Exposing Biden's Truth-ury at the 2024 DNC

Chicago — Former President Joe Biden, in a fiery speech, addressed the Democratic convention, originally expected to be his nomination acceptance until he stepped aside for his VP, Kamala Harris.

The United Center audience interrupted Biden with chants of "Thank you, Joe", as he outlined his new role: passing the torch to Harris, the first Black and Asian-American woman to head a major party ticket.

Biden's address focused on extremism's threats to democracy, raising his voice in anger: "We came together in 2020 to save democracy."

Harris made a surprise appearance at the lectern, garnering thunderous applause. "When we fight," she said, the crowd finished, "we win."

The event also featured Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and 2016 nominee Hillary Clinton, who praised Biden and Harris while criticizing Trump-era policies, particularly the Supreme Court appointments leading to Roe v. Wade's overturning.

Abortion:

Biden: "Trump will do everything to ban abortion nationwide."

Trump has stated abortion laws should be left to states and told reporters he wouldn't sign a national ban. However, as president, he endorsed a 20-week national ban and floated support for 15- or 16-week federal bans. He hasn't clarified his stance on other methods to restrict abortion nationwide.

Health Care:

Biden: "Seniors with diabetes will pay $35 a month for insulin instead of $400."

The Inflation Reduction Act capped out-of-pocket insulin costs at $35 monthly for Medicare enrollees in 2023. While costs vary, experts say most Medicare enrollees likely paid less than $400/month beforehand. Uninsured users paid over twice as much, about $996 annually.

Biden: "Trump wants to cut Social Security and Medicare."

Trump has suggested overhauls and cuts to Social Security in the past. While he walked it back, he recently said there's a lot to be cut in terms of entitlements. His campaign website contradicts this, stating not a "single penny" should be cut from Social Security. Trump has said he won't cut Medicare during his campaign but proposed cuts in his presidency.

Immigration:

Biden: "My executive action resulted in a 50% drop in border encounters. Fewer crossings now than when Trump left office."

Biden's claim needs context. Illegal border crossings in July were lower than Trump's last full month, but experts caution against attributing this solely to Biden's action, which limits asylum applications and took effect in June. Encounters in July were 56,408, a 52% drop from May's 117,900. Trump's last months averaged 71,200 crossings, with 71,140 in his final full month.

Crime Rates, Economy, and More:

Biden: "The murder rate increased by 30% on Trump's watch, the biggest historical jump."

Murder rates rose by about 35% from 2019 to 2020, the largest increase since data collection began in the '60s. However, analysts attribute this spike mainly to the pandemic and social unrest following George Floyd's murder, not Trump's policies.

Biden: "Semiconductor industry jobs will pay over $100,000, and no college degree is needed."

The Semiconductor Industry Association and Oxford Economics place the average industry salary at $170,000, including all jobs. The maximum salary without a degree is about $70,000, per their 2021 report.

Biden: "We've seen the smallest racial wealth gap in 20 years during my tenure."

Biden references a modest decrease in the white-Black wealth ratio from Fed data. For every $100 held by white families, Black families had $15.75. However, by the dollar amount, the wealth gap widened to its highest since 1989.

Biden: "America's 1,000 billionaires pay an average tax rate of 8.2%."

This claim is false. The wealthiest Americans pay an effective tax rate of over 20% on counted income under current law. Biden compares their payments to an amount that includes non-taxed income under law, making it theoretical, not actual.

Trump and the Rule of Law:

Hillary Clinton: "Trump fell asleep at his trial, making history as the first presidential candidate with 34 felony convictions."

It's unclear if Trump slept during the trial, though reports suggest he did. He was found guilty on 34 felony counts of falsifying business records to cover up a hush payment to Stormy Daniels. The Constitution doesn't bar convicted felons from running for office, and some have in the past.

Rep. Jamie Raskin: "Trump calls for ending all rules, regulations, and even constitutional articles."

True. Trump stated election fraud could justify terminating rules, even those in the Constitution, on Truth Social. Days later, he attempted to walk back his words, but there is no mechanism to terminate constitutional rules due to election results.

IVF, COVID-19, and Final Thoughts:

Sen. Dick Durbin: "Trump is shutting down IVF treatments."

False. An Alabama Supreme Court ruling considered frozen embryos as children, pausing treatments in the state. Trump released a video supporting IVF availability and state legislation resumed treatments. While some Republicans seek to grant embryos full rights, Trump hasn't embraced this.

Rep. Robert Garcia: "Trump downplayed the virus, suggesting bleach injections as a cure."

Trump asked about studying UV light and disinfectant effectiveness, including injections. He later clarified injections weren't meant literally and was being sarcastic. Garcia's claim contains truth, but Trump never instructed Americans to inject disinfectants.

PolitiFact contributors: Louis Jacobson, Amy Sherman, Samantha Putterman, Sara Swann, Loreben Tuquero, Maria Ramirez Uribe.