The top ten instances where the Biden Administration was accused of misleading or outright lying to the American public in 2024, based on fact-checks, official statements, and public discourse:
Inflation Claims – The administration insisted inflation was under control or even decreasing, while economic data and public frustration painted a different picture. Inflation rates in 2024 were still elevated, with some months seeing rates above 4%, far from the “transitory” label initially used by the administration. This contradiction led to widespread skepticism about the government’s economic narrative.
Border Security – The Biden Administration often stated that border security was improving or that illegal crossings were down, yet 2024 saw record numbers of illegal border crossings. Under President Biden, ‘border czar’ and Vice President Kamala Harris, and Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, the annual border encounter numbers have once again proven to be catastrophic. Since the start of Fiscal Year (FY) 2021, CBP has recorded more than 10.8 million encounters nationwide, including more than 8.72 million at the Southwest border. By contrast, CBP recorded around 3 million encounters nationwide, including 2.37 million at the SWB, from FY2017-2020. Nationwide border encounters this fiscal year increased nearly 50 percent compared to FY2021. Of the 2.9 million nationwide encounters in FY2024, nearly half were at ports of entry, while only 15 percent of nationwide encounters were at ports of entry in FY2021. In addition to these encounters, CBP has recorded another roughly 2 million known gotaways since the start of FY2021, roughly four times the number recorded from FY2017-2020.
Hunter Biden’s Legal Issues – The administration’s minimization of Hunter Biden’s legal troubles was starkly at odds with the breadth of investigations and the eventual presidential pardon that seemed to shield him from further legal scrutiny, suggesting a cover-up rather than resolution.
Biden Family Business – Denials of involvement in Hunter Biden’s business dealings were undermined by bank records and communications showing President Biden had indeed met with his son’s business associates. This directly contradicted the promise of an “absolute wall” between personal and public life, casting doubt on the integrity of the administration’s statements.
Job Creation Numbers – The administration celebrated job creation numbers, but these were largely a result of post-COVID recovery rather than new policy initiatives. Critics argue that much of the job growth was a natural rebound, not a direct outcome of Biden’s policies, which seemed more focused on taking credit than addressing structural unemployment issues.
- The BLS announced a preliminary downward revision of 818,000 jobs for the period from April 2023 through March 2024. This revision adjusts the previously reported job growth from 2.9 million down to about 2.082 million, effectively reducing the average monthly job gain from 242,000 to 173,000 during that period.
- Further revisions in 2024 included August and September job growth being revised down by a combined 112,000 jobs, and October payrolls adding only 12,000 new jobs, which was far below expectations.
- The August 2024 jobs report specifically saw a downward revision where 86,000 jobs were subtracted from the initial estimates.
National Debt Reduction – Claims of reducing the federal deficit did not consider the long-term effects of spending, and the national debt actually increased by over $1.5 trillion in 2024. The administration’s narrative was criticized for cherry-picking data to paint a rosier picture than was true.
Vaccine Mandates – The push for vaccine mandates was accompanied by claims of their effectiveness in curbing the virus spread, yet data showed negligible impact on overall vaccination rates in some sectors, leading to questions about the mandates’ actual public health benefits versus their political motivation. New data reveal that the adverse effects of the vaccine are far in excess of what would normally be allowable had proper placebo testing been used prior to implementation of the worldwide program.
Economy – The Biden administration’s portrayal of economic recovery was met with skepticism. While they celebrated job creation numbers, critics argued that much of the growth was a natural rebound from the economic downturn caused by the COVID-19 lockdowns, rather than a direct result of new policy initiatives. Despite claims of robust economic health, issues like persistent inflation, which hovered above 4% for several months in 2024, and the lack of significant wage growth compared to inflation rates, painted a different picture. The administration’s economic narratives often seemed at odds with the lived experiences of many Americans, particularly concerning the rising cost of living and stagnant real wages. Furthermore, the national debt continued to balloon, surpassing previous records, highlighting concerns over fiscal sustainability and the long-term impact of current economic policies.
Interest on the federal debt now exceeds what the federal deficit was before COVID. This is unsustainable. The incoming Trump-administration and conservative majorities in Congress desperately need to get America’s fiscal house in order.@AndyPuzder pic.twitter.com/KxHc6OYnXI
— Heritage Foundation (@Heritage) December 28, 2024