First presidential debate of 2024, fact checked

President Biden and former President Donald Trump debated various topics including immigration, the economy, and their respective records during the first 2024 presidential debate in Atlanta on June 27. Several of theirs claims have been verified for accuracy. Trump claimed the U.S. had its greatest economy during his presidency, but data shows otherwise. GDP growth under him was lower than that under Presidents Clinton and Eisenhower, and his unemployment rate claim was also inaccurate, with rates lower in past years and during Biden’s term. Biden’s assertion that no troops have died during his presidency is false, as at least 16 service members have died overseas, including 13 in an attack at Kabul airport. Trump denied calling deceased soldiers “suckers and losers,” but several credible sources confirmed that he did make disparaging remarks about U.S. military personnel. Biden’s statement about a 40% reduction in illegal border crossings under his administration is partially true. While recent data shows a significant drop following a new asylum ban, there were periods during Trump’s presidency when illegal crossings were also below current levels. Trump stated that migrants are committing crimes at unprecedented levels, which is misleading; data shows that migrants do not commit crimes at higher rates than native-born Americans. On COVID-19, while it is true that more people died under President Joe Biden’s administration than Trump’s, early death counts were likely undercounted. Claims regarding former Virginia Governor Ralph Northam supporting infanticide are false; Northam discussed scenarios involving severely deformed or non-viable fetuses, not killing newborns. Trump’s assertions that Biden targeted him in the New York “hush money” case are false; the Manhattan district attorney operates independently of federal jurisdiction. His claim about reducing insulin prices for seniors is misleading, as the initiative involved a collaborative effort with Medicare and was later expanded by Biden’s administration. The assertion that Biden wants open borders is also false; Biden’s administration has enacted several restrictive immigration policies and continues deportations. Biden’s claim that Trump wants to eliminate Social Security is inaccurate; Trump has vowed to protect it, speaking of “cutting waste and fraud” instead. Lastly, Trump’s statement that Biden has the largest deficit in U.S. history is false; the highest deficit occurred under Trump’s administration in fiscal year 2020. These fact-checks provide context and additional information to clarify the accuracy of the claims. Original Text published in-> CBS

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