Donald Trump's lengthy State of the Union address, the longest in history at over one hour and 41 minutes, was filled with strong statements that were often inflated, misleading or simply untrue. The president touted economic success, claimed falling energy prices, and exaggerated his record on ending wars.
Trump boasted that the US is 'the hottest country anywhere in the world' and that 'we have more jobs, more people working today than ever before.' However, data shows job gains slowed in 2025 to just 181,000, well below the 1.5 million to 2.5 million typical under both his first term and President Biden. He also claimed $18tn in investments, but the White House’s own website lists total investments at $9.7tn, and CNN found those figures counted pledges rather than actual spending.
The president asserted that energy prices are decreasing, yet average household energy bills rose by 6.7% from 2024 to 2025. Utility companies have raised or sought to raise rates by at least $92bn, affecting 112 million electric and 52 million gas customers. Additionally, his administration's repeal of the endangerment finding is expected to increase gas prices, according to its own data. Trump claimed gas is 'now below $2.30 a gallon in most states,' but AAA data shows only Oklahoma has prices at $2.374, with some states exceeding $4.60.
Trump also falsely linked a homicide to immigration, stating that the man who killed Iryna Zarutska was a 'hardened criminal set free to kill in America came in through open borders.' In fact, the arrested suspect, DeCarlos Brown Jr, is a US-born citizen. Data shows undocumented immigrants are less likely to be arrested for violent crimes than US-born citizens.
Finally, the president claimed he had ended eight wars in his first 10 months, a bold exaggeration. The US has actually been party to six peace agreements, several of which were already in progress.
