Footage is real, but campaign claims Biden made the remark 'jokingly'
The footage of the moment is real. It was from a trip to Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, on March 7, 2016, and he was speaking with troops stationed at Al Dhafra Air Base.
Lt. Karen Johnson — a native of Wilmington, Delaware — introduced Biden to the rest of the troops, per a video from
The Washington Examiner. Later in his speech, Biden told the crowd that he had appointed Johnson to "the academy," a reference to one of the nation's five service academies.
After that remark, expecting applause, Biden encouraged the troops to clap for Johnson in part by calling them "stupid bastards."
Once they began to applaud, he continued, "Man, you are a dull bunch. Must be slow here, ma