A few days after Donald Trump’s first term ended and the Republican grudgingly left the White House, The Washington Post published a memorable report on the number of false or misleading claims he’d made during his first term. The total was incredible: “By the end of his term,” the report explained, “Trump had accumulated 30,573 untruths during his presidency — averaging about 21 erroneous claims a day.”
The report was striking, but it was not altogether surprising. To know anything about this president is to know that he effectively has an allergy to the truth. This was true during his 2016 candidacy; it was true throughout his first four years in the White House; it was true in the wake of his 2020 defeat; it was true during his 2024 candidacy.
It was also true during his first national address of his second term. During his painfully long remarks before a joint session of Congress, Trump peddled so many brazen falsehoods that it was difficult to keep up with them all. The president and his speechwriters must’ve known that his lies would be fact-checked by independent news organizations, but by all appearances, they were comfortable throwing caution to the wind.
Trump said, “We inherited from the last administration an economic catastrophe.” This wasn’t true.
Trump said, “We’re going to have growth in the auto industry like nobody’s ever seen. Plants are opening up all over the place.” That wasn’t true.
Trump said, towns like Aurora, Colorado, and Springfield, Ohio, were “destroyed” by immigrants. That wasn’t true.
Trump said, in reference to Europe and aid to Ukraine, “[W]e’ve spent perhaps $350 billion, and they’ve spent $100 billion.” That wasn’t true.
Trump said, “For the first time in modern history, more Americans believe that our country is headed in the right direction than the wrong direction.” That wasn’t true.
Trump said, in reference to Biden-era inflation, rates were the worst “perhaps even in the history of our country, they’re not sure.” They are sure and that wasn’t true.
Trump said the Biden administration imposed an “electric vehicle mandate.” That wasn’t true.
Trump said, “I’ve stopped all government censorship.” That wasn’t true.
Trump said, “Believe it or not, government databases list 4.7 million Social Security members from people aged 100 to 109 years old. It lists 3.6 million people from ages 110 to 119.” Don’t believe it, because that wasn’t true.








