Donald Trump‘s State of the Union address was fraught with several controversial statements and speculative claims. In the past, critics have accused the president of making lofty claims and spreading misinformation. More often than not, his remarks have been challenged by experts and opposition leaders.
On Tuesday, February 24, Trump made some big claims during his State of the Union address, and at least five of them need fact-checking. The president said that his tariffs have raised “hundreds of billions” of dollars. This statement is true, given in 2025, since the tariffs were imposed, the United States collected $287 billion in tariffs, customs duties and related taxes.
However, he also said that foreign countries are the ones paying the tariffs. This appears exaggerated as the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) announced otherwise. Earlier this month, it was said that foreign nations are paying only about five percent of the tariffs, while Americans are paying the remaining 95 percent.
Host: Trump described the economy as roaring. That is an exaggeration. He said inflation was plummeting. That is also an exaggeration. January’s inflation rate is 2.4%, the tariffs continue to drive the costs up. 95% of the tariffs collected by the US are being paid by Americans pic.twitter.com/oInZ3gARjz
— Headquarters (@HQNewsNow) February 25, 2026
His most questionable claim was that about inflation, which he said “is plummeting.” Not just at the State of the Union – Trump had claimed on many occasions in the past that the inflation was in a worse condition during the Biden-era administration.
However, as of January, the inflation rate dropped to 2.4 percent as compared to 8 percent in 2022. The current rate is also higher than the 2 percent target set by the Federal Reserve.
The rising living costs can easily be proven through the surging food costs, which stand at 2.9 percent. Meanwhile, natural gas and electricity are up 9.8 and 6.3 percent, respectively. Housing costs also continue to rise, with the shelter index standing at a 3 per cent rate currently.
Another one of Trump’s controversial claims was about stock markets. At the State of the Union, the president said that stock markets have been rising all year and setting new records. It is somewhat true, but not completely.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average managed to hit an all-time high of 50,000 points in January and has since plummeted slightly. The S&P 500 also hit a record 7,000 points. However, the U.S. stock market’s performance last year was not as good compared to some other global economies.
Next up is another contentious claim that he secured $18 trillion in investments from countries and companies around the world. Throughout his speech, Trump emphasized it repeatedly, but no one knew how he arrived at that number. The White House has cited $9.7 trillion in investments. Even that number is not confirmed.
According to CBC, in 2024, total foreign direct investments were estimated at $151 billion and the most recent private investment was running at a $5.4 trillion annual pace.
POTUS Donald Trump at his State of the Union address:
In 4 long years, the last administration got less than $1 trillion dollars in new investment in the United States…
In 12 months, I secured commitments for more than $18 trillion dollars pouring in from all over the globe. pic.twitter.com/svmExIb3wX
— Emeka Gift Official (@EmekaGift100) February 25, 2026
Having said that, Trump’s most misleading claim at the Union was perhaps the fact that he said he “ended 8 wars.” This is something he has claimed many times throughout 2025.
Although he did play a role in mediation in some cases, it doesn’t justify his “peace president” tag. In 2025, when India and Pakistan were on the brink of war, the president claimed that it he was he who stopped the escalation. However, India continues to say that Trump had little to do with it.
