Fact-check: Photo of Joe Biden at Detroit Athletic Club is from March

Democratic presidential candidate and former Vice President Joe Biden departs after voting early in Delaware's state primary election at the New Castle County Board of Elections office in Wilmington, Del., Monday, Sept. 14, 2020. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky) (Patrick Semansky, Copyright 2020 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)

DETROIT – A photo circulating social media claims to show Joe Biden and other local officials at an event at the Detroit Athletic Club not wearing masks.

The post started circulating after Dennis Archer Jr. posted a photo following Joe Biden’s visit to Michigan last week. The photo posted showed Archer shaking hands with Biden, with Gov. Gretchen Whitmer in the background.

Recommended Videos



The posts circulating social media pointed to the fact that Biden wasn’t wearing a mask at this event.

Archer clarified shortly after posting that the photo was taken at an event in March, before the coronavirus pandemic had started in Michigan. Biden was at the DAC on March 9 for a fundraiser before the primary election on March 10.

The Detroit Athletic Club also debunked the photo, releasing a statement on their Facebook page:

“There is a post and photo circulating showing an event at the DAC. The photo is from a private event prior to the shutdown in March. There have not been events of more than 10 people inside the DAC since reopening, and we continue to follow and enforce all social distancing and mask rules.”

When Biden visited Michigan on Sept. 9, he spoke in Warren and did not visit Detroit.

So the photo is real. But the context of the posts surrounding the photo are not. The claim that Joe Biden was at the Detroit Athletic Club last week at an event without masks is false.

Not True

After review, we've found this information is Not True.

What is the Trust Index?


About the Author:

Ken Haddad has proudly been with WDIV/ClickOnDetroit since 2013. He also authors the Morning Report Newsletter and various other newsletters, and helps lead the WDIV Insider team. He's a big sports fan and is constantly sipping Lions Kool-Aid.