In this video, we review six claims we fact-checked in the first presidential debate between President Donald Trump and Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden.
Video: The First Debate
Issues: California wildfires
FactChecking the First Trump-Biden Debate
In a chaotic debate with plenty of crosstalk, there was also plenty to fact-check.
Contrary to Viral Claim, Trump OK’d Aid for California Fires
Facebook posts claim that President Donald Trump has withheld aid from California to fight wildfires, while offering help to Russia. That’s a rehash of a controversy in 2019, when Trump threatened to withhold aid from California, while offering help to Russia. The Trump administration has provided federal assistance to California for the recent wildfires.
Trump Bucks Climate Science in Wildfire Briefing
In a briefing on the barrage of wildfires burning in the West, President Donald Trump baselessly claimed “it’ll start getting cooler,” adding that he didn’t think “science knows” whether or not temperatures would increase in the future. Scientists are very confident that global average temperatures will continue to rise.
FactCheck.org Partners with Hearst TV
FactCheck.org’s work during the 2020 election cycle will be featured on Hearst Television Inc. outlets as part of a recent agreement.
Trump Again Misunderstands California’s Wildfires
For the second year in a row, President Donald Trump inaccurately attributed California’s rash of wildfires to poor forest management. He also falsely said other states don’t have “close to the level of burn” as California.
The Science Trump Got Wrong in the Post Interview
In a Nov. 27 interview with the Washington Post, President Donald Trump made a series of inaccurate statements. He questioned the cause of climate change, praised a nonexistent method for wildfire prevention and even recycled a long-debunked news story from the 1970s.
Trump Repeatedly Errs on California Wildfires
Over the past two weekends, as two major wildfires devastated communities in Northern and Southern California, President Donald Trump has inaccurately blamed the state’s forest management practices for the blazes. He has also wrongly said that raking — a method he attributed to Finland — could have solved the problem.
No Arrests for California Wildfire
Q: Was an “illegal alien” arrested for starting the wildfires that have ravaged northern California?
A: No. The arrest was not related to the wildfires.