President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump met for a showdown over coverage and their data, however not every little thing claimed by the candidates onstage was factual.
Inflation charges, border crossings, Jan. 6, abortion, the inventory market and the fee to America of the Paris Local weather Accord have been among the many points the 2 sparred over that want a more in-depth look.
ABC Information’ politics crew analyzed their feedback to interrupt down truth from fiction.
Did Biden inherit 9% inflation?
TRUMP CLAIM: “He additionally stated he inherited 9% inflation — no. He inherited nearly no inflation, and it stayed … stayed that manner for 14 months, and it blew up below his management …”
FACT CHECK: That is principally true. In January 2021, when Biden was inaugurated, year-over-year inflation was about 1.4%. Below Biden, year-over-year inflation peaked at 9.1 % in June 2022. However it’s now down to three.3 %. Below Trump, inflation rose 7.76 % from January 2017 to January 2021, and year-over-year inflation peaked at 2.9 % in July 2018.
–Zunaira Zaki
![PHOTO: Former President Donald Trump speaks during a presidential debate with Democrat candidate, President Joe Biden, in Atlanta, June 27, 2024.](https://i0.wp.com/i.abcnewsfe.com/a/4a8f5ffa-0193-4306-826e-dcc9f7a8a56b/biden-trump-debate-32-rt-gmh-240627_1719541121232_hpMain.jpg?ssl=1)
Former President Donald Trump speaks throughout a presidential debate with Democrat candidate, President Joe Biden, in Atlanta, June 27, 2024.
Brian Snyder/Reuters
Have been there any navy conflicts throughout Trump’s time period in workplace?
TRUMP CLAIM: “We bought…plenty of credit score for the navy, and no wars and so many different issues. Every part was rocking good.”
FACT CHECK: Wants context. Whereas it is true that Trump didn’t formally declare warfare in opposition to a international energy whereas within the White Home, he considerably scaled up navy motion in Syria and Iraq within the struggle in opposition to ISIS and in addition approved the air strike that killed Iranian Normal Qasem Soleimani, placing the nation getting ready to a direct battle with Iran. Pentagon data additionally present that not less than 65 American troops have been killed in motion throughout Trump’s time period.
–Shannon Kingston
Crime and the Border
TRUMP CLAIM: “We now have a border that is probably the most harmful place anyplace on the planet, thought-about probably the most harmful place anyplace on the planet, and he opened it up, and these killers are coming into our nation, and they’re raping and killing ladies.”
FACT-CHECK: False. The truth is that no proof factors to a big surge in crime brought on by latest arrivals. The previous president’s claims ignore the truth that, general, crime is down throughout the nation. In response to the newest FBI statistics launched quarterly, violent crimes have been down 6% in quarter 4 of 2023 (by Dec 2023) in comparison with the identical time-frame in 2022. There was a 13% decline in murders and a 4% drop in property crimes throughout the nation. That declining development adopted unprecedented spikes in 2019 and 2020, Trump’s final two years in workplace.
–Armando Tonatiuh Torres-García
Hunter Biden’s laptop computer
TRUMP CLAIM: “It is the identical factor — 51 intelligence brokers stated that the laptop computer was Russian disinformation. It wasn’t that — it got here from his son, Hunter. It wasn’t Russia.”
FACT CHECK: True, however wants unpacking On the last presidential debate of the 2020 cycle, Joe Biden recommended the contents of his son’s laptop computer’s onerous drive — which by then had been dubbed the “laptop computer from hell” within the New York Submit and different conservative shops — have been “rubbish” and a “Russian plant.”
Biden’s declare that the laptop computer onerous drive was a “Russian plant” was an obvious reference to a letter signed by 51 retired intelligence officers who wrote that the timing of its emergence “has all of the basic earmarks of a Russian info operation.”
A number of of these signees have since stated that Biden mischaracterized the language of their letter.
Moreover, earlier this month, prosecutors at Hunter Biden’s legal trial in Delaware launched the laptop computer into proof and, in one of many extra theatrical moments of the trial, confirmed jurors the bodily MacBook Professional 13 that Hunter Biden purportedly deserted at a Wilmington pc restore store in April 2019.
“Finally, in analyzing that laptop computer, have been investigators capable of verify that it was Hunter Biden’s laptop computer?” prosecutor Derek Hines requested an FBI agent who testified as an professional witness in Hunter Biden’s latest gun case.
“Sure,” the FBI agent stated.
–Lucien Bruggeman
![PHOTO: Former President Donald Trump and President Joe Biden during a presidential debate hosted by CNN, June 27, 2024, in Atlanta.](https://i0.wp.com/i.abcnewsfe.com/a/b22b8577-5e77-406a-ba57-9e2230543e6d/biden-trump-debate-47-ap-gmh-240627_1719544376437_hpMain.jpg?ssl=1)
Former President Donald Trump and President Joe Biden throughout a presidential debate hosted by CNN, June 27, 2024, in Atlanta.
Gerald Herbert/AP
Late-term abortions
TRUMP’S CLAIM: “The issue they’ve is they’re radical as a result of they are going to take the life of a kid within the eighth month, the ninth month and even after beginning.”
FACT CHECK: This isn’t true. Abortions that happen later in being pregnant are round 1% of abortions, in accordance with KFF. Democrats don’t name for abortions late into pregnancies, and infanticide is illegitimate within the U.S. Democrats usually reply that abortions that do occur within the third trimester are the results of tragic circumstances in a being pregnant.
–Cheyenne Haslett
Who had a greater inventory market?
TRUMP CLAIM: “[Biden] created mandates. That was a catastrophe for our nation however aside from that we had, we had given again a rustic the place the inventory market really was greater than pre-COVID, and no one thought that was even attainable.
FACT CHECK: Unclear. The Dow hit 30,000 for the primary time on November 24, 2020. However that was after the final presidential election, so it is onerous to say whether or not it was due to Trump’s presidency or due to Biden’s win.
–Zunaira Zaki
Are extra terrorists now crossing the border into America?
TRUMP CLAIM: “We now have the most important variety of terrorists coming into our nation proper now.”
FACT CHECK: Largely exaggerated. Trump seems to be referring to the rising variety of migrants on the federal terror “watchlist” who’re encountered on the border. The variety of individuals encountered by border authorities on the watchlist jumped from three in Trump’s final full 12 months to almost 100 within the first full fiscal 12 months below Biden. Nevertheless, the Terrorist Screening Dataset, maintained by the FBI, contains names of people that have suspected ties to people who could also be affiliated with a international terror group. It isn’t a complete record of precise terrorists.
–Quinn Owen
Paris Local weather Accord
TRUMP CLAIM: “The Paris Accord was going to price us a trillion {dollars} and China nothing and Russia nothing, and India nothing. It was a rip-off of the US, and I ended it as a result of I did not wish to waste that cash as a result of they handled us horribly.”
FACT CHECK: Not solely true. Biden rejoined the Paris Local weather Accord on his first day in workplace, in accordance with a State Division memo. One-hundred and ninety-six nations signed on to the Paris Accord, agreeing to work collectively to restrict the impacts of local weather change and international warming. As a part of that, the extra developed, wealthier nations dedicated to contributing $100 billion to assist creating nations extra weak to local weather change’s impacts.
Biden pledged to work with Congress to authorize $11 billion to contribute to the Paris Settlement’s $100 billion in funds to assist creating nations who need assistance adapting to local weather change’s impacts. As of 2023, the U.S. was on monitor to satisfy that objective with $9.5 billion dedicated to financing international local weather initiatives, in accordance with the State Division.
–Stephanie Ebbs
![PHOTO: President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden greet CNN event moderators Dana Bash and Jake Tapper following a presidential debate with former President Donald Trump, June 27, 2024, in Atlanta.](https://i0.wp.com/i.abcnewsfe.com/a/e01be022-6637-4048-8478-374bc6baa7b5/biden-trump-debate-45-ap-gmh-240627_1719544311999_hpEmbed_3x2.jpg?ssl=1)
President Joe Biden and first woman Jill Biden greet CNN occasion moderators Dana Bash and Jake Tapper following a presidential debate with former President Donald Trump, June 27, 2024, in Atlanta.
Gerald Herbert/AP
Nationwide Guardsmen on Jan. 6
TRUMP CLAIM: “I supplied her [House Speaker Nancy Pelosi] 10,000 troopers who’re Nationwide Guard. And he or she turned them down, and the mayor of – in writing, by the way in which, the mayor, in writing, turned it down. The mayor of D.C. They turned it down. I supplied 10,000 as a result of I may see I had just about nothing to do. They requested me to go make a speech.”
FACT-CHECK: False. The ultimate report by the bipartisan Choose Committee to Examine the January sixth Assault on the US Capitol decided there was “no proof” to assist the declare that Trump gave an order “to have 10,000 troops prepared for January sixth.”
The report quoted President Trump’s Performing Secretary of Protection Christopher Miller, who immediately refuted this declare below oath, saying, “There was no direct order from the President” to place 10,000 troops to be on the prepared for January sixth.
As an alternative, the report famous that when Trump referenced that variety of troops, it was to not shield the Capitol however that he had “floated the thought of getting 10,000 Nationwide Guardsmen deployed to guard him and his supporters from any supposed threats by left-wing counter-protesters.”
–Luis Martinez
Iran, Israel, and Oct. 7
TRUMP CLAIM: “He [Putin] by no means would have invaded Ukraine, by no means, similar to Israel would have by no means been invaded in 1,000,000 years by Hamas. You realize why? As a result of Iran was broke with me. I would not let anyone do enterprise with them. They ran out of cash. They have been broke. They’d no cash for Hamas. They’d no cash for something, no cash for terror. That is why you had no terror in any respect throughout my administration.”
FACT CHECK: Not true. Iran has been Hamas’ principal backer for many years, together with by the Trump presidency. Though Trump did withdraw from an Obama-era nuclear deal and levy sanctions in opposition to Tehran that dealt a pointy blow to its financial system, data retrieved from inside Gaza by the Israeli Protection Forces and verified by unbiased information shops point out Iran nonetheless funneled tens of hundreds of thousands of {dollars} to Hamas throughout his administration. Two of Trump’s high advisers for Center Jap affairs additionally claimed that Iran was supplying Hamas and different Palestinian terror teams with $100 million every year in an op-ed revealed in 2019.–Shannon Kingston
Trump’s Manhattan hush-money case
TRUMP CLAIM: “That was a case that was began, and … they moved a high-ranking official, a DOJ, into the Manhattan DA’s workplace to start out that case. … [Biden] principally went after his political opponent as a result of he thought it was going to break me.”
FACT CHECK: There are some things to unpack right here – however there isn’t any proof to assist both assertion.
First, there isn’t any proof that Joe Biden, as president of the US, directed or choreographed a state prosecution — which was introduced by the Manhattan District Legal professional, Alvin Bragg. Biden has no authority to take action, and there’s no proof to assist Trump’s assertion.
Second, with regard to the “high-ranking” DOJ official who Trump claims was moved into the District Legal professional’s workplace to “begin the case,” Trump seems to be referring to Matthew Colangelo, who left the Justice Division in December of 2022, years after the investigation started. There is no such thing as a proof that Biden or the Justice Division coordinated Colangelo’s transfer. The case was introduced by Bragg, an elected Democrat in New York.
Trump was discovered responsible by a jury of his friends.
–Lucien Bruggeman
![PHOTO: President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump leave the stage at the end of the first presidential debate of the 2024 elections in Atlanta, June 27, 2024.](https://i0.wp.com/i.abcnewsfe.com/a/2f45f1ef-2fe6-4291-893a-3b5a083595fe/biden-trump-debate-43-gty-gmh-240627_1719543619258_hpMain.jpg?ssl=1)
President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump go away the stage on the finish of the primary presidential debate of the 2024 elections in Atlanta, June 27, 2024.
Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP through Getty Pictures
Have been tax cuts below Trump the most important in historical past?
TRUMP CLAIM: “I gave you the most important tax minimize in historical past. I additionally gave you the most important regulation minimize in historical past, that is why we had all the roles.”
FACT-CHECK: False. In response to Erica York on the Tax Basis, the Trump-era tax minimize (TCJA) was a big tax minimize however not the most important in historical past. In case you have a look at p.c of income as share of GDP within the first two years, a number of tax cuts going again to 1940 have been bigger. The latest that was bigger was the American Taxpayer Reduction Act of 2012.Individually, the Committee for a Accountable Federal Price range estimates that the tax cuts below President Ronald Reagan have been the most important tax cuts in latest historical past as a p.c of GDP.
On the time the legislation went into impact, the Tax Basis estimated that it could increase long-term employment by greater than 300,000 jobs. However Moody’s Chief Economist Mark Zandi says, “the tax cuts did assist job progress, however at the price of including roughly $2 trillion to the nation’s debt.” He added, “The regulatory modifications had no measurable influence on job progress.”
–Zunaira Zaki