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Quick Take
Army cadets rhythmically cheered to the beat of the military band during the annual Army-Navy football game on Dec. 9. The cheer was captured in a viral video posted on X, formerly known as Twitter. Some versions of the video circulating on social media sites have been dubbed over to falsely claim that the cadets were chanting “f— Joe Biden.” They weren’t.
Full Story
Army beat Navy 17-11 in the annual football game between the two military service academies, held this year at the New England Patriots’ Gillette Stadium.
Video of Army cadets jumping and cheering in rhythm to the marching band has now caught fire on the internet, circulating on social media platforms with a false claim that politicizes the clip.
The original video was posted by Keagan Stiefel, a journalist who works for the New England Sports Network.
Stiefel covered the game for the network, and posts on his X account show that he was by the Army sideline.
Partway through the game, he posted the video clip showing Army cadets cheering with the caption, “I’ve never experienced anything like #ArmyNavy. This is an unbelievable atmosphere.”
Later that day, after the clip had picked up traction online, he reposted a Canadian network’s use of his video, saying, “The Canadians are using my #ArmyNavy video. I’m practically the king of international relations.”
Then a version of Stiefel’s video started circulating with dubbed audio, giving the false impression that the cadets were chanting a vulgar phrase about President Joe Biden that has been a popular saying among some conservatives since 2021. Altered videos on Instagram, for example, include text that says, “Massive ‘Fuck Joe Biden’ chant breaks out at Army/Navy game.”
Stiefel took to X again the day after the game, clarifying that the clip with the politicized chant was “doctored.” Regardless, versions of the falsified video are still circulating online.
Editor’s note: FactCheck.org is one of several organizations working with Meta to debunk misinformation shared on social media. Our previous stories can be found here. Meta has no control over our editorial content.
Sources
Golen, Jimmy. “Army holds on with goal-line stand in final seconds, beats Navy 17-11.” Associated Press. 9 Dec 2023.
Pekale, Zach. “Army-Navy football: Memorable moments, all-time history.” NCAA.com. 9 Dec 2023.
Stiefel, Keagan. “Army-Navy Wrap: Black Knights Edge Midshipmen In ‘America’s Game.’” New England Sports Network. 9 Dec 2023.
Stiefel, Keagan (@KeaganStiefel). “I’ve never experienced anything like #ArmyNavy. This is an unbelievable atmosphere.” X. 9 Dec 2023.
Parker, Ashley and Carissa Wolf. “Biden’s critics hurl increasingly vulgar taunts.” Washington Post. 23 Oct 2021.
Stiefel, Keagan (@KeaganStiefel). “I don’t usually complain about credit, because no one cares but me. I do think it’s interesting that an #ArmyNavy video I posted was doctored, and instead of giving me the credit for posting the original, X sends people to Barstool. It’s not a big deal, just annoying.” X. 10 Dec 2023.