Fact check: Biden’s NATO press conference

Washington
CNN
 — 

President Joe Biden held a solo information convention on Thursday after a NATO summit in Washington, searching for to reassure voters involved about his potential to serve and Democratic officers involved about his potential to defeat former President Donald Trump within the 2024 election.

Biden’s feedback included some false and deceptive claims. Here’s a reality verify.

Biden performed down a gaffe he made at an occasion earlier on Thursday through which he had mistakenly launched Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky as “President Putin” earlier than correcting himself moments later. Biden stated on the press convention: “I stated, ‘No, I’m sorry, Zelensky.’ After which I added 5 different names.”

Information First: Biden’s final declare was false. He didn’t utter “5 different names” after he corrected the Putin-Zelensky mix-up. In truth, after Biden corrected himself, Zelensky stated he’s “higher” than Putin, Biden agreed, after which Zelensky delivered remarks as Biden stood silently beside him.

Biden spoke of a have to “tempo” himself in his actions. He stated, “The following debate, I’m not going to be touring 15 time zones per week earlier than. Anyway. That’s what it was about.”

Information First: That is deceptive. Biden didn’t journey overseas “per week earlier than” the June 27 CNN presidential debate through which he carried out poorly. In truth, he returned to the US from Europe 12 days earlier than that debate, on June 15.

Biden attended a fundraiser in Los Angeles on June 15, returned to the White Home on June 16 and went to Camp David on June 20 for intensive debate preparations. He stayed at Camp David till the day of the CNN presidential debate in opposition to Trump, which was held in Atlanta.

Biden, criticizing Trump’s place on the NATO army alliance, stated, “I believe he stated at considered one of his rallies, don’t maintain me to this, lately, the place, ‘NATO – I simply realized about NATO,’ or one thing to that impact. Overseas coverage’s by no means been his robust level.”

Information First: Biden’s description of Trump’s remark was certainly inaccurate. Trump didn’t say at a latest rally that “I simply realized about NATO.” Somewhat, Trump stated on the rally that he had not identified what NATO was, “an excessive amount of,” prior to attending his first alliance summit as president in 2017. 

Trump stated at his Tuesday rally in Florida: “I didn’t need to be obnoxious as a result of I felt, you understand, it was the primary time I’d ever accomplished this. I went; I didn’t even know what the hell NATO was an excessive amount of earlier than, however it didn’t take me lengthy to determine it out. Like about two minutes. And the very first thing I found out was they weren’t paying.” (Trump continued by making his ordinary false claims about NATO’s funding construction.)

Biden is entitled to criticize Trump for this career of prior ignorance about NATO or for his continued inaccuracy about NATO, however Biden’s feedback made it sound like Trump had acknowledged he had simply realized about NATO now slightly than seven years in the past.

Hamas and the West Financial institution

Speaking concerning the warfare between Israel and Hamas, Biden stated Thursday, “There’s a rising dissatisfaction in, on the West Financial institution, from the Palestinians, about Hamas. Hamas shouldn’t be well-liked now.”

Information First: The restricted obtainable public opinion polling suggests the declare that “Hamas shouldn’t be well-liked now” within the West Financial institution shouldn’t be true – and that Hamas’ recognition has elevated there since its assault on Israel final October. 

A ballot taken in late Might and early June by a widely known pollster primarily based within the West Financial institution, the Palestinian Middle for Coverage and Survey Analysis, discovered that 73% of respondents within the West Financial institution supported the October assault by Hamas, that 82% of respondents within the West Financial institution have been glad with Hamas’ efficiency within the present warfare with Israel and that 71% of respondents within the West Financial institution most popular Hamas to regulate the Gaza Strip after the warfare. Hamas scored higher on all of these questions among the many respondents within the West Financial institution than it did among the many respondents in Gaza.

As well as, Hamas had the assist of about half the West Financial institution respondents who stated they might vote in hypothetical parliamentary elections – double its assist stage in a ballot 9 months prior and greater than double West Financial institution respondents’ assist within the newest ballot for extra reasonable rival Fatah.

When a reporter informed Biden that Reuters had reported Thursday that the management of the United Auto Staff union was involved about Biden’s potential to win the election, Biden responded, “UAW simply endorsed me, however go forward.”

Information First: Biden’s declare that the UAW “simply” endorsed him is deceptive at finest. The UAW truly introduced its endorsement of Biden on January 24, greater than 5 months in the past.

In different phrases, Biden tried to dismiss the reported post-debate considerations of UAW president Shawn Fain by insinuating that Fain’s union had made a latest resolution to again Biden. However the endorsement truly got here lengthy earlier than the talk and the ensuing disaster of confidence amongst a few of Biden’s pre-debate backers.