What is a lying dog-faced pony soldier? Joe Biden's Vietnam Press Conference remark triggers confusion online

President Joe Biden's recent remarks at a Vietnam Press Conference, where he likened climate deniers to lying dog-faced pony soldiers, has triggered a wave of confusion among social media users over the genesis and meaning of the phrase. During the conference in Hanoi on Sunday, September 10, Biden was questioned about the diverse opinions on fossil fuels detrimental effects on climate.

In response, Joe Biden, who is a huge fan of Westerns, once again- as he has known to in the past - quoted his favorite John Wayne line “ lying dog-faced pony soldier” to describe people who do not believe that global warming exists.

During the conference, Biden appeared to ramble on for a few minutes, explaining that the phrase is from a John Wayne movie where he plays an Indian scout. Biden explained that in the movie, the Union soldiers are supposedly trying to sell a plan to the Indian chief, to which the incredulous chief, looks at the Indian scout, John Wayne, and declares, ‘He’s a lying, dog-faced pony soldier.’ At the conference, the president said:

"And the Indian scout, the Indian looks at John Wayne and points to the Union soldier and says, ‘He’s a lying, dog-faced pony soldier.’ Well, there’s a lot of lying, dog-faced pony soldiers out there about — about global warming, but not anymore. All of a sudden, they’re all realizing it’s a problem. And there’s nothing like seeing the light."

The president has used the alleged movie line "lying dog-faced pony soldier" multiple times in the past to indicate that someone is lying through their teeth or the person is dishonest. However, the quote has baffled many social media users as it doesn’t exist.

---

Biden's Vietnam conference remarks leaves the internet bemused

President Joe Biden’s recent remarks at the Vietnam press conference, where he invoked the phrase lying dog-faced pony soldier concerning climate deniers, have bemused many social media users, with a few poking fun at his mental competency. Reacting to the president's remark, conservative media personality ALX quipped:

"Pretty sure no one has ever tracked down the movie he thinks he’s referencing here."

Social media had a field day over the remark as the President, who believes that he’s quoting from a John Wayne movie called, "Pony Soldier.", instead seems to have conjured up the line by conflating words from two different movies, starring the same actor.

According to TMZ, Biden may have extracted the phrase from the 1952 Tyrone Power film called, "Pony Soldier." However, the Indian chief in the movie does not say "lying, dog-faced pony soldier.” The character instead at one point, said, "The pony soldier speaks with the tongue of the snake that rattles."

There is, however, another John Waye movie, "She Wore a Yellow Ribbon," where the narrator (and not Wayne) uses the phrase "dog-faced soldiers." Fox News, quoting the narrator in the movie, wrote:

"So here they are the dog-faced soldiers, the regulars, the 50-cents-a-day professionals, riding the outposts of the nation.”

The cloudy recollection sparked a discourse on the president's deteriorating mental acuity, as this was not the first time he had misquoted the phrase in public.

The President previously used the phrase "lying, dog-faced pony soldiers'' during a campaign event in New Hampshire back in February 2020, when a student questioned him about how he planned to win the race despite coming in fourth at the Iowa Caucus. At the time, he called the students "lying, dog-faced pony soldiers" in jest.