An unsubstantiated rumor claimed that President Joe Biden’s unusually long visit with Pope Francis was the result of a bathroom emergency.
CBS Senior White House correspondent Weijia Jiang apparently raised the question when she noted that Biden’s visit – en route to the G20 Summit in Glasgow – had been noticeably longer than those of former Presidents Barack Obama and Donald Trump. (RELATED: Fox News Contributor Says Biden’s Awkward Drinking Joke To The Pope Was The Real Reason Meeting Wasn’t Broadcast Live)
“The Vatican shared that President Biden and Pope Francis met privately for one hour and 15 minutes, which is a long time for the Pope to spend with any world leader. President Obama’s one on one meeting lasted for 50 minutes. President Trump’s was 30 minutes,” Jiang tweeted, although she left out the fact that Biden – the only Catholic among the three – might have had more to discuss with the Pope simply because they shared the same faith.
The Vatican shared that President Biden and Pope Francis met privately for one hour and 15 minutes, which is a long time for the Pope to spend with any world leader. President Obama’s one on one meeting lasted for 50 minutes. President Trump’s was 30 minutes.
— Weijia Jiang (@weijia) October 29, 2021
The rumor appeared to start a short time later with a tweet from former Republican Nevada Chairwoman Amy Tarkanian, who claimed without presenting any evidence that Biden’s possible accident was the topic of much discussion in Rome.
“The word around Rome is that Biden’s meeting with the Pope was unusually long because Biden had a bit of an ‘bathroom accident’ at the Vatican & it had to be addressed prior to him leaving,” she tweeted. “I know we joke often about this, but this is the actual rumor going around Rome now.”
The word around Rome is that Biden’s meeting with the Pope was unusually long because Biden had a bit of an “bathroom accident” at the Vatican & it had to be addressed prior to him leaving.
I know we joke often about this, but this is the actual rumor going around Rome now.
— Amy Tarkanian (@MrsT106) October 30, 2021
Within a matter of hours, #PoopyPantsBiden, #ShartWeek and #PoopGate were trending on social media.
The Number One Trending Hashtag In The United States Right Now pic.twitter.com/7qWqT5qda6
— The Columbia Bugle 🇺🇸 (@ColumbiaBugle) October 31, 2021
LMAO …#PoopyPantsBiden is the #4 trend in the USA#ShartWeek is #5
— Catturd ™ (@catturd2) October 31, 2021
Tarkanian never provided any evidence that the rumor was actually spreading throughout Rome, and did not respond to a request for comment.