Fact-Checking Biden's Post-NATO Press Conference
Summary from the AllSides News Team
President Joe Biden's NATO press conference drew the ire of fact-checkers across the spectrum.
On Immigration: Fact-checkers on the left and right both corrected Biden's claim that "border encounters have gone down over 50 percent." The current level is lower today than when Trump left office. However, outlets on the left said the claim was exaggerated or misleading and explained that encounters had gone down more than 40%. The right called the claim false and immediately stated, “84,000 illegal immigrants were apprehended at the border in June 2024. In January 2021, when Trump left office, there were 75,000 migrant encounters along the southwest border.”
On Guns: Biden said, “More children are killed by the bullet than any other cause of death.” Both sides noted Biden was using a statistic that includes 18- and 19-year-olds, and if you look only at children 17 and under, motor vehicles are the leading cause of death.
Trump's Comments on Ukraine and Previous Incumbents' Polling Numbers: Fact-checkers on the left noted that Biden omitted context from Trump's comments on Ukraine. They also included context when Biden claimed that, “There are at least five presidents running or incumbent presidents who had lower numbers than I have now,” adding that none of those presidents won reelection.
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From the Left
Fact checking Biden’s post-NATO news conference
After the three-day NATO summit in Washington, President Biden answered questions from reporters. Here’s a roundup of claims he made, in the order in which he made them.
“In fact, the day after Putin invaded Ukraine, here’s what he said. ‘It was genius.’ ‘It was wonderful.’ Some of you forgot that. But that’s exactly what he said.”— Biden
Biden is basically correct on what Trump said, but he has the chronology wrong. Trump was admiring of Russian President Vladimir Putin the day before the invasion, not the day after.
From the Left
Fact-Checking Biden’s News Conference at the NATO Summit 
President Biden fielded questions about foreign policy and his age and fitness for office during a high-stakes news conference on Thursday in which he made clear that he had no intention of leaving the race.
The nearly hourlong appearance, coming at the end of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization summit in Washington, was his first solo news conference in eight months. Under a dozen reporters pressed him on his candidacy, China and the conflict in Gaza, among other topics.
Here’s a fact check of some of his remarks.
From the Right
Fact Check: Biden Falsely Claims Border Encounters Lower Than When Trump Left Office
CLAIM: President Joe Biden claimed at his high-stakes make-or-break NATO press conference that border crossings are lower than when former President Donald Trump left office.
VERDICT: FALSE. NBC News reported 84,000 illegal immigrants were apprehended at the border in June 2024. In January 2021, when Trump left office, there were 75,000 migrant encounters along the southwest border.
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