Moderators of the first presidential debate of 2024 have taken a completely hands-off approach to fact-checking the candidates, allowing lies and half-truths (most commonly of Donald Trump) to go unchallenged.
The former president often ignored questions from CNN hosts Jake Tapper and Dana Bash and instead spoke freely. Several times, they reiterated the question and gave Trump another chance to answer.
Joe Biden has sometimes contradicted Trump’s claims and vice versa, although he hasn’t always done so specifically beyond saying the other person is lying.
Although the network said before the debate that the moderator would not intervene, the slight moderation left a lingering falsehood.
“Obviously, if there are some shocking facts that need to be checked or the record needs to be clarified, Jake and Dana can do that,” CNN political director David Chalian said at the debate Former told The Associated Press. “But that’s not their role. They’re not here to participate in this debate. They’re here to facilitate the debate between Trump and Biden.
Here are the facts on some of the false claims made during Thursday’s debate.
abortion
Claim: Trump said Democrats support pre-birth abortion and “everyone” wants to overturn Roe v. Wade.
fact: Later abortion is a common line of attack among Republicans—but it’s based on a myth. Less than 1% of abortions in the United States are performed at or beyond 21 weeks, mostly because of fetal anomalies or lack of care early in pregnancy.
During its half-century in force, Roy remained popular. Some anti-abortion activists also believe the federal government could use existing laws to enforce a federal abortion ban. The U.S. Supreme Court has also taken up two abortion cases so far this year — a sign that the issue is far from being resolved at the national level.
environment
Claim: Trump has “the best environmental data ever.”
fact: It’s unclear what “environmental numbers” Trump is referring to, making it impossible to fact-check. But the Guardian compiled 75 ways Trump is making the country dirtier and warming the climate.
prescription drug reform
Claim: Biden has overstated his prescription drug reforms.
fact: Biden said the out-of-pocket cost for seniors would be capped at $200, but it’s actually $2,000. The cap on out-of-pocket costs for insulin is $35 per month, which is higher than the $15 Biden claimed.
boundary
Claim: Trump’s border is the most secure in history.
fact: Trump said the U.S. had the most secure border in history when he left office, later saying “almost” no one got through.
While concerns about immigration surged during the Biden administration, the increase began in 2020 during the Trump presidency. Reasons people seek to immigrate include economic stress caused by the pandemic and natural disasters, as well as long-standing problems such as violence and political instability.
Newsletter Promotion Post
economy
Claim: Biden said that when Trump left office, the economy was “collapsed” and there were no jobs.
fact: That’s a bit misleading — there was an initial decline in employment at the beginning of the pandemic before Biden took office, and then employment began to rise rapidly.
January 6
Claim: Trump sidestepped questions about the Jan. 6 insurrection, accusing Nancy Pelosi of turning down the opportunity to deploy the National Guard.
fact: This is wrong. There is no evidence that Pelosi received an offer to deploy the National Guard, and even if she did, she would not have the authority to refuse. The President, the Secretary of Defense, and the Secretary of the Army command the Washington, D.C. National Guard.
tax cuts
Claim: Trump claims his tax cuts are the largest in history and his administration has the greatest economy in history.
fact: His tax cuts were the fourth largest since 1940, according to PolitiFact. Trump has created about twice as much debt ($8.4 trillion) as Biden ($4.3 trillion), according to a recent report from the nonprofit Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget. Before the pandemic, the average economic growth rate during his presidency was about 2.7%, which is good, but not as good as the 4% average growth rate under Bill Clinton. Unemployment was as low as 3.5% before the pandemic — again lower than during Clinton’s presidency.
“Super Predator”
Claim: Trump said Biden called black Americans “super predators.”
fact: The superpredator theory of the 1990s suggested that increasingly violent young men, especially black boys, posed a threat to the nation. The theory taps into racial fears and is used to encourage policies that result in the incarceration of black youth. There is no evidence that Biden ever used the phrase or attributed the theory behind it.
However, Biden’s support for the 1994 crime bill has rightly come under scrutiny. Biden defended the bill and said some aspects of it were poorly implemented.
