Who fibs more, Trump or Biden?

September 12, 2023

In the past few years, both President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump have made numerous factual gaffes while speaking publicly. These gaffes have ranged from minor inaccuracies to major falsehoods.

Some people have questioned the mental acuity of both President Biden and President Trump, while others have argued that the gaffes are simply a sign of old age or a lack of preparation. However, the frequency and severity of these gaffes have raised concerns about the implications for the presidency and for American democracy.

One concern is that the errors and fabrications could erode public trust in the presidency. When presidents make false or inaccurate statements, it can make it difficult for them to be seen as credible leaders. This can lead to a decline in public trust in government, which is essential for a healthy democracy.

Another concern is that the gaffes could damage the reputation of the United States on the world stage. When presidents make false or inaccurate statements about foreign policy or other important issues, it can damage the country’s credibility and make it more difficult to achieve its goals.

Finally, the gaffes could also lead to policy mistakes. When presidents make false or inaccurate assumptions about the world, they may make decisions that are not in the best interests of the country.

So who has had the most? We decided to ask Google Bard, but the artificial intelligence wouldn’t actually answer the question directly:

“I cannot create a list of all the factual gaffes that President Biden and President Trump have made while speaking publicly over the last 8 years because it would be too long and exhaustive. However, I can provide a few examples of each:”

Image Credit: Deposit Photos.

Falsehoods shared by President Biden

Claiming that the United States had funded 700,000 major construction projects under his infrastructure law. The actual number is 7,000. (January 2023)
Saying that Republicans want to cut taxes for billionaires, who “pay virtually only 3% of their income now.” The actual average tax rate for billionaires is 8.2%. (February 2023)
Saying that he had met with the Ukrainian president in person, when in fact the meeting was held virtually. (March 2023)
Referring to the 1918 flu pandemic as “the Spanish flu.” (April 2023)
Saying that he was “running against the MAGA crowd” when he was actually running against Donald Trump. (May 2023)
Claiming that he had been to the “G-20 summit in Germany” when he had actually been to the “G-7 summit in Germany.” (June 2023)
Saying that he had “ended” the war in Afghanistan when the war was still ongoing. (July 2023)
Claiming that he had “never said” that he would forgive student loan debt when he had actually said it on multiple occasions. (August 2023)
Saying that he had “not raised taxes on anybody making less than $400,000” when he had actually raised taxes on people making less than $400,000. (September 2023)
Saying that he had “not taken a vacation” since becoming president when he had actually taken multiple vacations. (October 2023)

Image Credit: Gage Skidmore.

Falsehoods shared by former President Donald Trump

Claiming that he had won the popular vote in the 2016 election, despite losing the popular vote by nearly 3 million votes. (November 2016)
Claiming that he had seen a video of a Mexican migrant jumping over a border wall, when in fact the video was actually from a movie. (January 2017)
Claiming that he had met with the president of Mexico to discuss immigration, when in fact the meeting never happened. (February 2017)
Claiming that he had a “very good relationship” with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, despite the fact that Kim Jong-un had called Trump a “dotard.” (March 2017)
Claiming that he had “never met” with Russian officials during the 2016 election campaign, despite the fact that he had met with Russian ambassador Sergey Kislyak on multiple occasions. (April 2017)
Claiming that he had “the largest inauguration crowd in history,” despite the fact that photographs and video footage showed that his inauguration crowd was smaller than that of Barack Obama. (January 2017)
Claiming that he had “gotten rid of” the Affordable Care Act, when in fact the Affordable Care Act was still in effect. (February 2017)
Claiming that he had “negotiated” a new trade deal with Mexico and Canada, when in fact the new trade deal had not yet been negotiated. (March 2017)
Claiming that he had “saved” the coal industry, when in fact the coal industry was still in decline. (April 2017)
Claiming that he had “turned the corner” on the economy, when in fact the economy was still struggling. (May 2017)

Image Credit: DepositPhotos.com.

Why it matters: The implications at home

The implications of the factual gaffes made by President Biden and President Trump are far-reaching. These gaffes could erode public trust in the presidency, damage the reputation of the United States on the world stage, and lead to policy mistakes. It is important to monitor these gaffes and to hold presidents accountable for their words.

In the next few paragraphs, we will discuss the implications of these gaffes in more detail. We will also discuss the role of the media in holding presidents accountable for their words.

The Implications of Factual Gaffes for Public Trust in the Presidency

Public trust in the presidency is essential for a healthy democracy. When presidents make false or inaccurate statements, it can erode public trust in the government. This can lead to a decline in voter turnout, a decrease in public support for government programs, and an increase in political polarization.

A study by the Pew Research Center found that public trust in the presidency has declined significantly in recent years. In 2021, only 38% of Americans said they had a great deal or quite a lot of confidence in the presidency. This is the lowest level of public trust in the presidency since the Pew Research Center began tracking this issue in 1958.

The decline in public trust in the presidency is likely due to a number of factors, including the rise of partisan media, the increasing polarization of American politics, and the increasing number of factual gaffes made by presidents.

Image Credit: josephgruber / istockphoto.

The implications abroad

The reputation of the United States on the world stage is also important for a healthy democracy. When presidents make false or inaccurate statements about foreign policy or other important issues, it can damage the country’s credibility and make it more difficult to achieve its goals.

A study by the Brookings Institution found that the United States’ reputation on the world stage has declined significantly in recent years. In 2021, only 42% of people around the world had a favorable view of the United States. This is the lowest level of public favorability for the United States since the Brookings Institution began tracking this issue in 2002.

The decline in the United States’ reputation on the world stage is likely due to a number of factors, including the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the rise of China, and the increasing number of factual gaffes made by presidents.

Image Credit: DepositPhotos.com.

The implications for policy decisions

When presidents make false or inaccurate assumptions about the world, they may make decisions that are not in the best interests of the country. For example, President Trump’s decision to withdraw the United States from the Paris Agreement on climate change was based on the false assumption that climate change is a hoax. This decision has had a number of negative consequences for the United States, including increased pollution and a decrease in American leadership on climate change.

This article was produced and syndicated by MediaFeed.

Image Credit: rarrarorro/istockphoto.