Critics of former President Donald Trump are always quick to challenge the veracity of the Republican’s statements, but President Biden told multiple lies during Thursday night’s presidential debate, even as he remained consistent in his comments.
Here are the Commander in Chief’s biggest lies and gaffes.
No soldiers were killed.
Biden said: “I am the only president this century, this decade, to have had no soldiers killed anywhere in the world. [Trump] did.”
truth: During his tenure, at least 16 soldiers have been killed in attacks overseas, including the infamous August 2021 incident in which 13 soldiers were killed in an ISIS-K attack during a botched U.S. troop withdrawal from Afghanistan.
Defeated Medicare
Biden said: “We finally beat Medicare.”
fact: What? It’s unclear what even the 80-year-old president was trying to say here, but the apparent gaffe came after he paused mid-discussion about his record on the economy.
Trump, 78, responded sarcastically: “He defeated Medicare. He defeated it big time.”
Border Patrol Approval
Biden said: The U.S. Border Patrol union “supported me and stood by my position.”
truth: The National Border Patrol Council denied Biden’s claims during the debate. “To be clear, we have never endorsed Mr. Biden and will not endorse him in the future,” the union said. Posted in X.
Which agreement?
Biden said: “[Trump] We withdrew from the Paris Peace Accords, the climate change agreement.”
fact: The president confused the Paris Climate Accord, an international pact aimed at combating climate change, with the Paris Peace Accords, which marked the end of the Vietnam War in 1973.
Black unemployment
Biden said: “Black unemployment is at its lowest it’s been in a long time.”
truth: In April 2023, the Black unemployment rate under Biden will hit a record low of 4.8%, surpassing the previous low of 5.3% recorded in 2019 under the Trump administration.
However, last month the rate was 6.1%.
social security
Biden said: “[Trump] “He wants to eliminate Social Security. … He wants to cut Social Security and Medicare.”
truth: Former President He repeatedly Protecting Medicare and Social Security.
Taxing the wealthy
Biden said: “There are 1,000 millionaires, billionaires, in America. So what’s going on? They’re actually paying 8.2 percent tax.”
truth: According to IRS data, the top 1% of taxpayers (those earning more than $548,000) paid an average tax rate of nearly 26% in 2020, while the top 0.001% (1,475 taxpayers) with adjusted gross income of more than $77 million paid 23.7%. Quoted by The Washington Post.
President Trump’s unemployment rate
Biden said: “[The] The unemployment rate rose to 15%. [under Trump]; it was awful.”
fact: The unemployment rate was 6.4% when President Trump left the White House in 2021. The unemployment rate rose from 4.4% in March 2020, when the pandemic began, to 14.8% in April 2020. The unprecedented global pandemic caused economic upheaval around the world.
Border Crossing
Biden said: “I think things have changed in a way. Now we have 40 percent fewer people crossing the border illegally. [Trump] I have resigned.”
truth: He mixes up the data: Since President Biden issued an executive order banning asylum at the southern border a month ago, the daily average number of migrant apprehensions has fallen by more than 40% to about 2,400.
But there have already been more than 7 million illegal border crossings under Biden, more than 1 million more crossings than under Trump in his first two years in office. It is reported that it was compiled during his four years in office.
Drug prices
Biden said: “We’ve reduced prescription drug prices from $400 to $15 per insulin shot. Starting next year, seniors will not have to pay more than $200 for their medication.”
truth: Under the Inflation Control Act of 2022, signed into law by Biden, Medicare enrollees would still have to pay up to $35 a month, and seniors and people with disabilities would have to pay up to $2,000 a year out-of-pocket starting in 2025.
