Former President Donald Trump took center stage Tuesday night, addressing a joint session of Congress and touting his administration’s accomplishments. But, some of his claims didn’t quite line up with reality. Let’s break it down.
Claim #1: The lowest illegal border crossings ever
TRUMP: “Illegal border crossings last month were by far the lowest ever recorded. Ever.”
FACT CHECK: Not quite. Trump pointed to a low number of border apprehensions last month—8,326 according to his post on Truth Social. But historical records show that in the 1960s, Border Patrol routinely recorded even lower numbers. For example, in 1961, the monthly average was just 1,752 arrests. So while February 2025 saw the lowest numbers in decades, it wasn’t the lowest ever.
Claim #2: 21 million illegal crossings under Biden
TRUMP: “Over the past four years, 21 million people poured into the United States. Many of them were murderers, human traffickers, gang members.”
FACT CHECK: That number is way off. U.S. Customs and Border Protection reports 10.8 million arrests for illegal crossings between January 2021 and December 2024. But keep in mind—those are arrests, not unique individuals. Many people crossed multiple times due to pandemic-era policies that allowed them to reattempt entry after being turned back.
As for the claim about criminals being sent across the border? There’s simply no evidence that other countries are intentionally sending criminals or people with mental illness into the U.S.
Claim #3: Tariffs will make America rich
TRUMP: “Tariffs are about making America rich again and making America great again.”
FACT CHECK: Most economists strongly disagree. Tariffs are essentially taxes on imports, and while they can protect domestic industries, they also tend to raise prices for consumers. A study by the Yale University Budget Lab found that Trump’s new tariffs on Canada, Mexico, and China could push inflation up by a full percentage point, reduce economic growth, and cost the average household about $1,600 in disposable income.
Claim #4: Social Security is paying people over 140 years old
TRUMP: “Government databases list millions of Social Security members over the age of 100. And money is being paid to many of them.”
FACT CHECK: The databases do list those numbers, but that doesn’t mean benefits are actually being paid to them. The issue stems from outdated software used by the Social Security Administration—some records default to impossibly old ages due to missing birthdates.
While there are unmarked deaths in the system, the agency stopped payments to anyone older than 115 years old back in 2015. So no, there aren’t millions of supercentenarians cashing Social Security checks.
Claim #5: Trump inherited an ‘economic catastrophe’
TRUMP: “We inherited an economic catastrophe and an inflation nightmare.”
FACT CHECK: Inflation did spike to 9.1% in 2022 under Biden, but by the time Trump took office in January, inflation had dropped to 3%. The economy was also growing at a solid 2.8% in 2024, and the unemployment rate was a low 4%. Not exactly a disaster.
Claim #6: There was a federal EV mandate
TRUMP: “We ended the last administration’s insane electric vehicle mandate.”
FACT CHECK: There was never an EV mandate to begin with. Biden set a goal—not a requirement—that half of new cars sold by 2030 be electric. His policies did push automakers toward EVs by tightening pollution regulations, but no one was forced to buy an electric vehicle.
Claim #7: Army recruitment is booming under Trump
TRUMP: “In January, the U.S. Army had its single best recruiting month in 15 years.”
FACT CHECK: Recruitment has improved, but not because of Trump. The Army actually saw its highest numbers in August 2024—before the election. A big factor in the turnaround was the Army’s Future Soldier Prep Course, launched in August 2022, which helped recruits meet academic and fitness standards.
