Trump and Biden Got Some Facts Wrong At the Debate

They could have been outright lies

The last Presidential debate was more orderly

There were lots of facts spewed out by both Donald Trump and Joe Biden during the final debate for the Presidential election which takes place in just over a week. Some of Trump’s claims might have sounded good to the undecided voter if they did not know that they were lies.

Biden did some debate prep while Trump was out holding his rallies. Still, they both stated some things that were not true according to people who checked the facts.

USA Today reported on results from FactCheck.org. Contributing to the report were: Eugene Kiely, Robert Farley, Brooks Jackson, Lori Robertson, D’Angelo Gore, Jessica McDonald, Angelo Fichera, Saranac Hale Spencer and Rem Rieder.

Here are the highlights in summary form in case you missed it. For more details, check out factcheck.org

From Trump:

• Trump accused Biden of receiving “$3.5 million from Russia.” There’s no evidence of that.

• Trump erred when he said it’s “proven” that a minimum-wage boost would lead to many firings. There’s a chance that the effect could be “about zero,” according to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office.

• Trump falsely said “I don’t take” money from Wall Street. He and groups supporting him got about $13.8 million from Wall Street.

• The president falsely claimed that his bank account in China was “closed in 2015.” Trump’s own attorney said it remains open.

• Trump claimed that the $750 the New York Times reported he paid in federal income taxes in 2016 and 2017 was a “filing fee.” There is no such fee.

• Trump repeated his claim that “we’re rounding the turn” on the pandemic. Cases actually are increasing in many parts of the country.

• Trump misleadingly suggested the Obama administration was to blame for his administration’s policy that caused the separation of immigrant families.

• Trump falsely claimed that “less than 1%” of those caught crossing the border and released pending immigration hearings appear in court. The rate is about 50%, according to his own Justice Department.

• The president falsely claimed murderers and rapists are released under a so-called “catch and release” policy. In fact, immigration laws require such criminals be detained.

• Trump said African American income grew “nine times” more under his administration than under his predecessor. But that relies on figures Census says suffer from a pandemic-induced survey bias.

• The president quoted Anthony Fauci as saying the coronavirus was “not going to be a problem.” Fauci didn’t say that.

• Trump claimed that Biden wants to raise “everybody’s” taxes. Analysts say 80% would get a cut.

• Trump again falsely claimed Biden would get rid of private health insurance. Biden opposed Medicare for All.

• Trump wrongly attributed the term “super-predator” to Biden. It was Hillary Clinton — not Biden — who applied the term to some “gangs of kids.”

Biden made some mistakes too but was likely not deliberately lying.

From Biden:

• Biden said there’s “no evidence” that raising the minimum wage causes business bankruptcies. There is, a little.

• Biden claimed Social Security’s chief actuary said if Trump “continues his plan to withhold the tax on Social Security” the program “will be bankrupt by 2023.” Trump hasn’t proposed ending the tax without providing alternative funding, the scenario the actuary assessed.

• Though Biden claimed Trump’s travel restrictions on China were imposed “late, after 40 countries had already done that,” most of those countries did it around the same time Trump did.

• Biden misleadingly claimed that “38,000 prisoners were released from federal prison” during the Obama administration. The total number went down by about 12,000.

• Biden claimed the U.S. trade deficit with China went “up, not down” under Trump. In fact it was lower in 2019 than it was in Biden’s last year as vice president.

• Biden misquoted Sen. Mitch McConnell as saying, “Let them go bankrupt,” about cities and states that have lost revenue as a result of the pandemic. McConnell said bankruptcy should be a legal option for states with unrelated money woes.

The debate could have changed some minds of undecided voters if they believed the words and claims coming out of the mouths of Trump and Biden.

The last question was telling. Biden gave a thoughtful and caring answer to what he would say to voters on inauguration day. He said he would be concerned with all people even if they did not vote for him. Trump seemed to not understand the question. He went off on his tangent as he often does.

There is a clear difference in the candidates. Biden wants to bring change and light to the country. He wants to have a “United” States of America instead of the division and hatred which exist now.

Millions of people have already voted. BE SURE TO VOTE!!!

[Sources: USA Today, factcheck.org]