To cap the first night of the Democratic National Convention, President Joe Biden delivered a late-night speech which was part highlight reel of the last three and a half years and part support for the Harris-Walz ticket. During the almost hour-long speech, the President made several claims.
The fact-checking of Biden’s speech highlighted several key claims, ranging from abortion to crime rates. Politifact fact-checked many of the statements. Here’s a summary:
Abortion:
Biden’s claim that Trump will do everything to ban abortion nationwide was found to be misleading, as Trump has mostly advocated for leaving the issue to the states, despite previously supporting some federal restrictions.
Health Care
Biden’s statement on insulin costs was rated HALF TRUE, as most Medicare enrollees were not paying $400 per month before the price cap.
Social Security and Medicare
Biden’s claim that Trump wants to cut these programs was mostly FALSE, as Trump has repeatedly stated that he does not support cutting them during his 2024 campaign.
Immigration
Biden’s claim about a significant drop in border encounters was found to be MOSTLY TRUE, though experts caution that attributing this solely to executive actions may be simplistic.
Crime Rates
Biden correctly noted the large spike in murder rates during Trump’s presidency, though analysts attribute it more to the pandemic and social unrest than Trump’s policies. TRUE.
Economy
Biden’s claim about semiconductor industry salaries was MOSTLY FALSE, as the average salary is much higher, but only a fraction of those jobs are available without a college degree.
Racial Wealth Gap
Biden’s statement was rated HALF TRUE, with mixed results depending on how the gap is measured.
Tax Rate for Billionaires
Biden’s claim about the average tax rate for billionaires was FALSE, as it relied on a theoretical figure rather than actual tax rates.
Trump and the Constitution
Hillary Clinton’s claim about Trump wanting to terminate constitutional rules was TRUE based on Trump’s 2022 statements.
IVF
The claim that Trump would shut down IVF was FALSE, as Trump has explicitly supported the availability of fertility treatments like IVF.
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COVID-19
A claim that Trump instructed Americans to inject bleach during the pandemic was MOSTLY FALSE, as Trump’s comments were more of a suggestion to study the idea, later dismissed as sarcasm.
For more DNC coverage, click here.
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