President Joe Biden’s speech on Thursday included several claims that were found to be false, misleading, or lacking context by CNN. Here are the wildest ones:
Infrastructure projects: Biden claimed that “Last year, we funded 700,000 major construction projects – 700,000 all across America” but the correct figure is 7,000 projects.
A cap on seniors’ drug spending: Biden said that a $2,000 annual cap on prescription drug costs for seniors is “now in effect” and “as of January 1”, but this cap will not take effect until 2025.
Vaccinations under Trump: Biden criticised former President Donald Trump’s handling of the Covid-19 pandemic, saying “only 3.5 million people had been – even had their first vaccination” but that number is misleading. As of the day Trump left office in January 2021, about 19 million people had received a first shot of a Covid-19 vaccine.
Billionaires and taxes: Biden said that Republicans want to cut taxes for billionaires, “who pay virtually only 3% of their income now – 3%, they pay.” But that claim is incorrect, and the correct figure is 8%.
