During the White House Fourth of July Barbecue, President Biden addressed military service members and their families, stating that he has been 'in and out of battles.' Despite never serving in the military, Biden emphasized his global presence alongside service members, citing meetings with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of Ukraine in February 2023 and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel in October 2023.
This is not the first instance where Biden's remarks to the military have sparked controversy. In 2019, he faced criticism for inaccuracies in war stories shared on the campaign trail, with the Washington Post uncovering a 'moving but false war story.' Biden, then a presidential candidate and former vice president, defended his statements by asserting the accuracy of the 'central point.'
In response to Biden's recent claims on Independence Day, the Veterans 4 America First Institute, a nonprofit veterans' group, expressed their views on the matter.