President Biden during his remarks on Monday in Maui following the devastating wildfires on the island shared a story about a minor fire that had broken out in his Delaware home 15 years ago. During the retelling, he alleged that he could share “a little sense” of what the residents of Maui had experienced.
During his visit in Maui, Biden recalled how lightning had caused his Wilmington, Delaware home to catch on fire. He said that while he did not want to compare these situations, he and his wife, Jill Biden, had some sense of what it is like for one’s home to be lost. As he said at the time, he had not been at home but because of that fire he had “almost lost my wife, my ’67 Corvette, and my cat.”
This is a story that Biden has repeatedly shared in the past in an attempt to connect with those who have suffered because of natural disasters. However, The Associated Press reported in 2004 that the fire that Biden has often referred to was in fact contained to the home’s kitchen. The fire was under control within less than 20 minutes and the damage had not spread further than the kitchen.
Following Biden’s recent sharing of the story, the Republican National Committee shared the videos of the different versions of this story that Biden has shared over the years. In January 2022, Biden had stated he had “almost” lost his home, while in October of that year, he had stated the smoke had ruined everything in the house and that a couple of firefighters had almost lost their lives.
