Biden saying 'end of quote' in SCOTUS remarks wasn't flub | Fact check
The claim: Biden mistakenly read 'end of quote' prompt on teleprompter
A July 2 Instagram post (direct link, archive link) shows a post on X, formerly Twitter, of President Joe Biden delivering remarks on the U.S. Supreme Court's July 1 ruling on presidential immunity.
"I concur with Justice Sotomayor's dissent today," Biden says in the video. "Here's what she said. She said, 'In every use of official power, the president is now a king above the law. With fear for our democracy, I dissent.' End of quote."
Text directly above the video reads, "Joe Biden read the 'end of quote' prompt on the teleprompter again. Dude is shot."
The Instagram post's caption reads, "If you put it on the Teleprompter, he will read it folks. Here's another 'end of quote.'"
The Instagram post was liked more than 68,000 times in two days.
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Our rating: False
Biden saying "end of quote" here isn't a gaffe. He used the phrase after reading from Justice Sonia Sotomayor's dissent. The full video shows he then immediately turned to his own thoughts on the ruling, separating his words from Sotomayor's. Biden regularly says "end of quote" when citing other people.
Biden quoted Sotomayor's dissent on SCOTUS Trump immunity decision
The video in the post shows Biden delivering remarks July 1 criticizing the Supreme Court's 6-3 ruling that former presidents have some immunity from criminal prosecution for "official" acts during their tenure in office.
But Biden didn't make a mistake by saying "end of quote" during his speech. C-SPAN footage shows the president quoted Sotomayor's dissent before shifting to his opinion on the ruling, using the phrase to separate his words from the justice's dissent.
"I concur with Justice Sotomayor's dissent today," Biden said, according to the C-SPAN video. "Here's what she said. She said, 'In every use of official power, the president is now a king above the law. With fear for our democracy, I dissent.' End of quote. And so should the American people dissent. I dissent."
Biden cited two sentences from Sotomayor's 30-page dissent. The sentences are, "In every use of official power, the President is now a king above the law," and, "With fear for our democracy, I dissent."
Fact check: Biden was quoting Walmart US CEO when he said 'end of quote' during speech
While it's not what happened this time, the president has mistakenly read teleprompter instructions before. In April, he appeared to slip up by reading a speech cue to "pause."
Still, Biden's use of "end of quote" during his Supreme Court remarks was not improper. And he's used the phrase on multiple occasions when citing other people or documents. For example, he said "end of quote" after citing a proposal related to the ongoing Israel-Hamas war on May 31. He used the phrase Jan. 5 after quoting the artist who memorialized Gen. George Washington's resignation of his commission as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army. And he used it on April 13, 2023, after quoting Benjamin Franklin.
A White House transcript of Biden's July 1 remarks also includes his use of the phrase "end of quote" without clarification.
The Instagram user who shared the post did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Lead Stories also fact-checked the claim.
Our fact-check sources:
White House, Jan. 5, Remarks by President Biden on the Third Anniversary of the January 6th Attack and Defending the Sacred Cause of American Democracy | Blue Bell, PA
White House, May 31, Remarks by President Biden on the Middle East
White House, April 13, 2023, Remarks by President Biden to the Houses of the Oireachtas
White House, July 1, Remarks by President Biden on the Supreme Court’s Immunity Ruling
U.S. Supreme Court, July 1, Trump v. United States opinion
C-SPAN, July 1, President Biden Delivers Remarks on Supreme Court Immunity Ruling
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Biden saying 'end of quote' in SCOTUS remarks not mistake | Fact check
