CBS News is fact checking some of the statements made by speakers during the 2024 Democratic National Convention, which is taking place in Chicago through Thursday, Aug. 22.
The convention began with unity as the theme, and the featured speakers Monday were President Biden and 2016 Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton, as well as a host of others.
Some of the comments that CBS News’ Confirmed team fact checked involved Democrats’ comments about GOP nominee Donald Trump’s record as president, as well as the Biden administration’s record.
CBS News is covering the DNC live.
Fact check on Wisconsin Lt. Gov. Sara Rodriguez’s claim that Trump promises “to terminate the Affordable Care Act”: Misleading
Details: In 2016, former President Donald Trump promised to repeal and replace the nation’s health care law, the Affordable Care Act (ACA), if elected. During his presidency, he backed attempts by Republicans to repeal parts of the law while carrying over other parts.
In this election cycle, Trump has continued to criticize the law but has said he doesn’t support terminating all of its policies outright. In November, Trump said he intends to “replace” the Affordable Care Act with another package of health reforms.
In March, he said that he was “not running to terminate the ACA” but instead to make it better and cheaper.
By Alexander Tin, Amelia Donhauser
Fact check on California Rep. Robert Garcia’s claim that Trump “told us to inject bleach into our bodies”: False
Details: In an April 2020 White House news briefing with members of the government’s coronavirus task force, Trump, who was then president, speculated about combating COVID-19 by injecting disinfectant into the body. He suggested doctors should study this possibility, but he did not tell people to inject bleach into their bodies.
“I see the disinfectant, where it knocks it out in a minute, one minute,” Trump said. “And is there a way we can do something like that — by injection inside or almost a cleaning — because you see it gets in the lungs and it does a tremendous number on the lungs, so it’d be interesting to check that, so that you’re going to have to use medical doctors with, but it sounds interesting to me.”
The White House later said Trump’s comments were taken out of context. A day later, Trump told reporters that he was being sarcastic when he raised the possibility of injecting disinfectants.
“I was asking a question sarcastically to reporters like you just to see what would happen,” he said.
By Amelia Donhauser
Fact check on Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin’s claim that the U.S. economy added 16 million jobs during the Biden administration: True, but needs context
Details: Under President Biden, the U.S. economy has added more than 15.8 million jobs, according to July data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
However, it’s important to note that the number includes roughly 9 million jobs that were lost during the COVID-19 pandemic. The U.S. economy under Mr. Biden has seen an increase of approximately 6.4 million jobs above February 2020 levels, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
By comparison, 6.7 million jobs were created in the first three years of former President Donald Trump’s term between January 2017 and February 2020, before the pandemic left Trump with record job losses.
By Laura Doan
Fact checking Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear’s claim that Vance thinks women should stay in violent marriages, and pregnancies from rape are “inconvenient”: Misleading
Beshear: “JD Vance says women should stay in violent marriages and that pregnancies resulting from rape are simply inconvenient.”
Details: Before he was a Republican Ohio senator, JD Vance spoke of being raised by his grandparents and their relationship at an event in 2021. He contrasted their commitment to each other during an “incredibly chaotic” marriage with modern divorce rates.
“I think the sexual revolution pulled on the American populace, which is the idea that, like, ‘Well, okay, these marriages were fundamentally, you know, they were maybe even violent, but certainly they were unhappy,” he said. “And so getting rid of them and making it easier for people to shift spouses like they change their underwear, that’s going to make people happier in the long term.”
“And maybe it worked out for the moms and dads, though I’m skeptical,” Vance added. “But it really didn’t work out for the kids of those marriages.”
Vance has repeatedly said these remarks were taken out of context. In a statement to VICE News in 2022 he said, “In my life, I have seen siblings, wives, daughters, and myself abused by men. It’s disgusting for you to argue that I was defending those men.”
In 2021, Vance was asked if anti-abortion laws should include exceptions for rape or incest. He replied: “It’s not whether a woman should be forced to bring a child to term, it’s whether a child should be allowed to live, even though the circumstances of that child’s birth are somehow inconvenient or a problem to the society. The question really, to me, is about the baby,” he continued. “We want women to have opportunities, we want women to have choices, but above all, we want women— and young boys in the womb — to have the right to life.”
In July, Vance told Fox News, “The Democrats have completely twisted my words. What I did say is that we sometimes in this society see babies as inconveniences, and I absolutely want us to change that.”
By Amelia Donhauser
Fact checking Biden’s claim there are fewer border crossings today than when Trump left office: True, needs context
President Biden: “There are fewer border crossings today than when Donald Trump left office.”
Details: In July, migrant apprehensions along the U.S. southern border dropped to 56,408, the lowest level since September 2020, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection data. When Trump left office in January 2021, the number of apprehensions was around 75,000.
The decline in illegal border crossings had been dropping steadily since the spring and accelerated after Mr. Biden issued a proclamation on June 4 banning most migrants from seeking asylum at the U.S.-Mexico border. Officials have also said scorching summer temperatures and Mexico’s efforts to stop migrants have contributed to the drop.
Yearly apprehensions at the U.S. southern border also reached record highs during Mr. Biden’s term, according to the data. In fiscal year 2023, the number reached 2.2 million. The number of yearly apprehensions under Trump peaked at around 852,000 in the fiscal year 2019.
By Camilo Montoya-Galvez, Laura Doan
Alexander Tin
contributed to this report.
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