Fact Check: Biden's Address To The DNC, Annotated

NPR | By NPR Staff

Published August 20, 2020 at 9:31 PM EDT

Joe Biden formally accepted the Democratic Party's nomination for president on Thursday at the Democratic National Convention in a passionate, 25-minute speech delivered from his home state of Delaware.

Addressing the challenges facing the nation, including the coronavirus pandemic, climate change and economic uncertainty, Biden asked Americans to "entrust me with the presidency," vowing to "draw on the best of us, not the worst."

His speech, which followed the convention's underlying theme of unity over division, called on Americans to consider the gravity of this election, which he painted as one of the most consequential in history.

Read his full remarks, annotated with fact checks and analysis by NPR reporters.

Corrected: August 21, 2020 at 12:00 AM EDT

An earlier version of this story said the July unemployment rate of 10.2% is higher than any previous, post-war recession. In fact, the unemployment rate was higher in 1982 and 1983, reaching as high as 10.8%.