{"id":17796,"date":"2026-02-24T04:31:52","date_gmt":"2026-02-24T12:31:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/worldcampaign.net\/?p=17796"},"modified":"2026-02-25T04:38:37","modified_gmt":"2026-02-25T12:38:37","slug":"fact-checking-trumps-2026-state-of-the-union-address-nbc-news","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/worldcampaign.net\/?p=17796","title":{"rendered":"“Fact-checking Trump’s 2026 State of the Union address”, NBC News"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Back to News<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Trump made a series of exaggerated and false claims as he touted his administration’s work on the economy, crime, immigration and more.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Feb. 24, 2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

By\u00a0Jane C. Timm<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0Adam Edelman<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

President Donald Trump delivered the longest\u00a0State of the Union address<\/a>\u00a0in history Tuesday night, touting his administration’s economic policies and immigration enforcement while condemning Democrats and the previous administration.\"NBC<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Trump also made a series of exaggerated, misleading and false claims throughout the evening about topics ranging from the economy to crime to elections. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here’s what the president got right \u2014 and wrong \u2014 in his address.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Did Trump lift millions off food stamps?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe have lifted 2.4 million Americans \u2014 a record \u2014 off of food stamps,” Trump said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Verdict<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

This needs context.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Analysis<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Nearly 42 million Americans rely on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, informally known as food stamps.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Around 2.4 million people are expected to lose eligibility for the program<\/a> because of new work requirements passed in Trump\u2019s One Big Beautiful Bill, according to the Center on Budget Policy and Priorities, a nonpartisan think tank.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But the timeline for making sure that people meet those requirements varies by state, so some of the cuts haven\u2019t happened yet. And there is no proposed federal program to supplement the loss of food assistance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Under the new work requirements, adults ages 55 to 64 and parents whose youngest children are at least 14 years old must document 80 hours per month of work, education or volunteering to maintain SNAP benefits. Without such documentation, they are eligible for food stamps for only three months within a three-year period. The law also gets rid of exemptions for veterans and people experiencing homelessness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Did the ‘Warrior Dividend’ money come from tariffs?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

\u201cEvery service member recently received a Warrior Dividend of $1,776. They put it on my desk. We got the money from tariffs and other things. A lot of money we have,” Trump said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Verdict<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The claim that \u201cWarrior Dividend\u201d payments came from tariffs is false.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Analysis<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The Defense Department said in a release in December that the money to pay 1.28 million active-duty service members and 174,000 reserve members $1,776 each came from a supplemental housing fund that Congress appropriated as part of Trump\u2019s massive domestic spending bill last summer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The funds were delivered to recipients \u201cas a nontaxable supplement to their regular monthly housing allowance,\u201d the internal Pentagon News Service reported in December<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As part of the announcement, Jules W. Hurst III, the acting comptroller for the Defense Department, said at the time, \u201cWe are grateful to President Trump, Chairman [Roger] Wicker, Chairman [Mike] Rogers and the other members of Congress who have made this Warrior Dividend possible through the One Big Beautiful Bill Act.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Trump says there\u2019s almost \u2018no crime anymore\u2019 in D.C.<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe have almost no crime anymore in Washington, D.C. How did that happen? In fact, crime in Washington is now at the lowest level ever recorded, and murders in D.C. this January were down close to 100% from a year ago,” Trump said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Verdict<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

This is exaggerated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Analysis<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Crime in Washington has fallen in all but one category in 2026 so far, according to data published by the Metropolitan Police Department. <\/a>(Assault with a dangerous weapon is the only category that has increased in 2026.) That data also showed declines in 2025 from 2024 in all violent crime and property crime categories.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But it isn\u2019t accurate to say there is \u201calmost no crime\u201d in Washington.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since Jan. 1, there have been nine homicides, 126 assaults with a dangerous weapon and 322 motor vehicle thefts in the city. Year-to-date, homicides are down 67%.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Trump claims other presidents failed to lower drug prices<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI am also ending the wildly inflated cost of prescription drugs. Other presidents tried to do it, but they never could. They didn\u2019t even come close,” Trump said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Verdict<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

This is false.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Analysis<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

In 2022, President Joe Biden signed the Inflation Reduction Act, capping insulin at $35 a month for people on Medicare, placing a $2,000 annual cap on out-of-pocket drug costs for people on Medicare and, for the first time, allowing Medicare to negotiate the prices of some of its most expensive medications. On Jan. 1, the first negotiated prices took effect, including for the blockbuster blood thinner Eliquis and the cancer drug Imbruvica. After the law capped insulin costs for Medicare patients, drugmakers also extended $35 monthly caps to privately insured patients.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

By contrast, Trump has struck voluntary deals with at least 16 drugmakers in exchange for tariff relief. He launched the self-pay platform TrumpRx, which so far offers cash prices on 43 medications. Most of those deals, however, don\u2019t change what people with private insurance or Medicare pay at the pharmacy counter. Medicaid patients already tend to pay little or nothing for prescriptions. And many of the drugs listed on TrumpRx have generic versions that cost less than the advertised prices.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Was inflation at record levels when Trump assumed office?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe Biden administration and its allies in Congress gave us the worst inflation in history of our country. But in 12 months, my administration has driven core inflation down to the lowest level in more than five years, and in the last three months of 2025 it was down to 1.7%,” Trump said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Verdict<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

This is false.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Analysis<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Inflation isn\u2019t typically measured in just three-month periods. The consumer price index, the most cited inflation metric, includes food and energy. While energy prices have been dropping, food prices have been on the rise over the last year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On an annual basis, inflation when Trump took office was 2.9%, which isn\u2019t a record high level.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Inflation fell as low as 2.3% in April before it spiked again after his sweeping worldwide tariffs were introduced.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Recent record inflation was experienced in 2022, when it hit 8.9%. The highest inflation ever experienced happened in the 1980s, when it reached as high as around 14%.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Trump said more Americans are working now than ever before<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMore Americans are working today than at any time in the history of our country,” Trump said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Verdict<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

This is true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Analysis<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The statement is correct, though the labor market\u2019s rate of growth has slowed sharply since Trump took office, and 2025 was the worst year for job creation since 2020<\/a>. Excluding recessions, 2025 was actually the worst year for job creation since 2003.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A total of 584,000 jobs were created last year, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics<\/a>. That\u2019s down significantly from more than 2 million in both 2024 and 2023. In 2022, as the economy bounced back from the pandemic, more than 4.5 million jobs were created. The pace of job creation is also slower than it was in each of the first three years of Trump\u2019s first term.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Did Trump secure $18 trillion in investments in U.S.?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI secured commitments for more than $18 trillion, pouring in from all over the globe,\u201d Trump said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Verdict<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

This is false.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Analysis<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

While a number of companies, such as tech firms, semiconductor companies and pharmaceutical manufacturers, have made public commitments to invest in the U.S., many of those commitments are either only slight increases from previous announcements or in line with previous plans. In addition, the commitments and investments the White House\u00a0touted on its own website<\/a>\u00a0total $9.7 trillion.<\/a><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

FROM THE POLITICS DESK<\/a> <\/a>Recapping Trump’s State of the Union address: From the Politics Desk<\/a><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

A review of the White House list also found the $9.7 trillion figure to be misleading. More than $2.5 trillion of that isn\u2019t investments, Bloomberg Economics found<\/a> in November. About $3.5 trillion of that comes from opaque sovereign pledges, and another $3.5 trillion is corporate investments. Of those corporate investments, $2.9 trillion is planned for data centers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMore than $250 billion of the White House pledges were announced or planned before Trump retook office in January,\u201d Bloomberg Economics researchers also found.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Many of the commitments are also over the long term and are likely to be subject to change. For example, it recently took drugmaker Fujifilm Biotechnologies five years to open one factory<\/a> in North Carolina.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Did Trump eliminate taxes on tips, overtime and Social Security?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe held strong, and with the great Big Beautiful Bill we gave you no tax on tips, no tax on overtime and no tax on Social Security for our great seniors,” Trump said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Verdict<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

This needs context.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Analysis<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s true that Trump cut taxes for seniors and hourly workers with the bill he signed into law last year, but he didn\u2019t eliminate all the taxes he mentioned here. Some workers can now deduct overtime and tips, though there are income caps and maximum deduction limits. While some seniors may pay less in tax thanks to a new deduction,<\/a> Social Security income is still taxed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Trump says the murder rate is the lowest it\u2019s been in 125 years<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

\u201cLast year, the murder rate saw its single largest decline in recorded history. This is the biggest decline, think of it, in recorded history, the lowest number in over 125 years,” Trump said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Verdict<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

This is true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Analysis<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

This is true, according to an analysis of crime data published last month by the Council on Criminal Justice, an independent, nonpartisan group.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The group\u2019s January analysis predicted that<\/a> \u201cwhen nationwide data for jurisdictions of all sizes is reported by the FBI later this year, there is a strong possibility\u201d that the homicide level \u201cwould be the lowest rate ever recorded in law enforcement or public health data going back to 1900, and would mark the largest single-year percentage drop in the homicide rate on record.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, it\u2019s important to note that crime didn\u2019t suddenly begin falling when Trump returned to office in January 2025; it has been declining gradually for years. Several years of national data<\/a> show that crime has consistently been falling in cities and towns across the U.S.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Trump says the One Big Beautiful Bill was the largest tax cut in history<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

\u201cLast year, I urged this Congress to begin the mission by passing the largest tax cut in American history, and our Republican majority delivered so beautifully,” Trump said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Verdict<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

This is false.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Analysis<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Trump is referring in this statement to the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which he signed into law in July. The law cut taxes for many people and businesses while also significantly cutting an array of federal programs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Trump\u2019s claim that the law represents the largest tax cut in American history, however, is false. While the cuts are significant, they are the sixth largest in American history, according to a November analysis published by the nonpartisan Tax Foundation.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Trump says 70,000 new construction jobs have been added<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe have added 70,000 new construction jobs in just a very short period of time,” Trump said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Verdict<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

This is exaggerated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Analysis<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

From January 2025 to January 2026, 44,000 construction jobs were added, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, far fewer than the 70,000 Trump touted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Did Biden allow millions of migrants, including murderers, into the U.S.?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThey poured in by the millions and millions \u2014 from prisons, from mental institutions. There were murders \u2014 11,888 murders. They came into our country. You allowed that to happen,\u201d Trump said in reference to Biden. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Verdict<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

This needs context.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Analysis<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s true that 10 million people entered the U.S. illegally during the Biden administration, but there\u2019s no evidence that millions of migrants were coming from prisons and mental institutions, as Trump claims.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As for the claim about 11,888 murders, more than 13,000 convicted murderers without legal status aren\u2019t in Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody, but that figure can\u2019t be blamed exclusively on Biden. It\u2019s not clear when those migrants arrived in the U.S. \u2014 they could have entered at any point over the last four decades or even earlier, according to the Department of Homeland Security. The 13,000 number also includes noncitizens in state and federal prisons.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Trump claims $19 billion in fraud committed in Minnesota<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhen it comes to the corruption that is plundering, it really is plundering, America, there\u2019s been no more stunning example than Minnesota, where members of the Somali community have pillaged an estimated $19 billion dollars from the American taxpayer. We have all the information, and in actuality, the number is much higher than that,” Trump said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Verdict<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

This lacks evidence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Analysis<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The figure far exceeds estimates from the Justice Department, which has so far charged 98 people in Minnesota, 85 of whom are Somali, with $1 billion of fraud. The House Oversight Committee has estimated the fraud<\/a> \u201ccould exceed $9 billion\u201d as investigations continue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Federal prosecutors, who began investigating the fraud allegations during the Biden administration, have also indicated <\/a>that the total amount of federal taxpayer money that was misused could be as much as about $9 billion. That number stems from a federal prosecutor\u2019s public statement that estimated that half of the $18 billion in federal funds paid out to 14 programs in the state may have been fraudulent<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Trump says egg and beef prices are declining<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe price of eggs is down 60%,” Trump said. “And even beef, which was very high, is starting to come down significantly.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Verdict<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

This needs context.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Analysis<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Egg prices came down over the last year \u2014 dipping around 48% from January 2025 to January 2026, according to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Meanwhile, beef prices keep hitting all-time highs \u2014 with ground beef reaching a fresh record at $6.75 per pound last month, up nearly 22% from the year before, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Has Trump ended 8 wars?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI ended eight wars,” Trump said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Verdict<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

This is exaggerated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Analysis<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

There is no consensus about how many wars or potential wars Trump has ended. And where peace has prevailed, Trump\u2019s impact as a mediator is up for debate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Trump has claimed credit for ending conflicts between Israel and Iran, Egypt and Ethiopia, Thailand and Cambodia, Serbia and Kosovo, Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo, Armenia and Azerbaijan, and India and Pakistan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In some cases, fighting has resumed<\/a> after declarations of peace or ceasefires, including between Thailand and Cambodia <\/a>and Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo<\/a>. And in other cases, there was no shooting war in the first place, as with Egypt and Ethiopia, but Trump\u2019s envoys sought to defuse tensions that could trigger a conflict over a dam project.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Trump has claimed that in his first term, a U.S.-brokered economic <\/a>secured peace between Serbia and Kosovo. The two sides haven\u2019t been in a shooting war since the 1990s, but deep political tensions persist, despite the deal agreed upon during Trump\u2019s first term.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some of the countries\u2019 leaders have said Trump helped end the fighting, including between Israel and Iran, Thailand and Cambodia, Armenia and Azerbaijan, and Pakistan and India. Pakistan has described Trump<\/a> as having played an instrumental role in ending a war with India. But India\u2019s government has denied<\/a> that the U.S. played a role in negotiating the ceasefire, saying the fighting ended as a result of direct talks between the two countries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Israel and regional experts have credited Trump with helping end a 12-day war between Israel and Iran after he ordered airstrikes against Iran\u2019s nuclear sites. Trump is now threatening another U.S. air attack on Iran depending on the outcome of diplomatic talks with Iranian officials Thursday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even some of Trump\u2019s critics have praised his role<\/a> in helping broker a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip, though the ceasefire remains fragile.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Will the SAVE America Act get rid of mail voting?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019m asking you to approve the SAVE America Act,” Trump said. “It\u2019s very simple. All voters must show voter ID. All voters must show proof of citizenship. No more crooked mail-in ballots, except for illness, disability, military or travel.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Verdict<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Trump\u2019s comments about mail-in ballots are false.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Analysis<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The SAVE America Act, which was approved by the House but has not passed the Senate, proposes adding significant new proof of citizenship and voter ID requirements, but it wouldn\u2019t eliminate mail voting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Trump claims cheating in elections is \u2018rampant\u2019<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

\u201cCheating is rampant in our elections. It\u2019s rampant,” Trump said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Verdict<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

This is false.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Analysis<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

There is no evidence of widespread fraud in American elections. The conservative Heritage Foundation has collected\u00a0only dozens of cases<\/a>of fraud in key swing states amid tens of millions of ballots cast over decades.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/a>Jane C. Timm<\/a><\/a><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jane C. Timm is a senior reporter for NBC News.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/a>Adam Edelman<\/a><\/a><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Adam Edelman is a politics reporter for NBC News. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Aria Bendix , Dan De Luce, Kayla Steinberg, Julia Ainsley, Berkeley Lovelace Jr. , Steve Kopack and Christina Wilkie contributed.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Back to News Trump made a series of exaggerated and false claims as he touted his administration’s work on the economy, crime, immigration and more. Feb. 24, 2026 By\u00a0Jane C. Timm\u00a0and\u00a0Adam Edelman President Donald Trump delivered the longest\u00a0State of the Union address\u00a0in history Tuesday night, touting his administration’s economic policies and immigration enforcement while condemning […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1001004,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[53],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/worldcampaign.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17796"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/worldcampaign.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/worldcampaign.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/worldcampaign.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1001004"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/worldcampaign.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=17796"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/worldcampaign.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17796\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":17798,"href":"https:\/\/worldcampaign.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17796\/revisions\/17798"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/worldcampaign.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=17796"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/worldcampaign.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=17796"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/worldcampaign.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=17796"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}