Obama advises Biden on artificial intelligence, isn't a 'shadow president' | Fact check

The claim: NBC News admitted Obama is a 'shadow president' serving his 'third term'

A Nov. 5 Instagram post (direct link, archive link) includes a screenshot of an article claiming a major news outlet asserted a former president remains at the helm of the U.S. government.

“NBC News Admits Obama Is ‘Shadow President’ Serving His ‘Third Term,’” reads the article's headline.

It received more than 150 likes in three days. Another version of the claim was shared more than 14,000 times on X, formerly Twitter.

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Our rating: False

NBC News reported former President Barack Obama advised the White House on artificial intelligence, but the article did not refer to Obama being a “shadow president.” Experts told USA TODAY it is not unprecedented for a current president to seek counsel from a predecessor. The claim originated on a website known for publishing misinformation.

Past presidents have sought counsel from predecessors

The claim stems from a Nov. 4 article by The People’s Voice, an outlet known to publish misinformation. The website includes a disclaimer saying it does not guarantee the reliability or accuracy of its content.

Contrary to the post's claim, the Nov. 3 NBC News article in question says nothing about Obama being the "shadow president." Rather, the article states Obama "quietly advised" the White House on artificial intelligence over several months.

The People’s Voice article quotes pundits who claimed the NBC report showed President Joe Biden’s tenure in office is “essentially … Obama’s third term."

Fact check: Story of Harvard student discovering weight-loss mineral isn’t from USA TODAY

But Chris Edelson, an assistant professor at American University's Department of Government, said it’s “certainly not unprecedented” for a current president to seek counsel from a former president. He referenced President John F. Kennedy seeking advice from former President Dwight D. Eisenhower during the Cuban Missile Crisis and former President Richard Nixon counseling President Bill Clinton on foreign policy as two examples.

Peter Loge, director of the School of Media and Public Affairs at George Washington University, described the social media claims as “silly." He noted Obama's affinity for technology and added that there is “no law against being an informed advisor" to a current president.

“Not many people have been president of the United States,” he said. “It seems foolish not to turn to those few people and ask for advice.” 

USA TODAY has debunked a variety of claims from The People’s Voice, including that Pfizer admitted its employees received a “special batch” of the COVID-19 vaccine different from what the general public received, that Clinton and Pope Francis called for “human depopulation” to save the planet and that the World Health Organization declared “mass vaccination” is required to combat climate change. 

USA TODAY reached out to NBC News and users who shared the post for comment but did not immediately receive a response.

Lead Stories also debunked the claim. 

Our fact-check sources:

• Chris Edelson, Nov. 8, Phone call with USA TODAY 
• Peter Loge, Nov. 8, Phone call with USA TODAY
• NBC News, Nov. 3, Biden quietly tapped Obama to help shape his AI strategy 

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