President Biden’s recent interview with Time magazine saw him making several factual errors regarding the economy, foreign policy, and his own public record. Biden incorrectly claimed that wage increases have outpaced inflation during his presidency, though data from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics shows that median weekly wages have not kept up with inflation. He also erroneously stated that Japan would devote 3% of its GDP to defense when in fact, the country has historically spent around 1% on defense. Additionally, Biden overestimated both the amount of US foreign aid to Ukraine since Russia’s invasion and the population of Africa.
During the interview, Biden mistakenly mixed up Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin. He also falsely claimed that his newly announced tariffs on Chinese goods would not raise consumer prices, confusing the names of the leaders of the two countries. When discussing the war in Ukraine, Biden inaccurately stated that Europe has spent more money than the US on aid for Ukraine, when in reality, the US has provided more financial assistance. The president also made unsupported claims regarding his past interactions with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the whereabouts of a chief negotiator working on bringing back American hostages from Gaza.
When questioned about voters’ concerns regarding his age, Biden pointed to the trillions of dollars in federal spending that he has signed into law during his presidency. Former officials from the Obama White House have suggested that this spending contributed to skyrocketing inflation. Despite concerns about his age, Biden expressed confidence in his ability to serve a second term, stating that he has accomplished more than any other president in his first three and a half years in office. However, Biden’s statements regarding achievements and investments during his presidency were inaccurate and conflated various events and figures.
Throughout the interview, Biden made several other errors, including inaccurately predicting the future population growth of Africa and misremembering details regarding American hostages in Gaza. Despite these mistakes, Biden remained confident in his ability to lead and was unable to provide clear answers on certain foreign policy issues. The White House did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the inaccuracies in Biden’s statements during the interview. Overall, the interview highlighted several factual errors made by President Biden and raised questions about his comprehension of key issues in the economy and foreign policy.
