Addressing members of the United Auto Workers in Michigan on Wednesday, presidential nominee Joe Biden declared that “military COVID deaths” amounted to over 6,000, when the actual number is seven.
Fumbling about for a card listing U.S. military deaths in Afghanistan and Iraq, Biden stated, “U.S. COVID-infected military — excuse me, U.S. COVID-infected in America: six thousand, three hundred forty-four thousand, seven hundred [sic]. U.S. COVID deaths: one thousand, one hundred eighty-nine thousand, five hundred six [sic]. Military COVID-infected: one hundred and eighteen thousand, nine hundred and eighty-four. Military COVID deaths: six thousand, one hundred and fourteen. Folks: every one of these lives matter. Every one of these lives left somebody behind, grieving.”
People who care about facts were grieving after this speech, too, because according to the Pentagon, the actual number of coronavirus deaths in the military is seven, and the number of military cases: the number is 40,026 rather than 118,984.
The Biden campaign later clarified that he meant to cite the number of dead in Michigan, not in the military. The problem is, it’s clear that, in addition to his other obvious cognitive issues, Biden simply doesn’t know what he’s talking about.