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Biden camp cleans up after candidate understates cost of his higher ed plan by nearly $150 billion

"After our interview, Mr. Biden's staff told us he misspoke, and that the cost of free public college could be twice as much as he said," "60 Minutes" correspondent Norah O'Donnell said in a voice-over after Biden's interview aired. The Democratic presidential nominee said his higher-ed plan would cost about $150 billion.

Published: October 26, 2020 11:35am

Updated: October 26, 2020 4:22pm

The Biden campaign is cleaning up a mistake the candidate made Sunday night in a CBS News "60 Minutes" interview about the government needing just $150 billion to provide students across the country with a four-year college education, saying the amount would likely be double that number. 

"I can send every single qualified person to a four-year college in their state for $150 billion," Biden said. "I can make sure every single person who qualifies for community college can go and we still have a lotta money left over. That's what I mean by significant institutional changes."

Biden's institutional changes would include a 15% minimum tax on corporations. The former vice president also claims such a corporate tax hike would raise over $400 billion. 

After the interview, Biden campaign staff told show host Norah O'Donnell that he misspoke.

"After our interview, Mr. Biden's staff told us he misspoke, and that the cost of free public college could be twice as much as he said," O'Donnell said in a voice-over after Biden's interview aired.

This comes shortly after an episode over the weekend in which Biden twice referred to his 2020 opponent as "George," in an apparent mistaken reference to former president George W. Bush.  

"Four more years of George, ah, George ... gonna find ourselves in a position where if Trump gets elected we're going to be in a different world," he said in a virtual campaign appearance.

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