![]()
As good a fact checking list as I've found this morning. They're all pretty much the same. These people have some experience in such things I believe.
Summary
In the first State of the Union address of his second term, President Donald Trump proclaimed that “our nation is back, bigger, better, richer and stronger than ever before.”
“What a difference a president makes,” Trump said. “A short time ago, we were a dead country. Now we are the hottest country anywhere in the world.”
But our review of his speech found that he distorted a number of facts about the state of the economy, health care, immigration and other topics.
• Trump falsely claimed that he inherited “a stagnant economy” with “inflation at record levels.” Annual growth in real GDP was 2.5% or higher each year under former President Joe Biden, and the annual inflation rate was down to 3% from its peak of 9.1% peak when Trump took office.
• The president went on to claim that the economy “is roaring like never before,” but real GDP growth in 2025 was down to 2.2%, according to a federal estimate. Also, the unemployment rate has increased slightly under Trump.
• He misleadingly claimed that prices are “plummeting downward” because of his policies. The annual rate of inflation has declined, but prices overall are still increasing.
• Trump’s claim that “more Americans are working today than at any time in the history of our country,” while accurate, doesn’t account for population growth. Job growth slowed a bit last year.
• The president misleadingly claimed that Americans “will now pay the lowest price anywhere in the world for drugs.” The administration’s negotiations with drug companies may have lowered prices for some specific drugs in certain situations, but there is no evidence of a widespread decline in prices.
• He repeated his exaggerated claim that, “In 12 months, I secured commitments for more than $18 trillion pouring in from all over the globe.”
• Trump made the unsupported claim that “the flow of deadly fentanyl across our border is down by a record 56% in one year.”
• The president continued to exaggerate the decline in gasoline prices, saying they are “now below $2.36 a gallon in most states.” In no state was the average that low. And the nationwide average is $2.94.
• Trump continued to make his inflated claim about ending “eight wars.”
He claimed to have presided over a “tremendous renewal” of religion in America, but recent polling has found the opposite.
• Trump claimed that $1,776 “warrior dividend” bonus checks paid to military personnel came from tariff revenue, but it was actually a reallocation of funds initially earmarked for an increased housing allowance.
• The president repeated his unsupported claim that many immigrants came from “prisons” and “mental institutions,” and he wrongly claimed that the Biden administration allowed in “11,888 murderers.”
• Trump boasted about stock market gains since his election, but the gains were less than each of the last two years under Biden.
• He exaggerated when he said his signature legislation eliminated tax on tips, overtime and Social Security benefits for seniors. The tax breaks are substantial but do not apply to all individuals.
• As he has for years, Trump insisted, without evidence, that “cheating is rampant in our elections.” And he claimed legislation was needed “to stop illegal aliens” from voting, though evidence suggests that’s rare.
• Trump claimed that the federal budget could be balanced “if we’re able to find enough of that fraud.” The most recent budget deficit was $1.8 trillion, more than three times higher than the highest federal estimate of government money lost annually to fraud.
• Trump claimed that he inherited “rampant crime at home” and later boasted that “last year, the murder rate saw its single largest decline in recorded history.” Crime and murder was down last year, continuing a trend that began in 2022.
• Trump made the dubious claim that his increased tariffs would one day replace income taxes, something many economists say doesn’t add up.
• Trump claimed that the U.S. “obliterated Iran’s nuclear weapons program” last year. Experts have said the program was damaged but not destroyed, and Trump is now considering military action over Iran’s nuclear program.
• Trump said Republicans would “always protect” Medicaid. The One Big Beautiful Bill Act’s changes to the program reduce spending by more than $900 billion and are estimated to result in 7.5 million fewer people with health insurance.
• Trump said “American oil production is up by more than 600,000 barrels a day,” when crude oil production increased by 334,600 barrels per day in his first full 10 months in office.
• He also claimed that U.S. natural gas production increased to “an all-time high” because he “kept” his “promise to drill, baby, drill.” Production of natural gas was already at record levels before he took office.
Trump’s Feb. 24 address was longer than any prior SOTU, clocking in at over 1 hour and 47 minutes, as measured by the American Presidency Project at the University of California, Santa Barbara.
(I just saw a meme with just a picture of Melania sitting there with her signature frown. The caption was about how Trump made his speech so long to pay Melania back for making him sit through her movie.)
(0.0) 
(0.0 from 0 votes)
