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Truth Test: Anti-Biden PAC ad ignores context to make questionable claims

ORLANDO, Fla. — With fewer than seven weeks to go before the general election, the groups supporting the two campaigns are coming in strong with new ads, going hard after each side’s opponent.

Channel 9 political reporter Christpher Heath put the latest ad attacking Joe Biden through the Truth Test and found some interesting claims, and edited video clips.

The ad features several “regular people” from Wisconsin.

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“It’s been one of the toughest years of my life; coronavirus kind of hurt,” one says.

But they’re not talking about the virus, they’re talking about tax policy.

They add a clip from a Biden campaign event in which he says, “Guess what; if you elect me, your taxes will be raised, not cut.”

The problem is, that statement is taken out of context.

In the full exchange, Biden is talking to a voter in an upper-income tax bracket.

UCF Political Science Professor John Hanley notes, “In that clip, he’s actually asking who has benefited from the Trump tax cuts. Only one person raises his hand off-stage and he’s engaging in a conversation with that person.”

In fact, an analysis of the Biden tax plan by the Tax Policy Center finds it is mainly people making more than $400 thousand a year who would see an increase in taxes.

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Although, there are much smaller, indirect effects for lower income earners.

Overall, we rate this ad half-true.

Middle income earners might see some changes, but it’s unclear where, and how much. And the increases in the plan all hit those in the highest income brackets.