After U.S. President Joe Biden and Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., visited a construction site in Superior, Wisconsin, on Jan. 25, 2024, to unveil the administration's $5 billion infrastructure plan, Klobuchar posted a photo on X (formerly Twitter) of herself, Biden and a group of construction workers celebrating in a local barroom.
Social media users not particularly friendly to the president were quick to identify what they took to be a gaffe on Biden's part: He appeared to be wearing a hard hat backwards.
Nothing like having a beer with some great union workers and yes, that would be @JoeBiden in Superior, Wisconsin. @AFLCIO pic.twitter.com/caMGiRXjPe
— Amy Klobuchar (@amyklobuchar) January 25, 2024
He's got his fucking hardhat on backwards. #Biden
/facepalm pic.twitter.com/iSkDdXxOHt— Liberty Never Sleeps Podcast (@LibertyNeverSlp) January 26, 2024
The photo is genuine. And it does look, at first glance, like Biden was wearing that hard hat backwards. But after comparing it to other photos and videos of the same event, we were forced to reach the opposite conclusion: The hat on Biden's head was facing forward, bill to the front, not backward.
We identified it as the same hard hat worn by one of the construction workers Biden met that day. Here's a photo. Compare the arrangement of the stickers :
Biden to unveil nearly $5 billion in new infrastructure projects https://t.co/4ZJcTSn7Vt
— WCCO | CBS News Minnesota (@WCCO) January 25, 2024
In fact, unless we're mistaken, the hat was worn by the selfsame worker later photographed standing to Biden's right in Klobuchar's picture. Here is Biden shaking that man's hand:
President Biden to unveil nearly $5 billion in new infrastructure projects https://t.co/JHC9V9b5Vr
— CBS Evening News (@CBSEveningNews) January 25, 2024
Look closely, though. Which direction is the bill of that hat facing? Is the construction worker wearing it forwards or backwards? How about in this picture?
(WQOW News/Screenshot)
Do construction workers sometimes wear their hard hats backwards? Yes. But to do so, the internal suspension has to be reversed to fit correctly, which explains why, when Biden donned the hat with the brim forward, the nape strap ended up on his forehead. See Cooper Safety Supply's "Hard Hat FAQ":
Q. Can I wear my hard hat backwards?
A. This depends on the manufacturer of your hard hat. If the suspension attachment points on your hard hat are the same from front to back, the suspension can be reversed and the cap worn with the brim facing the rear and still meet the requirements of the applicable protective headwear standard. Be sure that the suspension has been reversed so that the nape strap is in the rear. Many hard hat manufactures now offer swing-style suspensions that allow for you to quickly reverse the direction of your hard hat.
For an even better look, check the video below posted on YouTube by WQOW News of Eau Claire, Wisconsin.
Anyone want to razz that man for how he chooses to wear his hard hat?