Trump Twists Facts in Inaugural Address, Makes False Claims About Biden Era

In a measured 30-minute inaugural address, newly sworn-in President Donald Trump painted a stark picture of decline under his predecessor Joe Biden while promising Americans “the golden age of America begins right now.” Throughout his speech and subsequent remarks to supporters in Emancipation Hall, Trump made numerous claims that ranged from misleading to demonstrably false.

Trump told supporters he would “tariff and tax foreign countries to enrich our citizens,” but this mischaracterizes how tariffs actually work. In reality, tariffs are paid by U.S. importers—not foreign nations—with costs typically passed on to American consumers through higher prices.

The president falsely stated that the U.S. experienced “record inflation” under the Biden administration. While inflation did reach 9.1% at its peak in June 2022, this was far from historic highs. The largest 12-month increase in the Consumer Price Index occurred from June 1919 to June 1920, when prices rose 23.7%, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics data. Under Biden, the CPI increased by 21% over four years—significantly less than the 47.2% rise during Jimmy Carter’s single term.

In discussing the Panama Canal, Trump dramatically inflated the number of American lives lost during its construction, claiming 38,000 deaths when historical records indicate about 7,600 total deaths, with fewer than 1,000 being Americans. He also incorrectly stated that “China is operating the Panama Canal.” While a Hong Kong-based company manages ports at either ends of the waterway, Panama continues to operate the canal itself.

Addressing disaster response, Trump misleadingly suggested federal agencies had failed to deliver basic services following Hurricane Helene. This claim ignores FEMA’s substantial response, which included deploying over 1,000 staff to North Carolina alone, distributing 17 million meals and 14 million liters of water, and providing more than $344 million in disaster assistance within two weeks of the storm.

On energy policy, Trump claimed the U.S. possesses “the largest amount of oil and gas of any country on Earth,” but several nations rank above America in estimated reserves. Energy experts at the Brookings Institution note the U.S. typically ranks between ninth and eleventh globally in crude oil reserves, though it leads in production. Under Biden, U.S. crude production reached a record 13.2 million barrels per day in 2024.

Trump blamed inflation on “massive overspending and escalating energy prices,” oversimplifying complex economic factors. While Biden’s American Rescue Plan contributed to inflation, economists widely agree the pandemic itself was the primary driver through economic shutdowns, supply shortages, and increased consumer spending. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and resulting sanctions on Russian oil further exacerbated price pressures.

The president pledged to “revoke the electric vehicle mandate,” but no such mandate exists. The Biden administration’s regulations, beginning with 2027 model year vehicles, set emissions standards but allow manufacturers to decide how to comply. They don’t force consumers to buy electric vehicles.

Despite promising to “bring law and order back to our cities,” Trump overlooked that violent crime has decreased since he left office. FBI data shows violent crimes declined 4.3% from 2020 to 2023, while murders decreased 14.5%. In most major cities, this downward trend continued through September 2024.

In his post-address remarks, Trump repeated several debunked claims, including that countries are emptying prisons and mental institutions and sending those people to the United States. Border security experts have repeatedly dismissed this claim, noting no evidence supports such allegations. CBP data shows criminal non-citizens represented just over 1% of total border apprehensions in fiscal year 2024.

Trump also continued insisting the 2020 election was “totally rigged,” despite numerous courts, election officials, and his own former Attorney General William Barr finding no evidence of widespread fraud.

Additionally, Trump falsely claimed the House January 6th committee “destroyed all the evidence” from its investigation. In reality, the committee published an 850-page report with extensive documentation, including more than 140 publicly released transcripts and prepared over a million records for archiving.

He also repeated his false assertion that he offered Nancy Pelosi 10,000 National Guard troops before the January 6th Capitol attack—a claim contradicted by former Acting Defense Secretary Christopher Miller, who confirmed there was “no direct order from the president” for such deployment.

As Trump begins his second term, these inaugural statements establish a pattern of continuing many of the same false narratives that defined his campaign and first administration.