.
Jennings expressed a common Republican frustration with Biden's frequent positioning of himself as a champion of truth while simultaneously, in Jennings' view, engaging in actions that undermine this image. He cited the administration's handling of information regarding Biden's health as an example.
Etienne retorted by accusing former President Trump of spreading lies about COVID-19, leading to significant loss of life, a claim Jennings disputed.
In his address, Biden warned against the dangers of misinformation, particularly in the context of social media, and criticized Meta's decision to discontinue its fact-checking program. He argued that truth is being suppressed by falsehoods spread for political gain and profit.
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg's justification for ending the fact-checking initiative was to promote free expression on the company's platforms, claiming current content moderation had become excessive.
