Fact-Checking Trump's Speech to Congress – What’s True and What’s Not
Donald Trump’s latest speech to Congress has stirred up quite the conversation, with bold claims about the economy, immigration, and government spending. While his speech was packed with confidence and conviction, fact-checking reveals that not everything he said holds up under scrutiny. Let’s break it down.
Trump opened by stating that he inherited an “economic catastrophe” from Joe Biden. But was the economy really in shambles? The truth is, the U.S. economy was growing at a rate of 2.3% in the last quarter of 2024 and expanded by 2.8% for the year—hardly a catastrophe. In fact, the International Monetary Fund reported that the U.S. had the fastest growth rate among G7 nations in 2024. Inflation did peak at 9.1% in June 2022, the highest since 1981, but by the time Trump took office, it had dropped to 3%. So while prices were a real concern, his claim that it was the “worst inflation in history” is an exaggeration.
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Another eye-catching statement was about egg prices. Trump blamed Biden for “letting egg prices get out of control.” Yes, egg prices did rise significantly, even hitting over $5 a dozen in early 2024. But the real culprit? A bird flu outbreak that forced U.S. farmers to kill millions of chickens. The Biden administration had already allocated over $800 million to tackle this crisis before Trump took office.
One of Trump's most ambitious claims was about government fraud. He praised the Department of Government Efficiency (Doge), led by Elon Musk, for uncovering “hundreds of billions of dollars in fraud.” However, Doge itself only reports an estimated $105 billion in savings, and independently verified figures only account for about $18.6 billion. Some of Doge’s accounting errors have also raised questions, including a miscalculated $8 billion saving that was later corrected to just $8 million.
When it came to illegal immigration, Trump boasted that illegal border crossings were at their lowest recorded levels. This one is actually true—February 2025 saw the lowest numbers since records began in 2000. However, his claim that 21 million migrants entered the U.S. under Biden lacks solid evidence. The actual number of migrant encounters at the border during Biden’s presidency was around 10 million, and not all of them stayed in the U.S.
Then there’s the issue of U.S. aid to Ukraine. Trump claimed the U.S. had spent “perhaps $350 billion,” while Europe had only contributed $100 billion. In reality, the Kiel Institute reports that between 2022 and the end of 2024, the U.S. spent about $119.7 billion, while Europe collectively spent $138.7 billion. Even the highest official U.S. estimate from the Department of Defense puts the figure at $182.8 billion—far below Trump’s stated amount.
So, what’s the takeaway? Trump’s speech was powerful, but not all of his statements were grounded in fact. While some points had elements of truth, others were misleading or exaggerated. As always, fact-checking is key to understanding the bigger picture.
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