In an 18-minute televised address to the nation, former President Donald Trump made a series of sweeping assertions about his administration's performance, the state of the US economy, and immigration. A detailed analysis of the speech reveals a pattern of factual inaccuracies, with claims being made at a rate of approximately one every 22 seconds.
Core Economic Claims Under Scrutiny
The central theme of the address was economic affordability, with Trump insisting he is "bringing those high prices down." However, official data contradicts this. Figures show US inflation spiked 0.2% in November 2025, with an annual rate of 2.7%. Food prices, measured by the CPI index, rose 0.1% over two months and 2.6% over the year.
Specific price comparisons also faltered under examination. Trump claimed the price of a Thanksgiving turkey was down 33% compared to the previous year. The American Farm Bureau estimated a 16% decline, while the Agriculture Department reported price increases for both fresh and frozen turkey. On wages, he stated that for the first time in years, "wages are rising much faster than inflation." While wages grew an estimated 3.5% against inflation of 2.7%, this 0.8% margin is modest. Notably, wage growth has exceeded inflation for 31 consecutive months, a trend that began in May 2023 under President Biden.
Immigration and Border Rhetoric Fact-Checked
The speech contained dramatic statements on immigration, including the claim that 11,888 murderers had entered the country. This figure is unsubstantiated. It appears to originate from a statistic referencing the total number of non-citizens in the US with a murder conviction, most of whom entered long before the Biden administration and include legal residents.
Trump also asserted the US border was "the worst anywhere in the world" before he fixed it. The Global Organised Crime Index's Territorial Integrity indicator rates the US border at 6.5 out of 10, a score that has decreased since 2023. Countries like Haiti and Somalia score 1.5. On the scale of migration, he cited an "army of 25 million people." Estimates from the Centre for Immigration Studies put the undocumented population at around 14 million at the end of 2024, an increase of roughly 3.8 million from a Covid-era low.
Questionable Claims on Policy and Achievement
Several boasts regarding policy achievements lacked supporting evidence. Trump declared he had secured a record-breaking $18 trillion of investment into the United States. This figure is more than double the $9.6 trillion cited on official White House materials, which itself includes unconfirmed pledges and aspirational goals from foreign governments.
On healthcare, he blamed Democrats for "steep increases" in Obamacare premiums. In reality, premiums are rising because Trump and Republican lawmakers have refused to extend government subsidies that previously kept costs down. His claim to have "settled eight wars in 10 months" is also contested, with fighting reported to have continued in at least two of those conflicts.
The address concluded with broad statements that "inflation has stopped" and "prices are down," both of which are directly contradicted by the latest economic data. With approval ratings for his handling of the economy at a historic low of between 31% and 36%, the speech appears to have been a direct attempt to reshape public perception amid ongoing financial pressures on American households.
