Fact Check: "Trump is a liar"
What We Know
The claim that "Trump is a liar" can be evaluated through various statements made by Donald Trump during his recent address to Congress. In this speech, Trump made several assertions regarding the state of the U.S. economy, immigration, and government spending that have been fact-checked by multiple sources.
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Economic Claims: Trump stated he inherited an "economic catastrophe" from Biden, which is misleading. The U.S. economy was actually growing at an annual rate of 2.3% in the final quarter of 2024, and expanded by 2.8% for the entire year, according to official statistics from the International Monetary Fund (BBC).
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Inflation: Trump claimed that the U.S. suffered the worst inflation in 48 years. While inflation did peak at 9.1% in June 2022, this was not the highest in U.S. history, as inflation rates were higher during other periods, such as the 1940s and 1920s (BBC).
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Egg Prices: He blamed Biden for rising egg prices, claiming they were "out of control." However, this increase was largely due to a bird flu outbreak that led to significant chicken culling, a fact acknowledged by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (BBC).
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Fraud Claims: Trump asserted that the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) found "hundreds of billions of dollars of fraud." However, the DOGE has only reported savings of approximately $105 billion, and the evidence for the larger claim remains unverified (BBC).
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Border Crossings: Trump claimed that illegal border crossings were at their lowest ever recorded. This statement is accurate, as February 2025 saw the lowest encounters since records began in 2000 (NPR).
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Migrant Statistics: Trump claimed that 21 million migrants entered the U.S. under Biden. This figure is exaggerated; estimates suggest that about 10 million encounters occurred, but many did not stay in the U.S. (BBC).
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Aid to Ukraine: Trump claimed that the U.S. spent "perhaps $350 billion" on Ukraine, which is not substantiated by available data. The actual figure is significantly lower, with estimates around $119.7 billion (BBC).
Analysis
The evidence presented indicates that while some of Trump's statements are based on factual data, many are misleading or exaggerated. For instance, his claim about inheriting an economic catastrophe is contradicted by economic growth statistics, which show a stable economy at the time of his taking office (BBC).
Furthermore, his assertions regarding inflation and egg prices lack context, as they do not account for external factors like the global pandemic and agricultural issues. The claim about DOGE's savings is particularly problematic, as it lacks independent verification and relies on unsubstantiated figures (BBC).
On the other hand, his statement about the lowest border crossings is accurate, demonstrating that not all claims made by Trump are false. This highlights a pattern where Trump mixes factual statements with misleading information, which can lead to the perception of dishonesty.
Conclusion
The verdict is Partially True. While some of Trump's claims are indeed false or misleading, others are based on accurate data. The overall impression is that Trump often presents information in a way that skews the truth, leading to the conclusion that he is not entirely truthful in his statements.
