Fact-Checking the Democratic National Convention

WASHINGTON — This week’s virtual Democratic National Convention was largely devoted to character, with testimonials to the decency and empathy of Joseph R. Biden Jr. and criticisms of President Trump’s temperament.

Few words were spent on policy discussions or fact-based claims.

When they did cite statistics, many speakers spoke grimly about the scale of the coronavirus epidemic and its human and economic toll — numbers that needed no exaggeration. The substance of the remarks coupled with the scripted, vetted and, in some cases, prerecorded nature of the convention left little to fact check.

But at times, the Democrats veered from what facts they tried to marshal while castigating Mr. Trump and extolling Mr. Biden.

Biden and others omitted context when warning about Social Security.

What Was Said

“He’s proposing to eliminate a tax that pays for almost half of Social Security without any way of making up for that lost revenue, resulting in cuts.”

— Mr. Biden on Thursday