While President Joe Biden largely stuck to the facts during his third State of the Union address Thursday, on several occasions he overstated the truth, left out key context or was simply wrong.
In a wide-ranging speech on issues including inflation, border security and conflicts in Ukraine and Gaza, Biden on multiple occasions attacked – but never identified by name – his Republican opponent in November, former President Donald Trump. But in contrasting himself with his challenger and making his case for a second term, Biden occasionally strayed from the truth.
For example, in addressing the critical campaign issue of the economy, he touted the inflation rate in the U.S. as “the lowest in the world” – even though dozens of countries, including G7 nations Canada and France, have rates that are lower.