No, Joe Biden didn’t say America is dead

Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden returned to Iowa on Oct. 30 and made a final pitch to voters in Des Moines, saying he would be a president to all Americans, even those who don’t support him. 

"Please keep your sense of empowerment," he said, urging Iowans to vote. "Keep your sense of optimism of what we can do together, because you know we can do anything." 

Then he pivoted to the coronavirus and how many people COVID-19 has killed. Acccording to a conservative blog, he said: "America is dead."

"Joe Biden actually told his audience today in Iowa that ‘America is dead’ because of COVID-19," the Oct. 30 post said. 

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If you listen carefully to Biden’s comments in context, what he actually says is "Americans dead."

At the 4:38 mark of this recording of Biden’s speech posted by C-SPAN, he says: "More than 200 and now I think it’s up to 30,000 people have died, Americans dead because COVID-19 — nearly 1,700 dead right here in Iowa. Iowa hit a record number of daily cases yesterday. It was over 2,300, and a record number of hospitalizations, more than 600."

Biden continued to talk about how the coronavirus has affected the country and he criticized how President Donald Trump has handled the pandemic, saying he has "waved the white flag" and "surrendered to this virus." 

"But the American people don’t give up," Biden said, adding later that "we don’t cower. Nor do I and never will. Unlike Donald Trump, we will not surrender to this virus."

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