Trump Campaign Press Release - Correct The Record: Fact Checking Biden's Train Tour?

BIDEN: "The Social Security actuary said that if we follow through, [Trump] follows through on his plan for Social Security, Social Security will be 'bankrupt by 2023.'"

FACT: This attack from Biden is false, and has previously been debunked by fact checkers. The President's payroll tax deferral will not harm Social Security.

• The Washington Post's Fact Checker gave Biden's attack "Four Pinocchios," saying Biden and other "Democrats ginned up a letter from [Social Security's] chief actuary to describe a plan that does not currently exist."
  • FactCheck.org and USA Todayhave debunked this and similar claims from Biden's campaign and his allies.
• President Trump has said he wants to make the payroll tax deferral permanent next year, making this deferral a cut "without in any way, shape, or form hurting Social Security."
  • The President has said he would use the Treasury Department's general fund to reimburse Social Security's trust fund, ensuring zero impact on our nation's seniors.
• Biden's attack is not only false, it is hypocritical.
  • In 2011, Biden wrote an op-ed touting a bill Obama signed to cut the payroll tax, specifically saying it was "misinformation" to suggest a payroll tax cut hurt Social Security's solvency.
• President Trump has promised to always protect Social Security, unlike Biden who bragged in the 1990s about his efforts to "freeze" benefits.

BIDEN: "[President Trump] gave a tax giveaway for corporations when they moved jobs overseas to sell goods back to the United States."

FACT: President Trump's tax cuts do not reward businesses that move jobs overseas.

• The Washington Post's Fact Checker gave a similar claim by Biden two Pinocchios, saying "the law is believed to have broadly reduced incentives to invest overseas."
• One recent study found the Trump tax cuts were "largely effective" at making it less attractive for U.S. companies to invest offshore.
• Since the tax cuts took effect, U.S. companies have brought back more than $1 trillion they were holding overseas.
• President Trump's second term agenda includes prohibiting businesses from replacing U.S. workers with lower-cost foreign workers, creating "Made in America" tax credits, and cutting taxes to keep jobs in the U.S.

BIDEN: "And here comes the train that he tried to make sure didn't continue to run ... no, that's the commuter."

FACT: A freight train was passing when Biden made this comment, not a "commuter" train.

BIDEN: "[President Trump] looked the other way while more companies that closed their factories and shipped jobs overseas."

FACT: President Trump has recently taken several strong actions to crack down on offshoring.

• In August, President Trump signed an executive order instructing Federal contractors to limit their use of foreign workers.
• In August, President Trump called for the firing of the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) chair for hiring foreign labor, leading to the TVA dropping an outsourcing plan.

BIDEN: "Matter of fact, he hasn't done anything to help working families."

FACT: President Trump has delivered results for working and middle-class families.

• Before the coronavirus pandemic, wages for typical workers were rising at their fastest rate in a decade:
  • Workers saw higher wages, lower taxes, record low unemployment rates, and a thriving labor market.
  • Wages for "rank-and-file" workers were growing at the fastest rate in a decade, outpacing those of their bosses.
  • Wages for the bottom quarter of workers were outpacing gains for high income workers.
• President Trump's tax cuts benefitted Americans at every income level, and are delivering important benefits for working families and middle class workers.
  • 82 percent of middle-income earners received a tax cut thanks to President Trump, and 65 percent of all taxpayers are estimated to have seen their taxes go down.
  • The average family of four received a $2,000 tax cut, while also seeing benefits like the doubling of the child tax credit and lower energy bills.
  • The Trump tax cuts are also helping workers, and are projected to create 1.4 million new jobs across all 50 states.

BIDEN: "We're gonna do it without asking anyone who makes under $400,000 a year to pay one more penny in taxes. Guaranteed, my word on it."

FACT: Biden's $4 trillion tax hike will raise taxes on 82 percent of Americans, including those making under $400,000, but even this historically large tax hike fails to cover the costs of his far-left policies.

• Biden's $4 trillion tax hike is the largest proposed tax hike in a half-century.
• Five independent analyses have concluded that Biden would reduce after-tax incomes for those making under $400,000.
  • The Tax Policy Center concluded Biden's "proposals would increase taxes on average on all income groups."
  • The Tax Foundation concluded Biden's plan would lead to higher taxes "across all income groups."
  • The American Enterprise Institute concluded that "households at every income level" would see higher taxes.
  • A Penn Wharton budget model analysis concluded that taxes would go up across all income levels.
  • The Committee For A Responsible Federal Budget concluded that taxes would go up across all income levels.
• Meanwhile, Biden has not paid "for everything" that he's proposed.
  • Biden's $4 trillion tax hikes would not cover spending that by his campaign's own estimates would cost close to $6 trillion.
  • Other independent experts have pegged the cost of Biden's plans at $7 trillion, $8 trillion, or even $11 trillion.

BIDEN: "Last night, the President of the United States was reminded that he said that our veterans were losers and suckers."

FACT:At least 14 officials who were on the trip to France with President Trump have gone on the record to refute the anonymous sources and allegations in The Atlantic article.

• Sarah Sanders, former White House Press Secretary: "The Atlantic story on @realDonaldTrump is total BS. I was actually there and one of the people part of the discussion - this never happened."
• Hogan Gidley, former White House Deputy Press Secretary: "These are disgusting, grotesque, reprehensible lies. I was there in Paris and the President never said those things."
• Dan Scavino, White House Deputy Chief Of Staff for Communications: "I was with POTUS in France, with Sarah, and have been at his side throughout it all. Complete lies by 'anonymous sources'..."
• Jordan Karem, former Personal Aide to President Trump: "This is not even close to being factually accurate. plain and simple, it just never happened."
  • Karem: "Again, this is 100% false. I was next to @POTUS the whole day! The President was greatly disappointed when told we couldn't fly there. He was incredibly eager to honor our Fallen Heroes."
• Johnny DeStefano, former Counselor to the President: "I was on this trip. The Atlantic bit is not true. Period."
• John Bolton, former National Security Advisor: "'I didn't hear that,' Mr. Bolton said in an interview. 'I'm not saying he didn't say them later in the day or another time but I was there for that discussion.'"
• Stephen Miller, White House Senior Adviser: The accusation is a "despicable lie ... The president deeply wanted to attend the memorial event in question and was deeply displeased by the bad weather call."
• Tony Ornato, White House Deputy Chief of Staff and then-Head of the Secret Service's Presidential Protective Detail has said the story is false.
• Derek Lyons, Staff Secretary and Counselor to the President: "I was with the President the morning after the scheduled visit. He was extremely disappointed that arrangements could not be made to get him to the site, and that the trip had been cancelled."
• Dan Walsh, former White House Deputy Chief Of Staff: "I can attest to the fact that there was a bad weather call in France, and that the helicopters were unable to safely make the flight."
• Zach Fuentes, former White House Deputy Chief of Staff: "I did not hear POTUS call anyone losers when I told him about the weather."
• First Lady Melania Trump: "@TheAtlantic story is not true. It has become a very dangerous time when anonymous sources are believed above all else, & no one knows their motivation. This is not journalism - It is activism. And it is a disservice to the people of our great nation."
• Jamie McCourt, U.S. Ambassador to France and Monaco: "In my presence, POTUS has NEVER denigrated any member of the U.S. military or anyone in service to our country. And he certainly did not that day, either. Let me add, he was devastated to not be able to go to the cemetery at Belleau Wood. In fact, the next day, he attended and spoke at the ceremony in Suresnes in the pouring rain."
• Major General William Matz (ret.), Secretary of the American Battle Monuments Commission: "I was the host of the event discussed by the false and despicable article published in The Atlantic magazine on 3 September. On 10 November 2018, I was at the Aisne-Marne American Cemetery awaiting the arrival of President Trump. As a former Army infantryman who has flown on many helicopters, I knew that morning the weather was bad and the ceiling was too low for a safe landing that day. When the President's visit was appropriately canceled due to weather, I received word also that he was upset he would not be able to make the wreath-laying visit and to pay his respect to the 2300 fallen soldiers and Marines interred there. ... Those who know President Trump know that the anonymous smears peddled by The Atlantic have no basis in fact or reality, and do a terrible disservice to journalism and to our veterans, living and deceased."
• Additionally, The Atlantic's reporting has been refuted by a White House email and Navy documents that directly show a "bad weather call" was the reason for the canceled presidential trip to Aisne-Marne cemetery in 2018.

BIDEN: "And [President Trump's] one goal is take away health care. Not a joke."

FACT: This is completely false.President Trump has fought to improve the lives of all Americans—and that begins with ensuring the American people have access to affordable, world class healthcare.

• The President and his Administration have taken numerous actions to increase choice and competition in health care to bring down costs, saving Americans billions of dollars.
  • The Trump Administration has expanded the use of short-term, limited-duration health insurance (STLD) plans, expanded access to Association Health Plans (AHPs), and expanded Health Reimbursement Arrangements (HRAs).
• President Trump has also repeatedly made it clear that he will always protect Americans with pre-existing conditions.
  • President Trump recently signed an executive order making it the official policy of the federal government.
  • President Trump has made "cover all pre-existing conditions" a key point in his second term agenda.
• President Trump is working to protect the most vulnerable in our healthcare system, including by signing historic Right to Try legislation, giving terminally ill patients hope and the ability to try new experimental drugs.