A debate fact-check

Donald Trump put the factcheck meter to the test at the second presidential debate, while Joe Biden made relatively few gaffes. Here’s are some noteworthy claims.

CLAIM

“Look at the states having a spike, they are the red states, the states in the Midwest, in the upper Midwest, that is where the spike is occurring significantly.” — Biden

FACT

Biden is mostly right. When adjusted for population size, the states with the biggest recent spikes are North Dakota, South Dakota, Montana, Wisconsin, Idaho, Nebraska, Utah and Wyoming.

CLAIM

“We learned this president paid 50 times the tax in China (compared to his U.S. tax bill), has a secret bank account with China, does business in China.” — Biden

“I was a businessman doing business, the bank account you’re referring to, which is — everybody knows about it — it’s listed, the bank account was in 2013. That’s what it was. It was open and it was closed in 2015, I believe.” — Trump

FACT

Trump never disclosed he had a Chinese bank account. The New York Times revealed its existence this week, as well as accounts in Britain and Ireland. Trump has filed financial disclosures with government ethics officials. Those are not as detailed as tax returns. The Times said it obtained data from his tax returns for its report. “The foreign accounts do not show up on Mr. Trump’s public financial disclosures, where he must list personal assets, because they are held under corporate names,” the Times reported. Trump’s lawyer also said that it “remains open, (but) has never been used for any other purpose (but business activities).”

CLAIM

“Pre-existing conditions will always stay. What I would like to do is a much better health care. … Always protect people with pre-existing. So I’d like to terminate Obamacare, come up with a brand new, beautiful health care.” — Trump

FACT

The Affordable Care Act, enacted in 2010, guarantees that insurers must sell plans to people with pre-existing health conditions. Trump has been trying to undo the law since taking office.

CLAIM

“For the first time, we don’t need all these countries that we had to fight war over because we needed their energy. We are energy-independent.” — Trump

FACT

The U.S. continues to import millions of barrels of oil per day.

CLAIM

“(Biden) was against fracking. He said it. I will show that to you tomorrow. ‘I am against fracking,’ until he got the nomination, went to Pennsylvania.” — Trump

FACT

Biden’s position on fracking is the same now as it was during the Democratic primary season. He did not switch after clinching the nomination.