CNN’s John Berman Fact-Checks False Claim Biden Was ‘MIA’ After DeSantis Attacks Biden During Interview

CNN anchor John Berman issued a fact-check after Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis falsely attacked President Joe Biden in an interview by claiming he was “MIA” on Saturday after the terrorist assault on Israel by Hamas.

DeSantis has been making the rounds this week to discuss the situation in Israel following the coordinated terrorist assault on Israel Saturday morning that has thrown the region into war.

On Wednesday’s edition of CNN News Central, Berman began his interview with DeSantis by reading him some of the praise that Biden has been receiving from Israelis over his latest speech on the violence, which prompted DeSantis to attack the president:

JOHN BERMAN: After President Biden’s speech yesterday, Michael Oren, the former Israeli ambassador to the United States, said, quote, “President Biden’s speech was the most passionately pro-Israel in history. The president stood foursquare behind the Jewish state and the Jewish people and unequivocally against terror and antisemitism and pledged the power of the U.S. to our defense. Our people will always remember and cherish this speech and the man who delivered it.”.

So what more or different would you have said than what President Biden said? That comment, by the way, came from a man formerly known as Bibi’s man in Washington.

RON DESANTIS: Well, look, I think that that, I think that those words were appreciated. I think, you know, he was missing in action over the weekend. They didn’t even wake him up on Saturday. And then he called the lid Monday when we had Americans that were reported killed.

Berman neglected to correct DeSantis in real-time following his lengthy response, but did so in a tweet following the interview:

.@RonDeSantis tells me, “I think that those words were appreciated,” of @POTUS speech on Israel.

Also, “Let’s have unanimity between both parties all across this country.”

He also (incorrectly) said Biden was “missing in action” over the weekend. (He spoke on Saturday)

— John Berman (@JohnBerman) October 11, 2023

In fact, President Biden was very active both behind the scenes and publicly. On Saturday, the president had over a dozen meetings and calls — with his national security team, with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, with Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin — before he made a public statement on Saturday morning, then continued those meetings and calls before and after giving a speech at the White House Saturday afternoon.

And on Sunday and Monday, the president and his team continued to meet with national security officials, Israeli leaders, U.S. legislators, and world leaders from France, Germany, Italy, the United Kingdom — with whom the president coordinated a joint statement condemning the attacks and promising support for Israel. In addition to all of that, the president also sat for interviews with Special Counsel Robert Hur on Sunday and Monday.

Watch above via CNN News Central.