Trump Cites Five Inaccurate Statistics During Single Event

In a series of statements at a White House event announcing reduced prices for certain fertility medications, President Donald Trump presented multiple claims containing significant factual inaccuracies, continuing a pattern of using misleading statistics when discussing his administration’s accomplishments.

During Thursday’s announcement of a new direct-to-consumer platform for fertility drugs, the President made several assertions that don’t withstand scrutiny. Most notably, Trump claimed prescription drug prices are falling by “400%, 200%, 600%, numbers that nobody’s ever seen before,” later adding figures as high as 800%. These reductions are mathematically impossible – a 100% price cut would mean drugs cost nothing, while Trump’s cited percentages would require companies to pay consumers to take medications.

The reality was illustrated at the same event by Dr. Mehmet Oz, Trump’s administrator for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, who noted one fertility drug’s price dropping from $242 to $10. While Dr. Oz stated they “can’t even calculate” the percentage reduction, it represents a 95.9% decrease – substantial, but nowhere near the impossible figures claimed by the President.

Trump also doubled down on his assertion that he has secured “over $17 trillion” in investment in the United States this year alone, calling it “one of the great numbers that I’ve ever heard.” This figure dramatically contradicts the White House’s own published figure of $8.8 trillion in “major investment announcements” for his entire term. A CNN review found even the lower figure substantially overstates actual investments by counting vague pledges, bilateral trade agreements, and non-binding statements.

The President continued with another familiar claim, stating “I ended eight of them” when discussing wars. While the administration has played a role in resolving some conflicts, including the recent Gaza ceasefire, this figure counts disputes that weren’t actual wars. The list includes an unresolved diplomatic disagreement between Egypt and Ethiopia over a dam project, a claimed prevention of conflict between Serbia and Kosovo, and a situation involving the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda where fighting continues despite a peace agreement.

In discussing the ongoing government shutdown, Trump claimed Democrats “want to spend $1.5 trillion on illegal immigrants.” This mischaracterizes Democratic proposals. The Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget estimated Democratic spending plans would add $1.5 trillion to the debt over ten years, but this isn’t specifically targeted at undocumented immigrants, who remain ineligible for federal Medicaid coverage and Obamacare subsidies.

The President also made inaccurate claims about autism prevalence, stating it was “1 in 20,000” just “20 years ago or so.” CDC data shows the known prevalence of autism among children was actually between 1 in 125 and 1 in 110 two decades ago. The significant increase in diagnosed cases over time is largely attributed by experts to improved awareness and diagnostic practices rather than a massive spike in actual incidence.

These misstatements occurred during what should have been a focused announcement on reduced fertility drug prices through a new consumer platform, potentially overshadowing the policy news with controversy over the accuracy of presidential claims.

The pattern of using exaggerated or impossible figures has become a hallmark of Trump’s communication style, creating challenges for media, health professionals, and citizens attempting to understand the actual impact of administration policies and economic developments.

The White House did not provide clarification on the discrepancies between the President’s statements and officially published data when asked for comment on the investment figures.