The 2024 Democratic National Convention is being fact-checked by CBS News’ Confirmed team, focusing on statements made by speakers such as President Biden and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. Some of the claims being checked pertain to former President Trump’s record in office, as well as the Biden administration’s accomplishments. The convention began with a theme of unity, and featured a variety of speakers on Monday, including prominent figures within the Democratic party.
One claim fact-checked by CBS News involved Wisconsin Lt. Gov. Sara Rodriguez’s assertion that Trump promised to “terminate the Affordable Care Act.” The fact check revealed that while Trump had promised to repeal and replace the ACA during his 2016 campaign, he has not advocated for terminating all of its policies outright. Trump has criticized the law but has stated he intends to replace it with another package of health reforms. This claim was rated as misleading by the fact-check team.
Another statement checked was made by California Rep. Robert Garcia, claiming that Trump told people to inject bleach into their bodies. This claim was found to be false, as Trump had speculated during a White House briefing about the possibility of using disinfectant to combat COVID-19, but did not tell people to inject bleach. The fact check team emphasized that Trump’s comments were taken out of context and that he later clarified he was being sarcastic.
Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin’s claim that the U.S. economy had added 16 million jobs during the Biden administration was also fact-checked. The team found this claim to be true, but noted that it needed context. While the Biden administration did add over 15.8 million jobs, it included roughly 9 million jobs lost during the pandemic. The fact check team pointed out that the U.S. economy under Biden saw an increase of approximately 6.4 million jobs above pre-pandemic levels, compared to 6.7 million jobs created during the first three years of Trump’s term.
Laura Doan and Alexander Tin were involved in contributing to the fact-checking reports. Laura Doan focuses on misinformation, AI, and social media as a fact checker for CBS News Confirmed. The fact-checking process involves examining statements made by speakers during the DNC for accuracy and providing context to ensure a clear understanding of the claims being made. CBS News is covering the convention live and providing viewers with verified information about the statements made by various speakers.
