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Live fact-check: Donald Trump's 2026 State of the Union address

President Donald Trump delivers the State of the Union address to a joint session of Congress in the House chamber at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, Feb. 24, 2026. (AP)

By PolitiFact Staff February 25, 2026

PolitiFact live fact-checked President Donald Trump’s State of the Union address to Congress Feb. 24. See our fact-checks in reverse chronological order below or read our roundup of the most notable fact-checks from Trump's speech.

READ MORE: State of the Union fact-check: Trump exaggerates on economy, immigration

Live Trump State of the Union fact-checks

See links in story.

stated on December 8, 2021 in an interview with Hugh Hewitt:

Gas prices were "$1.86 when I left" the White House.

false

false

Louise Slaughter

stated on September 5, 2017 in a tweet:

Rescinding the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program "will harm our economy."

true

true

stated on March 2, 2017 in a headline:

"Doctors who discovered cancer enzymes in vaccines all found murdered."

pants-fire

pants-fire

David Menchetti

stated on November 28, 2016 in testimony before the Illinois House Labor and Commerce Committee:

"The causation standard in Indiana is exactly the same as it is in Illinois."

true

true

stated on September 16, 2016 in a White House press conference:

"If you look at any real analysis," the Trans-Pacific Partnership is "going to generate better-paying jobs that are more stable."

half-true

half-true

stated on November 17, 2015 in press release:

While the smoking rate nationally has fallen, more than 18 percent of Georgians still light up.

mostly-true

mostly-true

NextGen Climate Action Committee

stated on August 8, 2014 in a campaign ad:

Says Rick Scott "is letting Duke (Energy) keep collecting billions" despite troubled power plants.

half-true

half-true

Georgia Department of Transportation

stated on July 19, 2011 in a press release:

The Northwest Corridor highway project in Cobb and Cherokee counties "is expected to create over 9,700 jobs statewide."

false

false

Republican National Committee

stated on June 5, 2008 in in a news release:

Obama couldn't have afforded his home without Rezko's help.

false

false

Social Media
stated on February 22, 2026 in publicaciones en redes sociales:

Imagen muestra a Puerto Vallarta, México, después de la muerte de Nemesio “El Mencho” Oseguera Cervantes, el líder del Cártel Jalisco Nueva Generación.

By Maria Briceño • February 23, 2026
Donald Trump
stated on January 29, 2026 in a White House event:

After U.S. vessel strikes in the Caribbean Sea and Pacific Ocean, “drugs entering our country by sea are down 97%.”

By Maria Ramirez Uribe • February 23, 2026
Social Media
stated on February 22, 2026 in social media posts:

Image shows Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, after the killing of Nemesio “El Mencho” Oseguera Cervantes, the head of Jalisco New Generation Cartel.

By Maria Briceño • February 23, 2026
Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
stated on January 7, 2026 in a press briefing:

Says “90% of health care spending treats chronic disease.”

By Grace Abels • February 19, 2026
Bruce Blakeman
stated on January 14, 2026 in a statement:

New York ranks No. 1 in the nation for individual tax burden.

By Jill Terreri Ramos • February 17, 2026
Social Media
stated on February 14, 2026 in social media posts:

The Epstein files “expose Ellen DeGeneres” as a cannibal.

By Loreben Tuquero • February 16, 2026
X posts
stated on February 12, 2026 in an X post:

Savannah Guthrie's husband’s company is listed as a "co conspirator" in the Epstein files, “in case you're wondering why now of all times for (her) mother to be 'kidnapped.'"

By Maria Briceño • February 16, 2026
Donald Trump
stated on February 8, 2026 in an interview on NBC:

Crime in Minneapolis “is down 25, 30% because we’ve removed thousands of criminals from the area.”

By Amy Sherman • February 13, 2026
Tom O'Mara
stated on January 20, 2026 in an op-ed:

“New Yorkers pay 49% more than the national average for electricity.”

By Brooke Johnpier • February 13, 2026
Claudia Tenney
stated on January 16, 2026 in a post on X:

Said she has led the House effort to build a large Micron semiconductor facility near Syracuse.

By Andrew McGurl • February 13, 2026