In a recent address to Congress, President Donald Trump shared his thoughts about the U.S. economy and the current state of the nation under Joe Biden. He covered several familiar issues, including immigration and government spending. Let’s take a closer look at some of his claims and the facts behind them.
Did Trump inherit an economic disaster?
Trump suggested he inherited an “economic catastrophe” from Biden. However, this claim isn’t entirely accurate. According to the latest data, the economy was growing at an annual rate of 2.3% in late 2024 and had an overall growth rate of 2.8% for the entire year. The International Monetary Fund reported that the U.S. had one of the fastest growth rates among G7 countries during that period.
Regarding inflation, Trump stated we faced the “worst inflation in 48 years.” While inflation did reach a high of 9.1% in mid-2022, it wasn’t the worst in all of history. Previous decades, particularly the 1940s and 1920s, saw inflation rates exceeding that level.
Did Biden cause egg prices to soar?
Trump also criticized Biden for rising egg prices. While prices have indeed climbed, this surge is mainly due to a bird flu outbreak affecting millions of chickens in the U.S. Egg prices increased significantly in early 2023, reaching over $5 for a dozen eggs, a 53% increase since the previous year. The Biden administration has announced plans and allocated funds to address the bird flu issue, which started in 2022.
Did the Department of Government Efficiency uncover massive fraud?
Trump praised the Department of Government Efficiency (Doge) and claimed they identified “hundreds of billions of dollars of fraud” in federal spending. However, there is no solid evidence to support this claim. Doge reports savings of approximately $105 billion from various sources, but independent verification of these figures has shown discrepancies. For instance, they initially reported an $8 billion saving from a canceled immigration contract but later corrected that to $8 million.
Was February the month with the lowest border crossings?
When discussing immigration, Trump claimed that February saw the lowest number of illegal border crossings ever recorded. This statement is true; there were just 8,326 encounters at the southwest border in February 2025, a stark contrast to about 140,000 encounters in February 2024.
How many migrants entered the U.S. under Biden?
Trump’s claim that “21 million people poured into the United States” over four years is exaggerated. While encounters at the border reached 10 million under Biden, this number does not correlate directly to the number of people who stayed in the country. Estimates suggest that the actual number of undocumented immigrants is likely about half of Trump’s claim.
Has the U.S. spent $350 billion on Ukraine?
Finally, Trump mentioned that the U.S. had spent around $350 billion on aid to Ukraine, contrasting it with Europe’s spending. This figure does not hold up against available data. Currently, the U.S. is the largest individual donor to Ukraine but does not approach the $350 billion figure. In fact, some estimates suggest Europe has contributed more overall when considering various forms of aid.
As we analyze Trump’s claims, it’s clear that many of them lack solid backing or are exaggerated. Understanding the facts helps clarify the realities behind political statements.
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