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List of Joe Biden gaffes

From EverybodyWiki Bios & Wiki

During his tenure in the government of the United States, Joe Biden has made false or misleading claims. The frequency of these falsehoods became a subject of media discussion following his various runs for the presidency. Biden often repeats these statements even after media outlets discredits or fact-checks them.

Background[edit]

These statements have been characterized by the media and Biden himself as "gaffes".[1][2][3][4] Biden has referred to himself a "gaffe machine".[5]

The most common explanations for these discrepancies are:

  • Joe Biden overcame a stutter that he had in his youth.[6] Biden has denied this is the cause of these discrepancies, saying "the mistakes I make are mistakes".[7]
  • His age and cognitive abilities have been questioned by media,[8] as well as by fellow Democrats.[9] White House doctors have examined him and found him to be physically and mentally fit.[10]
  • Biden sometimes makes false claims in order to establish a connection with the ethnicity of an audience.[11]

Examples[edit]

This list is incomplete; you can help by expanding it.

Before 2000[edit]

  • In the 1970s and 1980s, Biden claimed he participated in sit-ins along US Route 40 in 1961. In 1988, Biden admitted this is not true.[12][13][14]
  • On April 3, 1987, while campaigning for the 1988 Democrat presidential nomination in Claremont, New Hampshire, Biden claimed he attended law school on a full academic scholarship, and that he graduated in the top half of his class. On September 21, 1987, Biden admitted those claims are inaccurate.[15]
  • In 1988, Biden claimed his ancestors worked 12 hours a day underground mining coal. This claim was shown to be false.[16][12]

2000s[edit]

  • In July 2006, Biden claimed that "you cannot go to a 7-Eleven or a Dunkin' Donuts unless you have a slight Indian accent. I'm not joking."[17] After the clip went viral, a Biden aide dismissed the remark and explained he was making a point about diversity. Biden later said of the remark "it was meant as a compliment.[18]
  • In 2007, Biden claimed he was "shot at" in Iraq. A Biden aide told The Hill that he was not shot at in Iraq.[12][19]
  • In 2008, Biden claimed he was a coal miner.[12][14]

2019 to 2021[edit]

  • On August 9, 2019, Biden said "poor kids are just as bright and just as talented as white kids" at a town hall in Des Moines hosted by the Asian & Latino Coalition. After a pause, he added "wealthy kids, black kids, Asian kids".[20]
  • On August 10, 2019, Biden claimed to have met with survivors of the Stoneman Douglas High School shooting while he was vice-president.[21] Biden's vice-presidency ended on January 20, 2017; the shooting occurred on February 14, 2018, over a year later.
  • On August 28, 2019 Biden claimed "I have never discussed with my son or my brother or anyone else anything having to do with their businesses, period."[22] A January 2023 CNN report reviewed the data from Hunter Biden's laptop and determined that Joe Biden did have such discussions.[23]
  • On August 28, 2019, Biden told an audience in Hanover, New Hampshire that as vice-president he witnessed a four-star general pin a Silver Star medal to a Navy Captain in Afghanistan.[24] According to Washington Post, "Biden got the time period, the location, the heroic act, the type of medal, the military branch and the rank of the recipient wrong, as well as his own role in the ceremony."[14]
  • On September 12, 2019, Biden claimed that the Obama administration "didn't lock people up in cages". This claim was rated "false" by Politifact.[25]
  • Biden claimed during the Democrat candidate debates on January 14, 2020 that he opposed the Iraq War from the beginning. This claim was repeated by Biden several times.[26][27][28]
  • Three times in February 2020, Biden claimed to have been arrested attempting to visit Nelson Mandela in Soweto along with the then-ambassador to South Africa, Andrew Young. Mandela was actually held in a prison on Robben Island, and Biden was not arrested while attempting to visit him.[29]
  • On February 25, 2020, Biden claimed that since 2007, 150 million Americans died from gun violence. A member of Biden's campaign staff said Biden meant 150,000 instead of 150 million.[30]
  • At a CNN town hall on February 16, 2021, Biden claimed that most illegal aliens in the United States are not Hispanic.[31] More than two-thirds are indeed Hispanic.[32] In the same town hall, he claimed more Chinese people are retired than working. This claim is false.[31]
  • On May 18, 2021, Biden claimed his great-grandfather was a coal miner despite correctly identifying his great-grandfather's occupation as mining engineer during his 2020 presidential campaign.[16]
  • On July 21, 2021, Biden made several false claims at a CNN town hall.[33]
  • On July 21, 2021 Biden claimed "If you’re vaccinated, you’re not going to be hospitalized, you’re not going to be in the IC unit, and you’re not going to die." This claim was shown to be false.[34]
  • In defending the 2021 withdrawal from Afghanistan, Biden claimed that Al Qaeda has been eliminated from Afghanistan. This claim was shown to be false.[35][36]

2022[edit]

  • On January 19, 2022, CNN fact checked six claims from Biden's press conference to mark the end of his first year as president. Biden made false claims about a visit to a Pfizer vaccine plant, equipment shipped to Ukraine, progress on the US coronavirus vaccine response, medical billing, Russia's invasion of the Ukraine, and jobs creation.[37]
  • On January 20, 2022, CNN fact-checked several false claims about his past, Afghanistan, the economy, the coronavirus pandemic, the Southern Border crisis, Virginia political history, gun laws, tax breaks for racehorse owners, the Trump administration, and new laws regarding Georgia's elections.[38]
  • In his State of the Union address on March 1, 2022, and in an op-ed published May 30, 2022 in the Wall Street Journal, Biden claimed that his energy plan would reduce the average family's annual utility bills by $500. Washington Post rated the claim with "four Pinocchios".[39][40]
  • During his State of the Union address on March 1, 2022, Biden claimed that gun manufacturers are the only industry that can not be sued. CNN found that gun manufacturers can indeed be sued, and that there are other industries with some protection from liability.[41]
  • In August 2022, Biden claimed there was zero percent inflation. The United States Consumer Price Index at the time was 8.5%.[42]
  • On September 23, 2022, Biden claimed the average price of gas was $2.99 per gallon in 41 states. At the time, there were no states with average gas prices under $2.99 per gallon.[43]
  • In October 2022, Biden claimed that he got student debt relief passed by Congress. In fact, Congress did not pass such a bill, but Biden did take executive action,[44] but this action was challenged in court.[45]
  • In a speech given October 27, 2022 in Syracuse, New York, Biden claimed that gas prices were over $5 per gallon on his first day. On his first day as president, gas was actually $2.39 per gallon.[46]
  • In October 2022, Biden claimed his son, Beau Biden, died in Iraq. Beau Biden died from a brain tumor in 2015. This claim was repeated on November 21, 2022.[47]
  • On November 1, 2022, Biden claimed credit for the 8.7% "cost of living allowance" increase for Social Security beneficiaries. In fact, the cost of living allowance is linked to the inflation rate by statute.[48]
  • During October and November 2022, Biden delivered speeches in support of Democrat candidates for the US 2022 US midterm elections. CNN found nine of these claims to be "false and misleading".[49]
  • In November 2022, Washington Post fact-checked several claims, and awarded Biden the "Bottomless Pinocchio", a rating given when a statement receives a three or four Pinocchio rating, and is repeated 20 times or more. The rating was established while Donald Trump was in office.[50]
  • On November 21, 2022, Biden falsely claimed that Delaware has more chickens than any other US state.[51]
  • On December 16, 2022, Biden claimed that as vice-president, his father, Joseph Biden Sr. asked that he award Frank Biden the Purple Heart, and that his uncle told him "I don't want the damn thing". Frank Biden died on November 28, 1999, and Joseph Biden Sr died on September 2, 2002.[52][53]

2023[edit]

  • On January 26, 2023, Biden claimed in a speech "last year, we funded 700,000 major construction projects". A fact check by CNN found that the figure is 7,000. The White House corrected the transcript of the speech.[54]
  • On January 26, 2023, Biden claimed "we put a cap, and it’s now in effect – now in effect, as of January 1 – of $2,000 a year on prescription drug costs for seniors". A fact check by CNN found that the price cap takes effect in 2025.[54]
  • On January 26, 2023, Biden claimed that under former President Trump's administration, "only 3.5 million people had been – even had their first vaccination". A CNN fact check called the claim "misleading at best", and found that the actual number was 19 million people.[54]
  • On January 26, 2023, Biden claimed that billionaires "pay virtually only 3% of their income now – 3%, they pay". A CNN fact check found that billionaires in the USA pay an average of 8.2% of their income in federal income tax.[54]
  • On January 26, 2023, Biden claimed "the days are over when corporations are paying zero in federal taxes". A CNN fact check found this claim is "not true".[54]
  • On January 26, 2023, Biden claimed "wages are up, and they’re growing faster than inflation". A CNN fact check found that "real wages are lower today than they were both a full year ago and at the beginning of Biden’s presidency in January 2021".[54]
  • On February 28, 2023, Biden claimed he reduced the national debt by $1.7 trillion. He actually increased the national debt by $3.84 trillion.[55]
  • On March 13, 2023, Biden claimed his support of gay marriage began with an "epiphany" during his senior year in high school.[56] Despite this claim, Biden opposed gay marriage until his 2008 run for the presidency.[57]
  • On March 27, 2023 Biden claimed the perpetrator of the 2023 Covenant School shooting used two AK-47 rifles.[58] The shooter actually used an AR-15 style rifle, an assault-style pistol, and a handgun.[59]

Media response[edit]

After Biden's first 100 days as president, CNN wrote an article stating that compared with Trump, things were "quieter", and gave a "rough count" of 29 inaccurate claims. The article compared this to Donald Trump's count of 214 inaccurate claims in his first 100 days.[32]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ↑ "Off-Color Approval - Top 10 Joe Biden Gaffes". TIME. March 23, 2010. Retrieved February 27, 2023.
  2. ↑ Goldmacher, Shane (September 29, 2020). "Team Biden: Forget about the gaffes and focus on falsehoods". New York Times. Retrieved February 27, 2023.
  3. ↑ Hauf, Patrick; Picasso, Mitch (February 4, 2023). "Biden gaffes: The president bats .500 in January, a slip up every other day". Fox News. Retrieved February 27, 2023.
  4. ↑ Seitz-Wald, Alex (October 6, 2014). "Why Joe Biden's gaffes matter". MSNBC. Retrieved February 27, 2023.
  5. ↑ Saenz, Arlette (December 4, 2018). "Joe Biden believes he is the 'most qualified person in the country to be president'". CNN. Retrieved February 27, 2023.
  6. ↑ Egan, Timothy (September 25, 2020). "Joe Biden's Stutter Is His Superpower". New York Times. Retrieved January 11, 2023.
  7. ↑ "Biden: Stuttering not to blame for verbal screwups". Axios. December 8, 2019. Retrieved January 11, 2023.
  8. ↑ Baker, Peter (July 9, 2022). "At 79, Biden Is Testing the Boundaries of Age and the Presidency". New York Times. Retrieved February 21, 2023.
  9. ↑ Epstein, Reid J.; Medina, Jennifer (June 11, 2022). "Should Biden Run in 2024? Democratic Whispers of 'No' Start to Rise". New York Times. Retrieved February 21, 2023.
  10. ↑ Rogers, Katie; Altman, Lawrence K. (November 19, 2021). "Biden Declared 'Healthy' and 'Vigorous' After His First Presidential Physical". New York Times. Retrieved February 3, 2023.
  11. ↑ Biden is actually Greek. And Jewish. And raised by Puerto Ricans.
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 12.2 12.3 Goodman, Alana (August 19, 2019). "Six times Biden described major events in his life that never happened". Washington Examiner. Retrieved February 3, 2023.
  13. ↑ Kessler, Glenn (June 12, 2020). "Joe Biden's shifting recollection on his civil rights activities". Washington Post. Retrieved February 3, 2023.
  14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 14.2 O'Connor, Brendan (August 30, 2019). "Biden Had Said He Worked the Coal Mines, Was Shot at in Iraq, and Marched in the Civil Rights Movement. He Has Not Done Those Things". Vice.com. Retrieved January 11, 2023.
  15. ↑ Dickenson, James R. (September 22, 1987). "BIDEN ACADEMIC CLAIMS 'INACCURATE'". Washington Post. Retrieved January 18, 2023.
  16. ↑ 16.0 16.1 Kessler, Glenn (May 20, 2021). "Biden's claim that his 'great-grandpop' was a coal miner". Washington Post. Retrieved February 3, 2023.
  17. ↑ "Revolution Is in The Air". ABC News. February 22, 2007. Retrieved February 25, 2023.
  18. ↑ "Biden's Comments Ruffle Feathers". CBS News. July 7, 2006. Retrieved February 25, 2023.
  19. ↑ Crabtree, Susan (August 8, 2007). "Biden revises claim he was 'shot at' in Iraq". The Hill. Retrieved February 3, 2023.
  20. ↑ Stevens, Matt (2019-08-09). "Joe Biden Says 'Poor Kids' Are Just as Bright as 'White Kids'". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2023-02-28.
  21. ↑ Bradner, Eric; Sullivan, Kate (August 11, 2019). "Joe Biden mistakenly says he met with Parkland victims while he was vice president". CNN. Retrieved February 27, 2023.
  22. ↑ Caputo, Marc; Schreckinger, Ben (August 28, 2019). "Biden pledges 'absolute wall' to separate relatives' business dealings". The Hill. Retrieved February 3, 2023.
  23. ↑ Brown, Pamela (January 18, 2023). "CNN.com - Transcripts". CNN. Retrieved January 19, 2023.
  24. ↑ "As he campaigns for president, Joe Biden tells a moving but false war story". Washington Post. August 29, 2019. Retrieved January 18, 2023.
  25. ↑ Valverde, Miriam (September 13, 2019). "Fact-checking Biden on use of cages for immigrants during Obama administration". Politifact. Retrieved January 11, 2023.
  26. ↑ "Fact check of the January Democratic debate". CNN. January 15, 2020. Retrieved February 3, 2023.
  27. ↑ Khalid, Asma; Masters, Clay (September 3, 2019). "Joe Biden On War Story: Details 'Irrelevant,' Don't Undermine Judgment". National Public Radio. Retrieved January 11, 2023.
  28. ↑ Kaczynski, Andrew (January 17, 2020). "How Joe Biden defended his Iraq vote". CNN. Retrieved January 11, 2023.
  29. ↑ Glueck, Katie (February 26, 2020). "How Biden's Campaign Explains His 'Arrest' in South Africa". New York Times. Retrieved January 11, 2023.
  30. ↑ Mizan, Nusaiba (July 20, 2020). "Joe Biden mistakenly says he met with Parkland victims while he was vice president". Politifact. Retrieved February 27, 2023.
  31. ↑ 31.0 31.1 Dale, Daniel (February 17, 2021). "Fact check: Biden makes at least four false statistical claims at CNN town hall". CNN. Retrieved February 3, 2023.
  32. ↑ 32.0 32.1 Dale, Daniel (May 2, 2021). "What it's been like fact-checking Joe Biden through 100 days". CNN. Retrieved January 23, 2023.
  33. ↑ Dale, Daniel; Subramaniam, Tara (July 7, 2021). "Fact check: Biden makes false claims about Covid-19, auto prices and other subjects at CNN town hall". CNN. Retrieved January 23, 2023.
  34. ↑ Woodward, Calvin; Yen, Hope (July 21, 2021). "AP FACT CHECK: Biden goes too far in assurances on vaccines". Associated Press. Retrieved February 28, 2023.
  35. ↑ Qiu, Linda (August 20, 2021). "Biden's Inaccurate Claims in Defending Afghanistan Withdrawal". New York Times. Retrieved January 12, 2023.
  36. ↑ Bonenburger, Adrian (August 30, 2021). "After a collapse that took everyone off guard, "experts" retreated further into comforting fantasies about the mission and its significance rather than finally facing reality". Daily Beast. Retrieved February 3, 2023.
  37. ↑ Dale, Daniel (January 20, 2022). "Fact-checking six claims from Biden's news conference". CNN. Retrieved January 27, 2023.
  38. ↑ Dale, Daniel (January 20, 2022). "Fact check: A look at Biden's first year in false claims". CNN. Retrieved January 23, 2023.
  39. ↑ Kessler, Glenn (June 2, 2022). "Biden's fantastical claim of $500 in annual utility savings". Washington Post. Retrieved January 12, 2023.
  40. ↑ Kessler, Glenn (February 5, 2023). "Biden's 2022 State of the Union proposals: What flopped and what succeeded". Washington Post. Retrieved February 6, 2023.
  41. ↑ "Fact-checking Biden's 2022 State of the Union address". CNN. March 2, 2022. Retrieved January 27, 2023.
  42. ↑ Hays, Gabriel (August 10, 2022). "White House blasted for claiming 'zero' inflation after latest CPI report: 'Lying to everyone'". Fox News. Retrieved January 12, 2023.
  43. ↑ Dale, Daniel (September 23, 2022). "Fact check: White House corrects inaccurate Biden boast about gas prices". CNN.com. Retrieved January 12, 2023.
  44. ↑ Dale, Daniel (October 24, 2022). "Fact check: Biden falsely claims he got student debt forgiveness passed by Congress". CNN. Retrieved January 27, 2023.
  45. ↑ Nova, Annie (February 2, 2023). "Supreme Court challenges to Biden student loan plan hinge on overreach, financial harm". CNBC. Retrieved February 4, 2023.
  46. ↑ Dale, Daniel (October 28, 2022). "Fact check: Biden falsely claims the most common gas price was over $5 when he took office". CNN. Retrieved January 27, 2023.
  47. ↑ Baker, Peter (November 1, 2022). "Biden Verbally Fumbles, Twice, During Campaign Stop in Florida". New York Times. Retrieved January 18, 2023.
  48. ↑ Dale, Daniel (November 2, 2022). "Fact check: White House deletes misleading tweet about Social Security". CNN. Retrieved January 27, 2023.
  49. ↑ Dale, Daniel (November 5, 2022). "Fact check: Biden's midterms message includes false and misleading claims". CNN. Retrieved January 27, 2023.
  50. ↑ Kessler, Glenn (November 7, 2022). "A Bottomless Pinocchio for Biden — and other recent gaffes". Washington Post. Retrieved January 12, 2023.
  51. ↑ Hauf, Patrick (November 21, 2022). "80-year-old Biden falsely claims Delaware has most chickens in the nation". Fox News. Retrieved February 25, 2023.
  52. ↑ Reimann, Nicholas (December 16, 2022). "Biden Says He Awarded Uncle A Purple Heart—But His Story Isn't Possible". Forbes. Retrieved January 29, 2023.
  53. ↑ "No, Joe Biden didn't award his uncle a Purple Heart after becoming vice president". December 22, 2022. Retrieved January 29, 2023.
  54. ↑ 54.0 54.1 54.2 54.3 54.4 54.5 Dale, Daniel (January 28, 2023). "Fact check: Biden makes false and misleading claims in economic speech". CNN. Retrieved February 6, 2023.
  55. ↑ Nelson, Steve (February 28, 2023). "Biden says he cut national debt by $1.7T — when he actually increased it by $3.84T". New York Post. Retrieved March 28, 2023.
  56. ↑ Lanum, Nikolas (March 14, 2023). "Biden takes heat for repeating story on gay marriage 'epiphany': 'Lies about stuff like this constantly'". Fox News. Retrieved March 14, 2023.
  57. ↑ Re, Gregg (June 26, 2020). "'Security risks'? Biden's past rhetoric on gay rights could complicate LGBT claims on campaign trail". Fox News. Retrieved March 14, 2023.
  58. ↑ "Remarks by President Biden at the SBA Women's Business Summit". WhiteHouse.gov. March 27, 2023. Retrieved March 28, 2023.
  59. ↑ Bogel-Burroughs, Nicholas (March 27, 2023). "The Nashville school shooter had a 'manifesto' and maps, police say". New York Times. Retrieved March 28, 2023.


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