Donald Trump delivered the longest State of the Union address in history, making broad claims about his administration's successes. However, many of these statements were inflated, misleading, or outright false. Let's break down the facts.
Factcheck: Economy, Jobs, and Investments
Trump boasted that "we are the hottest country anywhere in the world" and claimed "we have more jobs, more people working today than ever before in the history of our country." But the data tells a different story.
According to revised data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the U.S. gained just 181,000 jobs in 2025, a number well below the 1.5 million to 2.5 million typical under both Trump during his first term and former President Joe Biden. PolitiFact notes this slowdown in job gains.
Trump also claimed $18 trillion in investments "pouring in from all over the globe," but a CNN review found the White House was counting pledges rather than actual investments. The White House website lists total U.S. and foreign investments at $9.7 trillion.
Factcheck: Killer of Iryna Zarutska Was Not an Immigrant
When Trump introduced the mother of Iryna Zarutska, a Ukrainian woman killed on a train in Charlotte, North Carolina, he falsely claimed the perpetrator was "a hardened criminal set free to kill in America came in through open borders."
However, DeCarlos Brown Jr., the man arrested and charged, is not an immigrant. Data shows that relative to undocumented immigrants, U.S.-born citizens are more than twice as likely to be arrested for violent crimes and 2.5 times more likely for drug crimes.
Factcheck: U.S. Energy Prices
Trump suggested energy prices are decreasing, saying, "When they see energy going down to numbers like that, they cannot believe it." But the average household energy bill went up by 6.7% from 2024 to 2025 in the U.S., despite his promise to cut electricity costs in half within his first year back in office.
Since Trump retook the White House, utility companies have raised or sought to raise rates by at least $92 billion, affecting 112 million electric customers and 52 million gas customers. His attacks on clean energy expansion are expected to increase electricity rates by up to 18% by 2035.
The Trump administration has also gutted energy assistance, eliminating tax credits for home energy-efficiency upgrades and attempting to cut the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program, which helps 6 million low-income Americans annually.
Factcheck: Gas Prices
Trump touted low gas prices, claiming they are "now below $2.30 a gallon in most states and in some places, $1.99 a gallon." But a major environmental rollback his administration enacted could push gas prices up.
The repeal of the endangerment finding is expected to create a rise in gas prices, according to the administration's own data. Gas prices are also higher than claimed; AAA reports Oklahoma is the only state with gas at $2.30 a gallon, while some states exceed $4.60.
Factcheck: War and Peace
The president claimed he ended eight wars in his first 10 months, a bold exaggeration. The U.S. has been party to six peace agreements, and several do not credit Trump specifically, while others were not considered wars to begin with.
For example, Trump presided over a ceasefire deal between Thailand and Cambodia in October, calling it "a monumental step." However, the ceasefire broke down weeks later, and fighting erupted again in December, forcing half a million people to flee their homes. The underlying causes of the conflict remain unresolved.
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