Tipsheet

Biden's Biggest 'Big Boy' Lies Debunked

Mia Cathell
Mia Cathell  |  July 12, 2024 2:45 PM

Following the disastrous debate, where he spewed lies upon lies about his economic report card and record as commander-in-chief of the armed forces, President Joe Biden's "big boy" post-NATO press conference was chock-full of gaffes, creepy whispering, old-man coughs, and falsehoods. Operating on BST, or "Biden Standard Time," as the White House press corps cheekily calls it, the ever-unpunctual Biden eventually took the stage hours after his high-stakes remarks were originally scheduled.

Biden lied about his pre-debate travels.

Pressed on his early bedtime, Biden spoke about needing to "pace" himself better so he's not too tired. He mentioned, as an example, that his staff stops scheduling events past 8 p.m.

"In the next debate, I'm not going to be traveling in 15 time zones the week before. Anyway, that's what it was about," Biden added, once again blaming his bad debate performance on fatigue as concerns mount over his fitness for office.

FACT-CHECK: False. Biden did not travel abroad "the week before" the first presidential debate where he performed poorly against former President Donald Trump. Biden, in fact, had nearly two weeks to recover between his return from Europe and the debate on June 27.

At most, Biden appeared at a star-studded Los Angeles fundraiser on June 15 to tap his Hollywood friends for campaign cash, went back to the White House a day later, and headed to Camp David on June 20 for debate prep, staying there until his showdown with Trump.

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Biden's debate preparations at Camp David, which were cut two days short so he could rest at his house in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, didn't start prior to 11 a.m. and the president was allotted time in the afternoon to nap each day, The New York Times reported.

Last year, Biden spent more than a third of 2023 (138 days or 37 percent) at a getaway spot — either one of his Delaware residences, a swanky vacation site, or Camp David, according to a New York Post analysis.

Biden lies about his approval rating.

"There are at least five presidents running or incumbent presidents who had lower numbers than I have now later in the campaign," Biden claimed.

FACT-CHECK: False. According to FiveThirtyEight's tracker monitoring Bidne's unpopularity, at this point in his presidency, Biden's approval rating (36.8 percent) is lower than any other past president — besides George H.W. Bush (36.7 percent) and Jimmy Carter (33.9 percent). Gerald Ford also had an approval rating that was slightly higher. All three of them lost reelection.

Approval ratings of incumbent presidents are generally a good guide to one's chances at the ballot box. Historically, presidents with approval ratings of at least 50 percent have won reelection, which Biden is far below.

Biden lied about inflation.

"Overall, prices fell last month," Biden claimed. "Core inflation is the lowest it's been in three years. Prices are falling for cars, appliances, and airfares. Grocery prices have fallen since the start of the year."

FACT-CHECK: False. Consumer Price Index (CPI) inflation has skyrocketed by 20.1 percent since Biden entered office, according to Federal Reserve data. June marked the 39th consecutive month with inflation at or above 3 percent, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported this week. In June, the CPI was up 3 percent from 12 months earlier. The last time CPI increased less than 3 percent was in March of 2021 (2.6 percent). Meanwhile, the seasonally adjusted, month-to-month increase in the "core" CPI (excluding food and energy costs) rose 0.1 percent from May and 3.3 percent from the increase in June of 2023.

Job Creators Network's CEO Alfredo Ortiz told Townhall that the damage dealt by Biden's inflationary policies has already been inflicted. "While inflation remains stubbornly high and 50% higher than the Federal Reserve's target rate, the bigger problem is that today's price hikes compound on the historic 20% increase in prices since President Biden took office," Ortiz said in a statement shared with Townhall. "The cost of a July 4th cookout last weekend was $71.22, compared to $59.50 for the same meal in 2021."

Biden lied about a union endorsement.

Biden claimed that the United Auto Workers (UAW) "just endorsed" him.

FACT-CHECK: False. While the UAW did endorse him, the union actually announced the endorsement more than five months ago in January.

Biden made the misleading claim in response to a reporter's question regarding declining UAW support.

Reuters recently reported that UAW leadership had reservations about Biden’s ability to win the election. According to the report, UAW President Shawn Fain met with the union's executive board Thursday to discuss his "deep concerns."

So, as a means of dismissing the growing disquiet, Biden insinuated that the UAW "just" now decided to back him, despite the fact that their decision came long before the crisis of confidence among Biden's backers.

This isn't the first time Biden lied about a union endorsing him.

During the debate, Biden falsely claimed: "The border patrolmen endorsed me."

They did not, and they "never will," the National Border Patrol Council (NBPC), the union that represents over 18,000 U.S. Border Patrol agents, retorted on X, formerly Twitter.

Biden lied about the leading cause of child deaths.

"More children are killed by the bullet than any other cause of death," Biden claimed.

FACT-CHECK: False. Biden is relying on a statistic pertaining to gun deaths of children and teens, which include 18- and 19-year-olds, who are legal adults.

Biden is referring to a 2022 study by the Center for Gun Violence Solutions at Johns Hopkins University. This research cites the broader demographic of teenagers. It's important to note that federal law permits the purchase of shotguns and rifles, as well as ammunition, at the age of 18, according to the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).

Focusing on only children — ages 17 and younger — motor vehicle deaths still rank at the top, as they have for six decades, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) data shows.