List of Donald trump's lies since the beginning of his second presidency, on january 20th 2025
1. Inflation Rates (January 20, 2025)
Claim: President Trump stated that the U.S. experienced "record inflation" during the Biden administration.
Fact-Check: While inflation did reach a 40-year high of 9.1% in June 2022, this was not an all-time record. The highest U.S. inflation rate was 23.7% in 1920. By December 2024, inflation had decreased to 2.9%.
2. Tariffs and Taxation (January 20, 2025):
Claim: He asserted that tariffs imposed on foreign countries would enrich U.S. citizens.
Fact-Check: Tariffs are paid by U.S. importers, not foreign countries. These costs are often passed on to U.S. consumers through higher prices.
3. Panama Canal Control (January 20, 2025)
Claim: President Trump suggested that China operates the Panama Canal.
Fact-Check: The Panama Canal is managed by the Panama Canal Authority, a Panamanian entity. A Hong Kong-based company manages ports at either end of the canal, but China does not operate the canal itself.
4. Immigration and Crime (January 20, 2025)
Claim: He claimed that the U.S. provides sanctuary for dangerous criminals from prisons and mental institutions worldwide.
Fact-Check: There is no substantial evidence to support this statement. Studies have shown that immigrants are less likely to commit crimes than native-born citizens.
5. 2020 Election Fraud (January 20, 2025)
Claim: President Trump reiterated allegations that the 2020 election was "totally rigged."
Fact-Check: Multiple investigations and audits have found no evidence of widespread fraud in the 2020 election
6. National Guard on January 6 (January 20, 2025)
Claim: He claimed that he offered 10,000 National Guard troops to protect the Capitol on January 6, 2021, and that then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi rejected the offer.
Fact-Check: There is no evidence to support this claim. Investigations have shown that Pelosi did not receive such an offer, and the decision to deploy the National Guard is not solely within her authority.
7. COVID-19 Eradication (January 20, 2025):
Claim: Trump declared that his administration had "completely eradicated COVID-19 from the United States."
Fact-Check: COVID-19 remains present in the U.S., with ongoing cases and hospitalizations reported in several states. The virus has transitioned to an endemic stage, but it has not been eradicated.
8. Crime rates (January 20, 2025):
Claim: He stated that "crime is at its highest levels in U.S. history," blaming it on the previous administration's policies.
Fact-Check: Crime data from the FBI shows that violent and property crime rates have generally been on a long-term decline since the 1990s. There were localized spikes during the pandemic but not record highs.
9. Election Turnout Claim (January 20, 2025):
Claim: Trump stated, "This inauguration saw the largest voter turnout in U.S. history."
Fact-Check: While voter turnout in 2024 was high, it did not surpass the turnout rate of the 2020 election, which set a record for modern elections.
10. Economic recovery (January 20, 2025):
Claim: Trump said, "The economy was in freefall when I took office, and we’ve already turned it around in hours."
Fact-Check: The U.S. economy was not in a state of freefall in January 2025. Economic growth was stable, with steady job creation and inflation declining, according to data from late 2024.
11. Electric vehicle mandate (January 20, 2025):
Claim: President Trump announced the revocation of an "electric vehicle mandate," stating it would save the auto industry.
Fact-Check: No federal mandate requires the exclusive production or purchase of electric vehicles. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has set emissions standards that automakers can meet through various means, including the production of electric vehicles, but there is no specific mandate.
12. Establishment of the External Revenue Service (January 20, 2025):
Claim: He proposed creating an "External Revenue Service" to collect tariffs, asserting it would generate massive revenue from foreign sources.
Fact-Check: Tariffs are taxes on imported goods, and the cost is typically borne by U.S. consumers and businesses, not foreign exporters. Establishing such a service would not change the economic impact of tariffs on domestic prices
13. COVID-19 Vaccine Mandate for Military Personnel (January 20, 2025):
Claim: He stated that service members were unjustly expelled from the military for objecting to the COVID-19 vaccine mandate.
Fact-Check: The Department of Defense implemented a COVID-19 vaccine mandate to ensure military readiness and protect the health of service members. While some service members faced disciplinary actions for non-compliance, these measures were consistent with longstanding military policies requiring vaccinations.
14. Gender Policy (January 20, 2025):
Claim: President Trump declared that the official policy of the United States government would recognize only two genders, male and female.
Fact-Check: This statement disregards the existence of intersex individuals and the recognition of non-binary and transgender identities by medical and psychological professionals. Such a policy would conflict with established scientific understanding and human rights standards.
15. National guard on january 6 (January 20, 2025):
Claim: He accused Nancy Pelosi of rejecting National Guard support on January 6, 2021.
Fact-Check: This claim has been proven false, as investigations showed no evidence supporting this assertion
16. Splitting the atome (January 21, 2025):
Claim: President Trump stated that "Americans... split the atom."
Fact-Check: The first artificial nuclear reaction was achieved by New Zealander Sir Ernest Rutherford in 1917. Attributing this achievement to Americans is historically inaccurate.
17. Immigration enforcement (January 21, 2025):
Claim: President Trump announced the lifting of bans on immigration enforcement actions in "sensitive locations" such as churches and schools.
Fact-Check: There was no substantial evidence to suggest that these locations were being exploited in ways that compromised national security. The previous guidelines aimed to protect vulnerable populations and maintain trust in community institutions.
18. Energy emergency declaration (January 21, 2025):
Claim: President Trump declared a "national energy emergency," stating that the U.S. was facing an unprecedented energy crisis.
Fact-Check: There is no current energy crisis in the United States. The country is producing oil and gas at record levels, and energy prices have been stable. The declaration appears to be a political move to support the fossil fuel industry and reverse environmental policies from the previous administration.
19. Threat to Withhold Federal Aid from Los Angeles (January 22, 2025):
Claim: President Trump threatened to withhold federal disaster aid from Los Angeles unless California altered its water management policies. He reiterated false claims that the state's fish conservation efforts were to blame for urban fire hydrants running dry.
Fact-Check: This assertion has been debunked, as there is no evidence linking fish conservation to water shortages in urban areas.
20. Misidentification of Spain as a BRICS Member (January 22, 2025):
Claim: uring a discussion, President Trump mistakenly identified Spain as a member of the BRICS nations (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa). He warned of imposing high tariffs on Spain and criticized its military spending within NATO.
Fact-Check: The Spanish government clarified that Spain is neither an emerging country nor a member of BRICS.
21. Criticism of Bishop Mariann Budde (January 22, 2025):
Claim: President Trump criticized Bishop Mariann Budde after she urged him to show "mercy" to immigrants and LGBTQ+ individuals during her sermon at the National Prayer Service. He labeled her a "Radical Left hard line Trump hater" and described her sermon as "nasty," "very boring," and "uninspiring."
Fact-Check: This personal attack, bases on his own opinion and nothing else, misrepresented the bishop's call for inclusivity and compassion.
22. Promise to End the Russia-Ukraine War Within 24 Hours (January 22, 2025):
Claim: President Trump had previously asserted that he could end the Russia-Ukraine conflict within 24 hours of taking office.
Fact-Check: However, as of January 22, 2025, the war continues, and no significant progress toward peace has been reported. This unfulfilled promise has been criticized as unrealistic and misleading.
23. Claims About Government Knowledge of Drone Origins (January 22, 2025):
Claim: During his campaign, Trump stated that on his first day in office, he would reveal the truth about the mysterious drones spotted flying over New Jersey and other states.
Fact-Check: As of January 22, 2025, he has not provided any new information, and federal agencies have reported that investigations are still ongoing. This delay has raised questions about the validity of his earlier claim.
24. Misstatement on Soviet Union's World War II Casualties (January 22, 2025):
Claim: President Trump incorrectly claimed that the Soviet Union lost 60 million people during World War II.
Fact-Check: The actual figure is approximately 26.6 million. This significant overstatement was noted during his discussions about imposing new sanctions on Russia.
25. Repeal of Ethics Rules Contradicting 'Drain the Swamp' Pledge (January 22, 2025):
Claim: Donald Trump claimed during his campaign that he would "drain the swamp" by reducing the influence of lobbyists and special interests in Washington.
Fact-Check: On January 22, 2025, Trump signed an executive order repealing ethics rules that restricted lobbyists from taking jobs within the executive branch and accepting gifts. These changes removed safeguards designed to limit conflicts of interest, effectively increasing the influence of lobbyists and special interests. This action directly contradicts his promise to combat corruption and reduce the influence of Washington insiders.
26. Immigration Policy Falsehood (January 22, 2025):
Claim: Trump claimed his administration had restarted building the southern border wall “at a pace faster than ever.”
Fact-Check: no significant new wall construction has been confirmed since his return to office.
27. Accusations Against Oil Producers (January 23, 2025):
Claim: During an address to the World Economic Forum in Davos, Trump accused oil producers, particularly OPEC and Saudi Arabia, of prolonging the Ukraine war by not reducing oil prices, which he claimed would curb Russian revenue.
Fact-Check: Experts have challenged this assertion, noting that oil prices are influenced by various global factors, and attributing the prolongation of the Ukraine conflict solely to oil producers oversimplifies the issue.
28. Threat to Withhold Federal Aid from California (January 23, 2025):
Claim: As massive wildfires burned in Los Angeles, President Trump threatened to withhold federal disaster aid from California unless the state changed its water management policies. He claimed that current conservation efforts aimed at protecting certain species were impeding firefighting capabilities.
Fact-Check: Local officials refuted this, stating that water management policies did not hinder firefighting efforts.
29. False claims on EU (January 23, 2025):
Claim: In his speech at the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting, Trump repeated false claims about the European Union. He said: “They don’t take our, essentially, don’t take our farm products, and they don’t take our cars.”
Fact-Check: It’s not true, “essentially” or otherwise, that the EU doesn’t buy US farm products. The US government says the EU bought $12.3 billion worth of US agricultural exports in the 2023 fiscal year, making it the fourth-largest export market for US agricultural and related products behind China, Mexico and Canada. And while US automakers have often struggled to succeed in Europe, according to a December 2023 report from the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association, the EU is the second-largest market for US vehicle exports — importing 271,476 US vehicles in 2022, valued at nearly 9 billion euro.
30. US trade deficit with China (January 23, 2025):
Claim: Trump complained of the US trade deficit with China, saying, “We’ve been having massive deficits with China. Biden allowed it to get out of hand. He’s - $1.1 trillion deficits; ridiculous, and it’s just an unfair relationship.”
Fact-Check: This is misleading at best. The record US goods and services trade deficit with China, about $378 billion, was actually set during Trump’s first presidency in 2018. It has bounced around under Biden, but it has been lower than $378 billion every year, and the last available full-year figure, for 2023, was about $252 billion – lower than in any year of Trump’s presidency. The Trump-era low was about $282 billion in 2020.
31. US trade deficit with Canada (January 23, 2025):
Claim: During the question-and-answer portion of the Thursday event in Davos, Trump falsely claimed that the US has a trade deficit with Canada of $200 billion or $250 billion, saying “it’s not fair” that the bilateral deficit should be this high.
Fact-Check: In fact, the US goods and services trade deficit with Canada was about $40.6 billion in 2023, according to the US government’s Bureau of Economic Analysis.
32. US corporate tax (January 23, 2025):
Claim: Trump said the US corporate tax cut was slashed from 40% to 21% as part of his signature 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. “It was at 40%, and I got it down to 21%, the corporate tax,” Trump said.
Fact-Check: This is an exaggeration. Prior to the 2017 law, the top corporate tax rate was 35%, not 40%. Trump may have been thinking of the top individual income tax rate, which was 39.6% prior to the TCJA, which brought it down to 37%.
33. Misrepresentation of California's Water Policies and Wildfires (January 24, 2025):
Claim: During his visit to California, President Trump inaccurately attributed issues in wildfire management to the state's water policies.
Fact-Check: He claimed that state policies were responsible for hindering firefighting efforts, which is not supported by evidence.
34. ownplaying the January 6 Capitol Riots (January 24, 2025):
Claim: President Trump described the actions of the January 6 Capitol rioters as minor incidents
Fact-Check: There are substantial evidence of armed confrontations and significant violence against law enforcement officers during the event.
35. ownplaying the January 6 Capitol Riots (January 24, 2025):
Claim: President Trump falsely claimed that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) had ended temporary housing assistance for hurricane survivors
Fact-Check: the agency confirmed that this statement was not true
36. Inflated Claims About Illegal Immigration (January 24, 2025):
Claim: He exaggerated the number of illegal immigrants entering the United States, presenting figures that are not supported by available data
Fact-Check: No data to back him up
37. False Claim About the January 6 Committee (January 24, 2025):
Claim: In an interview, President Trump claimed that the U.S. House Select Committee investigating the January 6 Capitol attack had deleted "all" evidence.
Fact-Check: This assertion is inaccurate, as the committee's records and evidence remain intact.
38. Misleading Statements on Trade with Canada (January 24, 2025):
Claim: In an interview, President Trump dismissed Canada's importance as a trade partner, asserting that the United States does not rely on Canadian oil, gas, vehicles, or lumber.
Fact-Check: This statement overlooks the significant economic interdependence between the two countries, particularly in energy trade.
39. Weaponization of the Justice Department (January 25, 2025):
Claim: Trump claimed that the Justice Department under former President Joe Biden had been unfairly weaponized against him.
Fact-Check: There is no evidence to support this assertion.
40. Election Fraud Claims (January 25, 2025):
Claim: Trump reiterated debunked claims about widespread election fraud during the 2020 election.
Fact-Check: These allegations have been thoroughly investigated and found to be unsubstantiated.
41. Inflation Rates (January 25, 2025):
Claim: Trump stated again that the U.S. experienced "record inflation" during the Biden administration.
Fact-Check: While inflation did reach a 40-year high in June 2022 at 9.1%, it was not an all-time record. Historical data shows higher rates, such as 14% in 1980.
42. Tariffs and Consumer Costs (January 25, 2025):
Claim: Trump suggested that imposing tariffs on foreign countries would enrich U.S. citizens. In reality, tariffs are paid by U.S. importers and often result in higher costs for American consumers.
Fact-Check: Studies have shown that Americans bore almost the entire cost of tariffs on Chinese products during Trump's first term.
43. Immigration and Crime (January 25, 2025):
Claim: Trump claimed that the U.S. government provides sanctuary and protection for dangerous criminals who have illegally entered the country from prisons and mental institutions worldwide.
Fact-Check: There is no evidence to support the assertion that other countries are sending their criminals or mentally ill individuals to the U.S.
44. Panama Canal Control (January 25, 2025):
Claim: Trump asserted again that China is operating the Panama Canal.
Fact-Check: Panamanian officials have denied this claim, stating that while Chinese companies operate ports at either end of the canal, the canal itself remains under Panamanian control.
45. Baseless Claims of a "Rigged" 2020 Election (January 26, 2025):
Claim: Trump reiterated the unfounded assertion that the 2020 election was "totally rigged."
Fact-Check: This claim has been consistently debunked by multiple sources, including state and federal judges who found no evidence of widespread voter fraud, and former Attorney General William Barr, who stated that the election was not stolen by fraud.
46. False Allegations Against the January 6 Committee (January 26, 2025):
Claim: Trump accused the House committee investigating the January 6 attack of having "destroyed all the evidence" and "deleted everything."
Fact-Check: This is inaccurate, as the committee published a comprehensive report and released numerous transcripts and documents.
47. False Assertion Regarding Greenland (January 26, 2025):
Claim: Trump stated that residents of Greenland want to join the U.S.
Fact-Check: Greenland's Prime Minister said that the territory is not for sale and wishes to remain under Danish control.
48. Misrepresentation of the Justice Department's Actions (January 26, 2025):
Claim: Trump claimed that the Justice Department under former President Joe Biden had been "vicious, violent and unfairly weaponized" against him.
Fact-Check: There is no evidence to support the assertion that Biden directed the Justice Department to prosecute Trump, nor is there evidence of any violence in this context
49. Inaccurate Statements Regarding January 6th (January 26, 2025):
Claim: Trump alleged that then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi "turned down the offer of 10,000 soldiers" on January 6, 2021
Fact-Check: there is no evidence that he issued any formal request for National Guard troops before or during the Capitol riot.
50. Misleading Claims About Presidential Pardons (January 26, 2025):
Claim: Trump asserted that President Biden had pardoned "33 murderers."
Fact-Check: In reality, Biden commuted the sentences of 37 individuals on federal death row; a commutation reduces a sentence but does not exonerate the individual, whereas a pardon fully absolves the person of the crime.
51. TikTok voters (January 27, 2025):
Claim: Trump says TikTok helped him win youth voters by "36 points"
Fact-Check: In reality, not only he lost the youth vote, but he didn’t win any age category of voters under the age of 44.
52. Military Rebuilding Claims (January 27, 2025):
Claim: Trump claimed that during his first term, he had "rebuilt our entire military."
Fact-Check: This is false, as the vast majority of military equipment predates his administration, and there's no evidence to support the assertion that he entirely rebuilt the military
53. Small-Business Optimism (January 27, 2025):
Claim: Trump stated that small-business optimism had soared a record 41 points to a 39-year high.
Fact-Check: While small-business optimism did increase, the claim of a 39-year high is not supported by the NFIB Small Business Optimism Index, which had its highest level since October 2018, less than seven years ago. The 41-point increase refers to one specific component of the index, not the index overall.
54. Immigration Claims (January 27, 2025):
Claim: Trump displayed a chart suggesting historically low levels of illegal immigration under his first term
Fact-Check: There's no evidence supporting the notion that illegal immigration was at an all-time low when he left office in 2021.