Last week the long awaited first presidential debate aired. American’s saw their current president, Donald Trump, and the democratic nominee, former Vice President Joe Biden, go head to head.
Afterwards many media organizations like Fox and CNN denounced the behaviors of the candidates. Online, Tik Toks and memes were made comparing the candidates to kindergarteners. Yet, the messages that were able to get through the chaos still need to be fact-checked.
“We built the greatest economy in history,” said Trump.
This is not correct as there have been times in U.S. history where the economy was stronger. Even Trump’s progress on the economy was started from the previous Obama administration.
“We have 4% of the world’s population, [but] 20% of the deaths,” Biden said.
This is true when looking at overall recorded deaths. However, when looking at deaths per capita, in proportion with population the U.S. is in the top ten countries hit the hardest by the virus.
“Manufacturing went into a hole,” said Biden about Trump’s economy.
This is not true. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Trump added almost half a million manufacturing jobs during his first three years in office. However, these numbers were influenced by the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We guaranteed pre-existing conditions,” Trump said on health insurance.
According to AP Fact Check, this is not true. The actions and policies suggested by Trump’s administration and the Republican party have offered a weaker protection for Americans with pre-existing conditions. If the Supreme Court, which will soon have a Conservative majority overturns Obamacare, the House and Senate will have to pass legislation that protects
Americans with pre-existing conditions.
“There was a peaceful protest in front of the White House,” Biden said about Trump. “What did he do? He came out of his bunker, had the military use tear gas on them.”
This is not exactly true, it was the police that used the chemical agents on the crowd June 1. There is also no evidence on that day that Trump was in the bunker, it was days earlier that he was reported to have been taken to the bunker by the Secret Service.
For information on the facts visit, apnews.com/hub/ap-fact-check and www.bbc.com/news/reality_check.
