During the 10th round of Democratic debates in Charleston, South Carolina, former Vice President Joe Biden falsely claimed nearly half the U.S. population died from guns since 2007. While taking a stab at Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., Biden said guns have killed 150 million Americans in the last 13 years.
“Imagine if I said we give immunity to drug companies, we give immunity to tobacco companies. That has caused carnage on our streets. 150 million people have been killed since 2007 when Bernie voted to exempt the gun manufacturers from liability,” Biden said.
Considering the U.S. population is about 328.2 million, Biden’s statistic is wildly inaccurate. The Biden campaign told the Washington Examiner, “He meant 150,000. He’s used [this] line multiple times before.”
Biden doubled down on gun control issues in this South Carolina debate, touting his work with the 1994 crime bill as well as the Brady Law, which imposes a waiting period before a licensed person can sell a handgun to an unlicensed person. Sanders voted against this bill, and Biden attacked him over his supposed inability to hold gun manufacturers accountable.
