Fact-Checking Trump’s State of the Union Address Reveals Multiple Inaccuracies

In his first State of the Union address since returning to office, President Donald Trump painted a rosy picture of America’s progress under his leadership, declaring that “our nation is back, bigger, better, richer and stronger than ever before.” However, a detailed examination of his claims reveals numerous inaccuracies and exaggerations across economic data, immigration statistics, and policy outcomes.

“What a difference a president makes,” Trump told Congress during his nearly two-hour address, the longest State of the Union in history. “A short time ago, we were a dead country. Now we are the hottest country anywhere in the world.”

Contrary to Trump’s assertion that he inherited “a stagnant economy” with “inflation at record levels,” economic data shows the U.S. economy under President Biden was far from stagnant. Real GDP grew at an annual rate of 6.2% in 2021, 2.5% in 2022, 2.9% in 2023, and 2.8% in 2024. The unemployment rate under Biden decreased from 6.4% at his inauguration to 4% when he left office.

Inflation, which Trump characterized as being at “record levels” when he took office, actually stood at 3% – significantly below the 9.1% peak seen under Biden in June 2022, and nowhere near historical highs such as the 23.7% recorded in 1920.

Trump’s claim that the economy is now “roaring like never before” also contradicts economic indicators. Under his current administration, real GDP growth has slowed to an annual rate of 2.2%, while unemployment has ticked up to 4.3% as of January.

The president’s assertion that prices are “plummeting downward” mischaracterizes reality. While inflation has moderated to 2.4%, prices are still increasing, albeit at a slower rate. The Consumer Price Index for at-home food products rose 2.2% year-over-year as of January, despite Trump’s claims about declining food prices.

On employment, Trump accurately stated that “more Americans are working today than at any time in the history of our country.” However, this statistic loses significance when accounting for population growth. Job growth has actually slowed under Trump, with a gain of 359,000 jobs (0.2%) between January 2025 and January 2026, compared to 1.2 million jobs (0.8%) during Biden’s final year.

Trump made particularly misleading claims about prescription drug prices, stating Americans “will now pay the lowest price anywhere in the world for drugs.” While his administration has negotiated deals with 16 drug companies for discounted cash prices on select medications, experts note these arrangements have limited impact. The TrumpRx program currently lists just 43 brand-name drugs, many of which are available as less expensive generics elsewhere.

The president’s claim of securing “$18 trillion pouring in from all over the globe” in investment commitments remains unsubstantiated. The White House’s own tally lists $9.6 trillion, with minimal details and including investments that were planned before Trump took office.

On fentanyl trafficking, Trump asserted “the flow of deadly fentanyl across our border is down by a record 56% in one year.” Experts note it’s impossible to know the total flow of illicit drugs into the country, making this claim impossible to verify.

Trump’s statements about gasoline prices were demonstrably false. He claimed gas is “now below $2.36 a gallon in most states,” but AAA data shows no states with average prices that low. The nationwide average was $2.94 per gallon when he spoke.

The president’s boast about ending “eight wars” exaggerates his diplomatic achievements, counting conflicts that weren’t actually wars and some disputes that haven’t fully ended. Similarly, his claim of presiding over a “tremendous renewal” of religion contradicts Gallup polling showing a 17 percentage point decline in Americans reporting religion as important in their daily lives since 2015.

Trump repeated unsupported claims about immigrants from “prisons” and “mental institutions,” and falsely stated the Biden administration allowed in “11,888 murderers.” These figures refer to noncitizens on ICE’s non-detained docket, most of whom entered the country before Biden took office.

The president’s assertions about voter fraud also lack evidence. Despite his claim that “cheating is rampant in our elections,” investigations consistently find minimal cases of noncitizen voting. When several counties investigated voter rolls flagged for potential noncitizens, only a fraction were confirmed as such, and there was little indication that those improperly registered had actually voted.

As Trump begins his second year back in office, his State of the Union address demonstrated a pattern of misrepresenting data, taking credit for trends that began before his term, and making claims that don’t withstand factual scrutiny.