Fact-Checking President Trump’s State of the Union Address

President Donald Trump delivered his State of the Union address on Tuesday, making numerous claims about his administration’s accomplishments and policies. A detailed analysis reveals that several of these statements contained inaccuracies or lacked important context.

In his address, Trump claimed to have secured $18 trillion in investments flowing into the United States. However, this figure significantly exceeds even the White House’s own published data, which lists “major investment announcements” at $9.7 trillion. A CNN investigation found that even this lower figure includes vague investment pledges, bilateral trade arrangements, and ambiguous statements that don’t constitute firm investment commitments to the United States.

The President also made misleading statements about gas prices, claiming they are “now below $2.30 a gallon in most states, and in some places, $1.99 a gallon.” According to AAA data from the day of his speech, no state had an average gas price below $2.37 per gallon, and only two states had averages below $2.50. GasBuddy’s tracking found just four stations nationwide selling gas below $2 per gallon, representing about 0.00003% of the country’s 150,000 gas stations.

Trump’s characterization of inheriting “inflation at record levels” from the Biden administration is contradicted by official statistics. The year-over-year inflation rate in Biden’s last full month was 2.9%, with the most recent rate at 2.4%. While inflation did reach a 40-year high of 9.1% in June 2022 under Biden, this was far below the all-time high of 23.7% set in 1920. Moreover, inflation had already fallen substantially by the time Trump took office.

The economic claims continued with Trump’s assertion that he inherited a “stagnant economy” that is now “roaring like never before.” Economic data doesn’t support this dramatic contrast. The US economy grew 2.2% in 2025, lower than in any year of the Biden presidency, which saw 2.8% growth in 2024. The unemployment rate actually increased from 4.0% in January 2025 to 4.3% in January 2026.

Regarding the “Big, Beautiful Bill” tax package, Trump claimed it contained the largest tax cuts in American history. According to the Congressional Budget Office, the package amounts to $4.8 trillion, or 1.3% of GDP, over a decade. The Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget ranks it as the seventh-largest tax cut as a share of GDP since 1918, well behind Ronald Reagan’s 1981 tax package, which cost 2.9% of GDP.

On immigration, Trump repeated his claim that the Biden administration allowed “11,888 murderers” to enter the country. This misrepresents federal data that refers to non-citizens who entered the US over many decades, including during Trump’s first term. Many are serving prison sentences rather than “roaming free” as Trump suggested.

The President’s assertion that tariffs are “paid for by foreign countries” contradicts economic reality. Tariff payments are made by US importers, who often pass these costs to consumers. The Federal Reserve Bank of New York found that “nearly 90 percent of the tariffs’ economic burden fell on U.S. firms and consumers,” while the Congressional Budget Office determined that 95% of the cost is borne domestically.

During his discussion of election integrity, Trump made unsubstantiated claims about widespread cheating in US elections, despite overwhelming evidence showing fraud represents a minuscule percentage of votes cast. Similar unfounded statements were made about mail-in ballots.

The President’s claim to have “ended eight wars” in his first ten months inflates his diplomatic achievements. Several conflicts on his list weren’t actual wars, including a diplomatic dispute between Egypt and Ethiopia over a dam project. Others, like the conflict in Gaza, continue at reduced levels rather than having been fully resolved.

While the State of the Union provided Trump an opportunity to highlight his administration’s achievements, the factual record shows many of his claims either lacked context or contradicted available evidence.