President Joe Biden has shown a habit of telling long-winded stories, and he just told his tallest tale yet.
On Monday, Biden lied about former President Ronald Reagan’s attempt to save him from a brain aneurysm.
Biden suffered an aneurysm in February 1988, and he missed months of work in the Senate. That account is well documented.
However, Biden embellished that story on Monday. According to Biden’s speech this week, Reagan tried sending a helicopter to take Biden from Wilmington, Delaware, to a hospital in Bethesda, Maryland. Then, in a dramatic twist to Biden’s story, Reagan’s effort failed because of a snowstorm, and Biden relied on Wilmington’s firefighters to take him to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center.
According to the White House transcript, Biden told Philadelphia firefighters —
Look, before I begin, I have to make an admission and full disclosure: I — I would not be here were it not for my local fire company in Wilmington, Delaware. They saved my life. I had a cranial aneurysm. I wasn’t ex- — it was the middle of a snowstorm. Not a joke.
I couldn’t figure out how they were going to — President Reagan was nice enough to send Air Force — Helicopter One to take me down, but it couldn’t fly. And so, my fire department — my fire department came up, put me in the back, and took me on — in a snow — in a heavy snow on the day I went down to Walter Reed, because that’s where I had to get for this operation.
I got there for a nine-hour operation that saved my life. I — not a joke. My firefighters — the guys I grew up with — they saved my life.
First of all, there’s no such vessel as “Air Force Helicopter One.” It’s called Marine One.
Biden should know that. He’s flown in Marine One several times as president.
Plus, Reagan’s writings tell a different story.
New York Post reporter Steven Nelson reviewed records posted online by the Ronald Reagan Presidential library. The reporter corroborated Biden’s story about the snowstorm… but nothing else.
“The latter part of the story involving the local fire department is described in Biden’s 2007 book ‘Promises to Keep,’ but Reagan offering or dispatching the presidential helicopter is not mentioned,” the reporter found.
“Press reports indicate that then-Sen. Biden was admitted to Walter Reed on Feb. 12, 1988 — and Reagan’s daily diary, which includes a detailed account of his meetings and phone calls, shows no discussions about sending the chopper to assist the Democrat.”
According to the reporter’s review, Biden’s 2007 book contains an account of Reagan calling him twice at the hospital… but no account of Reagan sending a helicopter.
Take a look at Biden’s rambling story —
Biden claims Ronald Reagan sent "Air Force Helicopter One" to take him to the hospital when he had a brain aneurysm in the 1980s.
His story "is not supported by either his own autobiography or by Reagan’s daily presidential diary," according to @stevennelson10. pic.twitter.com/hJ9aSy0cud
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) December 11, 2023
The Horn editorial team