President Biden dismissed concerns about his performance in the first presidential debate during a prime-time interview with George Stephanopoulos of ABC News on Friday. Despite polls showing him falling behind former President Donald J. Trump since the debate, Mr. Biden downplayed the numbers and made exaggerated statements about his campaign.
During the interview, Mr. Biden claimed to have done 10 major events in a row after the debate, including late-night events in North Carolina and Georgia. However, fact-checking revealed that he misspoke at several events and exaggerated the size and significance of the crowds he addressed.
Mr. Biden also made hyperbolic statements about his record, including claiming credit for shutting down Russian President Vladimir V. Putin. While his campaign clarified that he was referring to reports of Putin’s failed military campaign in Ukraine, the war in Ukraine continues and Russia’s economy has grown despite heavy sanctions.
Additionally, Mr. Biden inaccurately stated that polls showed the race was a toss-up, when in fact most polls showed Mr. Trump leading by a small margin. The New York Times/Siena College poll, for example, showed Mr. Trump’s lead had grown since the debate.
Furthermore, Mr. Biden made misleading comments about Mr. Trump’s handling of the COVID-19 pandemic and health care policy. While criticizing Mr. Trump’s comments about disinfectants, Mr. Biden also inaccurately claimed that Mr. Trump wanted to repeal the Affordable Care Act and give power back to Big Pharma.
Finally, Mr. Biden’s dismissal of reports about Senator Mark Warner of Virginia convening Senate Democrats to discuss his future as the party’s nominee was also misleading. Mr. Warner has never run for president, and Mr. Biden’s claim that he was a former political rival was inaccurate.
Overall, Mr. Biden’s statements in the interview raised questions about his accuracy and transparency as a candidate, especially in light of his recent debate performance and polling numbers.
