Former president Barack Obama, who almost singlehandedly ensured the election of Donald Trump by persuading Joe Biden not to run in 2016, has posted a widely circulated video on social media. Obama's video is of himself, obviously, and shows the former POTUS draining a three-point shot on a basketball court.
Shoot your shot. https://t.co/XdZz4dh82T pic.twitter.com/elpBmzu6hV
— Barack Obama (@BarackObama) October 31, 2020
FACT CHECK:
The video clip, which has racked up more than 15 million views on Twitter, is selectively edited to make it seem as though Obama is a talented basketball player—as though he made the shot on his first attempt before walking off the court in triumph. As a result, crucial context is missing that could give the viewer a more thorough understanding of the facts at hand.
As discussed in a previous Washington Free Beacon fact check, Obama is not very good at sports. He does not, for example, know how to throw a baseball correctly. His alleged basketball prowess, widely touted by ill-informed pundits, appears to be yet another liberal myth, as evidenced by the following full-length video of the former president attempting to impress some children by making a shot on the White House basketball court.
In the 2013 clip, Obama made less than 10 percent of the shots he attempted. Compare that to the 100 percent success rate depicted in his viral post on social media. At best, the video uses deceptive editing to promote a false reality. At worst, Obama's closing message to the American people ahead of this crucial election is a nefarious lie. Obama's effort to deceive the voting public earns our harshest possible rating: Four Clintons.
