Fact-checking Trump’s State of the Union address

Simply over a 12 months into his second time period, President Donald Trump is delivering the State of the Union handle Tuesday, making his case for sweeping coverage adjustments and govt actions which have come to outline America’s present second.

From steep world tariffs that had been lately struck down by the Supreme Court to an overhaul of home immigration enforcement and mounting tensions with Iran, all eyes are on the president talking earlier than Congress on the Capitol.

An ABC News/Washington Post/Ipsos poll released Sunday discovered that Trump’s total disapproval score is at 60% — a excessive for his second time period. 

With midterm elections in November looming, the place management of Congress is at stake, Trump is predicted to roll out a number of new measures to handle affordability and tout his administration’s efforts to spice up the U.S. financial system.

All through Trump’s remarks Tuesday evening, ABC Information is reside fact-checking among the president’s statements that could be exaggerated, want extra context or are false.

This can be a creating story. Please test again for updates.

TRUMP CLAIM: “Previously 9 months, zero unlawful aliens have been admitted to the US.”

FACT CHECK: False, however crossings are down drastically

After utilizing govt authority to implement a collection of restrictive coverage measures on the southern border, the Trump administration has severely decreased the quantity of people that crossed the border illegally, down from the report highs of the Biden administration.

Based on the info collected by Customs and Border Safety, in 2024, the final full 12 months of Biden’s presidency, there have been over 1.5 million encounters with migrants making an attempt to illegally cross the border. In 2025, the primary full 12 months of Trump’s second time period in workplace, that quantity dropped to only below 28,000.

These low tendencies proceed in 2026, however have by no means been at “zero” because the president has typically instructed. The numbers recommend migrants are nonetheless making an attempt to cross the border, and it will be inconceivable to know if any had gone by way of unnoticed.

-ABC Information’ Luke Barr and Justin Fishel

TRUMP CLAIM: “My administration has pushed core inflation down to the bottom degree in additional than 5 years.” 

FACT CHECK: Sure and No

Whereas it’s a optimistic improvement that inflation has come down in current months, this hasn’t led to lowered costs throughout the board. The state of play is extra difficult.

The information are that when Trump took workplace, inflation was at 3% and right this moment it is right down to 2.4%

The newest inflation report was optimistic.

However costs for on a regular basis merchandise for People are impacted by extra than simply inflation. 

The president’s tariffs have impacted the price of recent produce, beef and low. Floor espresso costs are up 34% previously 12 months. And even these elevated prices aren’t all resulting from tariffs.

Bureau of Labor and Statistics information additionally present People are paying extra for power (in lots of circumstances as a result of information facilities wanted to energy AI know-how), up 6.3 p.c from January 2025 to January 2026.

-ABC Information’ Zunaira Zaki

TRUMP CLAIM: “In 12 months, I secured commitments for greater than $18 trillion pouring in from all around the globe.”

FACT CHECK: Lacks proof 

It’s unclear the place the $18 trillion quantity is coming from. It’s a big quantity. US GDP is $31 trillion. On their website, the White Home says they’ve secured $9.6 trillion in home and international investments since Trump took workplace for his second time period. A White Home official confirmed that this determine contains “investments which have materialized or dedicated,” however they didn’t reply ABC’s questions on the place the president’s $18 trillion quantity is coming from.

The White Home’s $9.6 trillion in investments additionally seems to be inflated, as different sums are included of their calculations. For instance, the web site lists a $1.2 trillion “international funding” from Qatar. However in response to a White Home fact sheet distributed when the deal was made, the U.S. and Qatar had agreed to “generate an financial trade price not less than $1.2 trillion” — not an express funding.

-ABC NEWS’ Zunaira Zaki

TRUMP CLAIM: “I took pharmaceuticals, a really massive a part of well being care, from the best value in the whole world to the bottom.”

FACT CHECK: Wants extra context

Trump has pointed to decrease prescription drug costs, citing low cost preparations resembling his new web site, which gives producer low cost costs, TrumpRX and direct negotiations with producers. Some focused reductions have occurred for folks paying the money value with none insurance coverage, however total drug costs in the US stay excessive, and plenty of sufferers nonetheless face vital out-of-pocket prices.

The administration secured decrease money costs for sure high-profile medicines, together with weight-loss medication resembling Wegovy and Zepbound, largely for uninsured sufferers or these paying outdoors of conventional insurance coverage protection. Ben Jolley, the senior fellow for healthcare on the American Financial Liberties Mission, famous that producers had been already below aggressive and political stress to cut back costs in that class as extra merchandise enter the market. As well as, these reductions utilized to particular buying channels and didn’t essentially translate into broad reductions in insured sufferers’ prices or total checklist costs.

In the meantime, among the most substantial current value cuts are the results of insurance policies enacted earlier than Trump returned to workplace. For instance, at the beginning of this 12 months, Bristol Myers Squibb lowered the worth of the favored blood thinner Eliquis by greater than 50%; Eli Lilly and their manufacturing companions dropped the worth of diabetes drug Jardiance by 66%. Jolley stated that these adjustments largely mirror the Medicare drug value negotiation.

-ABC Information’ Liz Neporent

TRUMP CLAIM: “I need to cease all funds to massive insurance coverage firms and as a substitute give that cash on to the folks to allow them to purchase their very own well being care.”

FACT CHECK: Lacks proof

Final month, with tax breaks for the Reasonably priced Care Act market expiring and premiums growing by 100% for some — Trump unveiled his idea for a health care unveiled his idea for a health care plan that he claimed might change the ACA. The so-called “The Nice Healthcare Plan” proposes to shift authorities insurance coverage subsidies on to customers and reap the benefits of its “most favored nation” drug value initiative.

Throughout his speech, Trump stated the well being care plan would “cease all funds to massive insurance coverage firms, and as a substitute give that cash on to the folks to allow them to purchase their very own well being care.”

Nonetheless, the video message and one-page fact sheet posted by the White Home had been gentle on specifics about how a lot cash would really go on to People, how a lot funding the plan would require or how the funds could be distributed. Some well being coverage specialists previously told ABC News that there is not any strategy to inform how impactful these concepts could possibly be and if they may increase on the plans already in existence by way of the ACA.

Moreover, the unique ACA included cost-sharing discount funds, that are federal reimbursements that compensate insurers for lowering out-of-pocket prices. The primary Trump administration halted direct federal funds, however “The Nice Healthcare Plan” seems to reinstate the funds to insurers.

-ABC Information’ Mary Kekatos

TRUMP CLAIM: “In lots of circumstances, drug lords, murderers throughout our nation. They’re blocking the removing of those folks out of our nation,” Trump stated of unlawful immigrants and sanctuary cities.

FACT CHECK: Most DHS detainees haven’t any legal report

Whereas the Trump administration has claimed the Division of Homeland Safety goes after the “worst of the worst,” undocumented migrants, ICE data present a good portion of detainees at immigration detention services haven’t been convicted of a criminal offense. Based on the most recent ICE information accessible, on Feb. 7, there have been 68,289 folks in detention. That’s down from over 70,000 just some weeks prior, which immigrant advocacy organizations say was a report excessive.

Based on the info, about one fourth (or 26%) of detainees on Feb. 7 had been thought-about “convicted criminals.” One other 26% had pending legal fees. 47% or 32,364 detainees had been categorized as “different immigration violators,” folks with no legal convictions or pending fees. 

In different phrases, 73% of detainees on Feb. 7 had no legal convictions.

-ABC Information’ Armando Garcia and Jack Date

TRUMP CLAIM: “The dishonest is rampant in our elections, it is rampant.”  

FACT CHECK: False

Trump has repeatedly alleged that undocumented immigrants have improperly influenced federal elections, however state voting information recommend that such cases are extremely uncommon.

In 2024, voter roll audits in states together with Georgia, Ohio, and Iowa, main as much as the 2024 election, uncovered only a few cases of noncitizen voting in federal elections. A complete audit of Georgia’s voter rolls — which embrace 8.2 million registered voters — uncovered 20 noncitizens who registered to vote, together with 9 cases when noncitizens really solid a poll. An analogous audit of Iowa’s 2.3 million voters revealed 87 cases the place people solid ballots and later self-reported as noncitizens.

Based on analysis from the non-partisan nonprofit Middle for Election Innovation & Analysis, allegations of sweeping and coordinated voter fraud usually come up from “misunderstandings, mischaracterizations, or outright fabrications about complicated voter information,” and most cases of voting fraud are uncommon and swiftly prosecuted by authorities. 

-ABC Information’ Peter Charalambous

TRUMP CLAIM: “Crime in Washington is now on the lowest degree ever recorded, and murders in D.C. this January had been down near 100% from a 12 months in the past.”

FACT CHECK: Exaggerated

Though President Donald Trump claimed Washington, D.C., is on the “lowest degree ever recorded” for crime, he didn’t outline “crime” or cite information to help his declare that it’s at an “all-time-low.”

The Metropolitan Police Division’s year-to-date figures present violent crime down 29% and murder down 67% as of Feb. 24, reflecting a big decline. Whereas it is a vital discount in crime, it isn’t clear how he concludes that is an all-time low.

Trump additionally stated, “murders in DC this January had been down near 100% from a 12 months in the past.” Homicides had been extraordinarily low in January. D.C. police reported two homicides in January, certainly one of which stemmed from a 2025 loss of life that was later dominated a murder. That could be a sharp drop, however not a drop to zero.

There have been 9 homicides within the Nation’s capital this 12 months in comparison with 27 murders on the similar time final 12 months.

Violent crime and homicides had been already declining earlier than President Trump surged federal regulation enforcement and the Nationwide Guard final August. On the finish of 2024, the Justice Division stated violent crime in Washington fell in 2024 to its lowest level in more than 30 years. MPD year-end totals present homicides fell 32% from 2024 into 2025. 

-ABC Information’ Beatrice Peterson

TRUMP CLAIM: “We wiped it out they usually need to start out once more,” Trump stated of Iran’s nuclear program.

FACT CHECK: Principally false

Iran’s nuclear program was severely broken final June after the U.S. army struck three key nuclear websites with bunker-busting bombs. However, analysts and worldwide inspectors say it was not fully destroyed.

Rafael Grossi, head of the UN’s Worldwide Atomic Power Company, stated in a current interview with the French tv community TFI that a lot of Iran’s stockpile of extremely enriched uranium probably stays at these websites. Analysts additionally level to satellite tv for pc imagery displaying Iran rebuilding.  

Based on a translation, Grossi stated, “A few of it [the enriched uranium] could also be much less accessible, however the materials remains to be there.” 

The IAEA estimates some 972 kilos of extremely enriched uranium stay unaccounted for. 

Trump has threatened to strike Iran if it doesn’t conform to new curbs on its program. 

This weekend, U.S. Particular Envoy Steve Witkoff, who’s main negotiations with Iran on Trump’s behalf, instructed there was a newfound urgency. 

“They’re in all probability every week away from having industrial-grade bomb-making materials, and that is actually harmful. So, [we] cannot have that,” stated Witkoff in a pre-taped interview with Lara Trump that aired on Fox Information on Saturday.

-ABC Information’ Anne Flaherty

TRUMP CLAIM: “My first ten months, I ended eight wars.”

FACT CHECK: Principally false

Trump has claimed he has ended eight wars, that he’s a “president of peace” and that he deserves the Nobel Peace Prize due to it.

He stated he ended conflicts in “Cambodia and Thailand, Pakistan and India, Kosovo and Serbia, Israel and Iran, Egypt and Ethiopia, Armenia and Azerbaijan, the Congo and Rwanda, and naturally, the conflict in Gaza.”

Whereas Trump has helped to dealer ceasefires amongst varied nations, battle in a few of these areas has largely continued; there have been no long-term treaties ratified amongst these nations; and a few nations even dispute that Trump did something to assist. Lengthy-term, unresolved tensions nonetheless exist amongst most of the nations.

Within the battle between Cambodia and Thailand, for instance, Trump began working the telephones quickly after preventing broke out final 12 months, and on the time, Trump efficiently inspired Thailand to affix ceasefire talks orchestrated by Malaysia and China. The president additionally put stress on the international locations to finish the battle by saying he wouldn’t halt commerce negotiations till the preventing ended. Nonetheless, preventing broke out once more in December 2025, and 100 folks had been reported useless earlier than one other ceasefire was reached. Tensions stay excessive.

The leaders of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Rwanda signed a peace deal brokered by the Trump administration in Washington in late June 2025. Although the settlement was extensively celebrated, the prospects for peace had been rapidly questioned as a result of the deal didn’t embrace all warring factions. In current days, U.S. Senior Adviser for Africa Massad Boulos acknowledged ongoing violence within the Congo, blaming M23 rebels and Rwanda — calling it a “severe breach” of the Washington accord signed in 2025.

With India and Pakistan, a ceasefire between the 2 warring international locations exists, however solely Pakistan has given the president credit score for bringing it about. Actually, Pakistan formally nominated Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize. Trump claims to have personally spoken to Indian Prime Minister Modi throughout the battle, however India has denied that the Trump administration performed a job.

The battle between Armenia and Azerbaijan is a extra clear-cut diplomatic win for the president. The leaders of each international locations have each credited Trump for his function in setting the international locations on the trail to peace, and an array of European leaders have additionally praised the administration for the diplomatic developments.

-ABC Information’ Mariam Khan

TRUMP CLAIM: “The Somali neighborhood have pillaged an estimated $19 billion from the American taxpayer.”

FACT CHECK: Lacks proof

There isn’t a proof to again the president’s claims that the Somali neighborhood has defrauded taxpayers of $19 billion. It is unclear the place he will get that determine. It seems to be a misinterpretation of an announcement by Assistant U.S. Lawyer Joe Thompson in a press convention in December 2025.

He acknowledged that half or extra of the $18 billion in federal funds that help quite a lot of Minnesota social companies applications might have been stolen. He didn’t present proof for that declare. Actually, the Justice Division has introduced fees alleging about $300 million in fraudulent funds associated to a meals help program in Minnesota throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.

The investigation started throughout the Biden administration and has since expanded. Ninety-two folks had been charged in that case, together with 82 Somali People. The 82 Somali People in that case symbolize a small fraction of the estimated 100,000 Somali People dwelling in Minnesota, most of whom are U.S. residents.

-ABC Information’ Diana Paulsen