US Presidential Debate 2020: Fact-checking 5 claims made by Trump, Biden during face-off

US President Donald Trump and Democratic challenger for the White House, Joe Biden, locked horns for one last time ahead of presidential elections. During the final presidential debate at Belmont University in Nashville, Tennessee, several misleading, exaggerated, and at times, outright false claims were made. Trump and Biden argued over various issues, including election interference, COVID-19 response, immigration policy, employment, and climate change, among others.

Here’s are the fact-checked claims made during the debate:

Trump on COVID-19 response: 

"We're rounding the corner. It's going away”

The US President made an outright false claim regarding the infection curve as the United States recorded the highest daily surge in coronavirus cases since July 31. The daily caseload, test positivity rate, and the number of active cases are getting worse. 

“As you know, 2.2 million people, modelled out, were expected to die…the mortality rate is down, 85 per cent.”

Trump cited an early report by epidemiologists from the Imperial College of London which painted a grim picture in case of no preventive measures. The researchers had said that the pandemic would have resulted in more than half a million deaths in the UK and 2.2 million in the United States in case of no mitigation measures. The statement is misleading because the experts had projected fatalities close to 100,000 to 200,000, which the United States has crossed days ago and the situation continues to worsen.

Read: US Presidential Debate: Melania Attends Nashville Event After Long Campaign Trail Absence

Read: US Presidential Debate: Trump Says 'I'm Least Racist Person In This Room' As Biden Attacks

Trump on vaccine: 

“We have a vaccine that’s coming, it’s ready, it’s going to be announced within weeks.”

The commander-in-chief claimed that the vaccine is ready but there has not been any official announcement on its approval by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The federal agency has not given even provided emergency authorisation for any of the vaccine candidates. The potential COVID-19 vaccines of Moderna, Pfizer, AstraZeneca, and Johnson & Johnson are currently in Phase 3 clinical trial. The claim is misleading.

Biden on Trade:

“He has caused the deficit with China to go up, not down.”

The trade deficit in goods fell sharply between 2018 and 2019 and it is running below last year’s level so far, even if due to the coronavirus pandemic. The overall trade deficit, however, has gone up as the businesses in the United States has shifted to buying goods from low-cost countries. The claim is false.

Trump on campaign connection with Russia:

“I was put through a phoney witch hunt.”

Mueller Report never established that there was a criminal conspiracy between the Trump campaign and Russia to influence the 2016 presidential elections, however, the reports of Russian interference in US elections were not denied. The investigation also led to the conviction of several advisers, including Paul Manafort, the chairman of Trump’s 2016 campaign. The claim is false.

Read: In US Debate, Trump Blames 'coyotes & Cartels' As Biden Raises Separated Migrant Kids

Read: US Presidential Debate 2020 Live Updates: Biden Attacks Trump For Legitimising North Korea