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Trump Campaign Press Release - Correct The Record: Fact Checking Biden at the Final Debate

October 23, 2020

[APP Note:  As with all "Campaign Documents" archived by the APP, the content of this document was prepared by the presidential campaign. This is not the analysis or work product of the American Presidency Project.  We do not vouch for the accuracy of ANY campaign document published by any presidential campaign. They are provided as part of the historical record.]
 
Instead of telling the American people the truth, Biden lied, misled, and exaggerated 32 times

BIDEN: "[President Trump] did virtually nothing" to combat the coronavirus.

FACT: President Trump took action beginning in January to combat the coronavirus and his Administration has led an unprecedented response to protect American lives.

  • According to Dr. Fauci, the Trump Administration "acted very, very early" to combat the spread of the virus and did not delay putting in place mitigation strategies.
  • President Trump restricted travel from China on January 31, a decision that saved American lives.
  • On February 11, top Biden coronavirus advisor Ron Klain admitted the Trump Administration was "far from doing nothing."
  • Even Democratic Governors like Andrew Cuomo (NY) praised the Trump Administration's response: "What the federal government did, working with states, was a phenomenal accomplishment."
  • President Trump completely overhauled the old and outdated testing system and replaced it with an innovative new testing strategy to meet the country's needs.
  • President Trump used the Defense Production Act dozens of times to expand coronavirus testing technologies and capacity.
  • President Trump launched Operation Warp Speed to guarantee that the American people are first in line for a safe, effective coronavirus vaccine—at no cost—as soon as one is developed.

BIDEN: "And there's no prospect that there's going to be a vaccine available for the majority of the American people before the middle of next year."

FACT: Both the CDC and Dr. Fauci have said a vaccine is possible before the end of 2020.

  • In September, Dr. Anthony Fauci said he believes a "safe and effective" vaccine will be available by the end of the year.
  • In October, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said it is possible "one or more COVID-19 vaccines" will be available "before the end of the year."
  • Multiple coronavirus vaccines are now in their final stages of development—an "impressive" accomplishment, according to NIH Director Dr. Francis Collins.

BIDEN: "I don't understand why this president is unwilling to take on Putin when he's actually paying bounties to kill American soldiers in Afghanistan."

FACT: Top military and intelligence officials have strongly emphasized that the reporting of bounties is completely unproven.

  • In July, Defense Secretary Mark Esper said "all the defense intel agencies have been unable to corroborate that report."
  • In September, General Frank McKenzie Commander of U.S Central Command said that when it comes to evidence about bounties being placed on the heads of American service members "I just haven't seen it."
  • Regardless, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo warned Russia that there would be "an enormous price to pay" if any such bounties existed.

BIDEN: "They're interfering with American sovereignty and to the best of my knowledge I don't think the president has said anything to Putin about it."

FACT: The Obama-Biden Administration's Secretary of Defense Robert Gates said no one has been tougher on Russia than the Trump Administration.

 

 

  • President Trump has stood up to Russia's aggression by implementing strong sanctions and countering Russian interference and aggression.
  • In August 2017, President Trump applied new sanctions to Russia, in an effort to deter Russian subversion and destabilization actions.
  • In September 2017, the Trump Administration banned the use of Kaspersky Labs software on U.S. Government computers due to Kaspersky ties to Russian intelligence.
  • In March 2018, the Trump Administration imposed sanctions against 16 Russian entities and individuals for their roles in Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election.
  • In March 2018, President Trump ordered the expulsion of 48 Russian intelligence officers from the United States and ordered the closure of the Russian consulate in Seattle.
  • In June 2019, President Trump told Putin directly: "don't meddle in the US presidential election."
  • In July 2017, President Trump pressed Putin on election meddling at the G-20 summit meeting.

BIDEN: "[President Trump] has a secret bank account with China."

FACT: The bank account is neither secret nor President Trump's.

  • President Trump does not have a personal Chinese bank account.
  • Long before Donald Trump ran for president, Trump International Hotels Management.
  • L.L.C. opened an account in order to pay local taxes in China and to explore potential hotel deals in Asia.
  • No deals, transactions or other business activities ever materialized, and since 2015, the business office has remained inactive.
  • The Trump Organizationmaintains bank accounts in other countries where it does business, as international businesses typically do.
  • The Trump Organization's accountproves one thing: an international hotel business was an international hotel business. Meanwhile, Joe Biden still owes the American people answers abouthis foreign corruption and dangerous ties to China.

BIDEN: "When last time he said what he paid he said 'I only paid that little because I'm smart, I know how to game the system.'"

FACT: President Trump has paid millions of dollars in federal taxes.

?

BIDEN: "My son has not made money in terms of this thing about — what are you talking about – China."

FACT: Hunter Biden attempted to negotiate multiple, lucrative business deals with Chinese partners, and currently has an ownership stake in a Chinese private equity firm.

  • An May 2017 email shows Hunter attempting to cash in on an $850,000 annual "renumeration package" and ownership stake of 20 percent as part of a deal with Chinese energy company CEFC.
  • This email also says that 10 percent equity should be held for "the big guy," who Hunter business associate Tony Bobulinski has confirmed was Joe Biden.
  • An August 2017 email shows Hunter tried to negotiate a deal with Ye Jianming, CEFC's Chairman, for a $10 million annual fee for "introductions alone."
  • The following month, Ye opened a line of credit with Hunter that he, James Biden, and Sara Biden all used for an extravagant $100,000 spending spree.
  • At one point in 2015, Ye even gave Hunter a 2.8 carat diamond which his wife thought was worth $80,000.
  • In September 2017, Hunter reached an agreement with one of Ye's lieutenants – Chi Ping Patrick Ho – for a $1 million legal retainer on "matters related to US law and advice"; Ho has since been convicted of bribery in a U.S. court.
  • Hunter Biden still has a 10 percent stake in the Chinese equity firm BHR Partners.

BIDEN: "What I'd make China do is play by the international rules."?

FACT: Biden has a history of being soft on China.

BIDEN: "When I met with Xi when I was still Vice President he said we are setting up air identification zones in the South China Sea, you can't fly through them. I said we are going to fly through them. We just flew B-52 – B1 bombers through it."

FACT: The Trump Administration, not the Obama-Biden Administration, flew B-1 bombers through China's air defense identification zone.

  • In March 2017, the United States flew a B-1 bomber through China's self-declared air defense identification zone.

BIDEN: "[President Trump's] never come up with a [health care] plan."

FACT: President Trump has a health care plan.

  • On September 24, President Trump unveiled his America First Health Care plan, outlining the key policies and reforms the President supports, including protecting Americans with pre-existing conditions.
  • In August, President Trump released his second term agenda, which includes health care as a central focus.

BIDEN: "There's no way he can protect pre-existing conditions, none, zero."

FACT: President Trump has fought and vowed to protect Americans with pre-existing conditions.

BIDEN: "Not one single person with private insurance would lose their insurance under my plan."

FACT: Biden's government-run health plan would crowd out the private insurance that Americans rely on, and Biden broke the same promise when he was Vice President.

BIDEN: "I guess we are going to get the pre-existing condition plan the same time we get the infrastructure plan that we've waited since '17, '18, '19, '20."

FACT: President Trump released an infrastructure plan more than two years ago, and has repeatedly called on Congress to invest trillions in our infrastructure and included proposals in his budget to do just that.

BIDEN: "Not one single person with private insurance would lose their insurance under my plan nor did they under Obamacare."

FACT: 4 million Americans lost their health insurance in the first year of Obamacare's rollout.

  • In 2013, PolitiFact rated the claim that you can keep your healthcare plan under Obamacare as the "lie of the year."

BIDEN: "[President Trump] hasn't done a thing for anybody on health care. Not a thing."

FACT: This is completely false. President Trump has fought ensure the American people have access to affordable, world class healthcare.

BIDEN: "This is the guy that the actuary of Medicare said if, in fact, of Social Security, if, in fact, he continues to withhold – his plan to withhold the tax on Social Security, Social Security will be bankrupt in – by 2023, with no way to make up for it."

FACT: This attack from Biden is false and has previously been debunked by fact checkers. The President's payroll tax deferral will not harm Social Security.

  • The Washington Post's Fact Checker gave Biden's attack "Four Pinocchios," saying Biden and other "Democrats ginned up a letter from [Social Security's] chief actuary to describe a plan that does not currently exist."
  • FactCheck.org and USA Todayhave debunked this and similar claims from Biden's campaign and his allies.
  • President Trump has said he wants to make the payroll tax deferral permanent next year, making this deferral a cut "without in any way, shape, or form hurting Social Security."
  • The President has said he would use the Treasury Department's general fund to reimburse Social Security's trust fund, ensuring zero impact on our nation's seniors.
  • Biden's attack is not only false, it is hypocritical.
  • In 2011, Biden wrote an op-ed touting a bill Obama signed to cut the payroll tax, specifically saying it was "misinformation" to suggest a payroll tax cut hurt Social Security's solvency.
  • President Trump has promised to always protect Social Security, unlike Biden who bragged in the 1990s about his efforts to "freeze" benefits.

BIDEN: "This is the guy who's tried to cut Medicare."

FACT: The Washington Post Fact Checker previously gave Biden two Pinocchios for making this claim.

BIDEN: "Where I come from in Scranton and Claymont, the people don't live off of the stock market."

FACT: A majority of the American people own stock either directly or indirectly, meaning they are helped by a stronger stock market.

  • According to the Federal Reserve, a majority of Americans – 53 percent – directly and indirectly own stocks.
  • 55 percent of Americans polled by Gallup say they have money invested in the stock market.
  • Under President Trump, a higher stock market has led to higher retirement account balances for America's seniors and those planning for retirement.
  • Joe and Jill Biden own stocks through mutual funds and a variable annuity, meaning Biden himself has benefitted from the higher stock market.

BIDEN: "But these guys will not help them, not giving them any of the [PPP] money."

FACT: President Trump's Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) saved 51 million jobs.

BIDEN: "We did not separate [families at the border]"

FACT: The Obama-Biden Administration separated families at the border.

  • Obama-Biden Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson said he couldn't say that family separations "never happened."
  • Therese Cardinal Brown, director of immigration and cross-border policy at the Bipartisan Policy Center, said the Obama-Biden administration "did separate some families."

BIDEN: "You know my daughter is a social worker."

FACT: Ashley Biden has not been a social worker for more than 8 years.

TRUMP: "You mean the laptop is now another Russia, Russia, Russia hoax?" BIDEN: "That's exactly what – that's exactly what we're told."

FACT: The Director of National Intelligence, Department of Justice, and FBI all agree that Hunter Biden's laptop is not part of a foreign disinformation campaign.

BIDEN: "38,000 prisoners were released from federal prison. We had -- there were over 1,000 people who were given clemency."

FACT: Biden is off by nearly a factor of 20; less than 2,000 petitions for pardons and commutations were approved under the Obama-Biden administration.

TRUMP: "I just asked, I just asked one question. Why didn't you do it in the eight years, a short time ago? Why didn't you do it?..." BIDEN: "We had a Republican congress. That's the answer."

FACT: The Democratic Party had full control of both houses of Congress during the first two years of the Obama-Biden Administration, yet they failed to pass criminal justice reform.

BIDEN: "Four more years of this man eliminating all the regulations that were put in by us to clean up the climate, to clean up, to limit the emissions will put us in a position where we're going to be in real trouble."

FACT: President Trump has taken action to preserve our climate and ensure that every American has access to the most pristine water and the cleanest air.

BIDEN: "And right now, by the way, Wall Street firm (Moody's) has indicated that my plan, my plan will in fact create 18.6 million jobs, 7 million more than his."

FACT: The outfit Biden cited – Moody's – has a history of drastically underestimating the positive effects of President Trump's economic policies.

BIDEN: "I have never said I oppose fracking."

FACT: Biden has repeatedly expressed his support for banning fracking, wiping out fracking jobs, and eliminating the fossil fuel industry.

  • Biden admitted during a debate last year there would be "no place" for fossil fuels, including fracking, in a Biden presidency, and that fossil fuels would be "eliminated."
  • Biden agreed with a supporter in January that fracking needed to be stopped.
  • Biden said in February that he wants to "phase out" oil and gas.
  • In March, Biden exclaimed "so am I!" after Bernie Sanders said he was campaigning on "stopping fracking as soon as we possibly can."
  • Last year, Biden pledged to a supporter that he would "end" fossil fuels.
  • Biden said he would "sacrifice" "hundreds of thousands" of oil and gas jobs in pursuit of his anti-energy agenda.
  • Biden's running mate, Kamala Harris, wants to eliminate all fracking, saying "there's no question I'm in favor of banning fracking."

BIDEN: "The guy who got in trouble in Ukraine was this guy trying to bribe the Ukrainian government to say something negative about me."

FACT: There is no evidence President Trump pressured the Ukrainian government to investigate Joe Biden for the purpose of benefiting him in the 2020 election.

  • Ambassador Marie Yovanovitch testified that she had no evidence that President Trump bribed anyone in Ukraine.
  • Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy insisted that he faced "no blackmail" from President Trump in their phone call.

BIDEN: "My response is he is xenophobic, but not because he shut down access from China…"

FACT: Biden accused President Trump of "hysterical xenophobia" the same day the Trump Administration announced its travel ban; as the timeline makes clear, Biden was talking about the China travel ban.

WELKER: "There have been questions about the work your son has done in China and for a Ukrainian energy company when you were Vice President. In retrospect, was anything about those relationships inappropriate or unethical?" BIDEN: "Nothing was unethical."

FACT: Multiple State Department officials expressed alarm about Hunter Biden's job with Burisma and the potential for a conflict-of-interest.

BIDEN: "He has caused the deficit with China to go up not down, with China, up not down."

FACT: The trade deficit with China is falling and "fell sharply" in 2019.

BIDEN: "Schools, they need a lot of money to open. They need to deal with ventilation systems, they need to deal with smaller classes, more teachers, more pods. And he's refused to support that money, or at least up to now."

FACT: President Trump has publicly supported another coronavirus relief bill.

  • Last week, President Trump has expressed support for a bigger relief bill.
  • President Trump has repeatedly tweeted in support of a stimulus package, saying he is "ready to sign."

[APP Note:  As with all "Campaign Documents" archived by the APP, the content of this document was prepared by the presidential campaign. This is not the analysis or work product of the American Presidency Project.  We do not vouch for the accuracy of ANY campaign document published by any presidential campaign. They are provided as part of the historical record.]

Donald J. Trump (1st Term), Trump Campaign Press Release - Correct The Record: Fact Checking Biden at the Final Debate Online by Gerhard Peters and John T. Woolley, The American Presidency Project https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/node/346970

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