Among the topics during the final presidential debate Thursday night was one called “American Families.”
These were much more of the kitchen table issues: health care, jobs, and where the food comes from for those kitchen tables. Both candidates stretched the truth when it came to making some of these claims.
Biden’s claim on private insurance, Obamacare
The Trust Index team is starting with this claim from former Vice President Joe Biden.
“Not one single person private insurance will lose their insurance under my plan, nor did they under Obamacare,” Biden said.
This is not true, specifically the portion about Obamacare.
After review, we've found this information is Not True.
According to reporting from the time, at least two million people were sent cancellation notices on their insurance policies after the Affordable Care Act went into effect, mostly because they didn’t meet minimum coverage requirements. Estimates from the time had that number as high as 12 million.
This claim is similar to President Barrack Obama’s “if you like your health care plan, you can keep it” claim which won lie of the year from Politifact in 2013. As for Biden’s own plan, estimates show 20 million people could actually gain healthcare rather than lose it. However, those are early projections and could change should Biden be elected and the plan overcome Congressional hurdles.
Trump’s claim on minimum wage
Next is one from the President on the effects of a $15 minimum wage.
“What’s going to happen and what’s been proven to happen is when you do that these small businesses fire many of their employees,” he said.
This is not true.
After review, we've found this information is Not True.
According to a study from the National Bureau of Economic Research, minimum wage jobs were largely unchanged by hikes in the minimum wage from the 1970s to 2016. More recently, a CNBC poll from January of this year showed 57 percent of small business owners said raising the minimum wage to $15/hour would have no impact on their business and just 8 percent said they would have to lay off employees.
Trump’s claim on the job market
Next, another claim from the President. This time about the job market.
"We’re rebuilding it and we’re doing record numbers 11.4 million jobs in a short period of time.
This is true.
We’ve reviewed information surrounding this topic and confirmed that It’s True.
The President is citing numbers from the most recent jobs report which showed the us added 661,000 jobs last month meaning the 11.4 million jobs have returned to the economy since March and April.
Claims on aid to farmers
Finally, we’ll end on an exchange between the President and Biden over aid to farmers.
Trump: "I just gave 28 billion to farmers ... "
Biden: “In taxes.”
Trump: It’s what?
Biden: “It’s taxpayer money, not China’s.”
Trump: “The taxpayer is called China.”
We’re rating Biden’s interruption true.
We’ve reviewed information surrounding this topic and confirmed that It’s True.
According to the Department of Agriculture, the President has given billions in aid to farmers since the start of his on-and-off trade war with china -- roughly $33 billion in 2020. That money is paid for by U.S. tax payers, not China even by way of the President’s tariffs, which are also paid for by American consumers through increased import costs.
More fact checks from the final presidential debate:
Presidential Town Hall fact checks from the Trust Index:
First Presidential debate fact checks from the Trust Index: