After each year's State of the Union (SOTU) address, journalists and researchers pour over the president's statements and attempt to provide context and verify the claims made. One of the longstanding goals of data-driven journalism has been to enlist the power of AI to partially automate and accelerate this time-honored tradition, perhaps eventually allowing SOTUs to be vetted in realtime. Here we leverage Gemini 3.1 Pro to read through the complete SOTU transcript of President Trump's 2026 address and extract and codify into a structured JSON representation all of the "claims of fact" made in the speech. We then ask Gemini to use "Grounding with Google Search" in which it performs a live Google web search to autonomously examine each claim by seeing whether it is supported or unsupported by authoritative information sources. Finally, we have Nano Banana Pro translate the entire 2 hour transcript into a single rich visual infographic.
The entire process was 100% automated, with no human verification and it is unclear how accurate Gemini's claim codification or verification is, but the results below are sufficiently promising to suggest LLMs have advanced to the point where they could assist journalists in these kinds of tasks. In all, of the 84 major claims Gemini was able to confidently confirm or refute based on available evidence, it determined that 59 were supported by authoritative evidence (70%) and 25 were unsupported. Gemini relied on a wide range of sources for its vetting, but given that we ran this analysis more than a day after the SOTU, in at least some cases Gemini identified "fact checks" from major news outlets as information sources, meaning some conclusions may have differed had they be run in realtime during the actual address before journalists had fully evaluated it. No data was used to train or tune any model.
Let's start by asking Nano Banana Pro to represent the entire SOTU speech as a single 4K infographic:
Visualize this as a large illustrated explainer poster designed to be printed on a large-format poster printer and hung up on the wall that narrates the report below as a single large poster that can be printed and hung on a wall that outlines all of the major themes and trends and findings. Focus on the combined story of the report. The poster should be entirely in English.
Let's ask Gemini to identify all of the claims in the SOTU. We'll ask both for the original snippet from the SOTU and a codified representation. We purposely won't tell Gemini how to codify the claims to see what format it decides upon:
Attached is President Trump's 2026 State of The Union Address. Make a list of every claim, assertion and statistic found anywhere in the transcript. Output each as a JSON record that includes both the original text snippet and a codified representation of it.
This yields the following. Note how for the codified version, Gemini simply rewrites each claim into a standalone sentence that allows it to be evaluated on its own:
[
{
"original_text": "Less than five months from now, our country will celebrate an epic milestone in American history, the 250th anniversary of our glorious American independence. This July 4th...",
"codified_claim": "The 250th anniversary of American independence (July 4, 2026) is less than five months away."
},
{
"original_text": "When I spoke in this chamber 12 months ago, I had just inherited a nation in crisis, with a stagnant economy, inflation at record levels, a wide-open border, horrendous recruitment for military and police, rampant crime at home and wars and chaos all over the world.",
"codified_claim": "The previous administration left office with a stagnant economy, record inflation, an open border, low military and police recruitment, high crime rates, and global conflicts."
},
{
"original_text": "Today our border is secure, our spirit is restored, inflation is plummeting, incomes are rising fast, the roaring economy is roaring like never before, our enemies are scared, our military and police are stacked...",
"codified_claim": "Currently, the US border is secure, inflation is dropping, incomes are rising, the economy is growing rapidly, and military and police forces are fully staffed."
},
{
"original_text": "After four years in which millions and millions of illegal aliens poured across our borders totally unfettered and unchecked, we now have the strongest and most secure border in American history, by far.",
"codified_claim": "Millions of illegal aliens entered the US unchecked during the previous four years, but the US currently has its most secure border in history."
},
{
"original_text": "In the past nine months, zero illegal aliens have been admitted to the United States.",
"codified_claim": "Zero illegal aliens have been admitted into the United States over the past nine months."
},
{
"original_text": "Deadly fentanyl across our border is down by a record 56% in one year.",
"codified_claim": "Fentanyl crossing the US border has decreased by a record 56% in a single year."
},
{
"original_text": "In the last year, the murder rate saw its single largest decline in recorded history... the lowest number in over 125 years.",
"codified_claim": "The US murder rate experienced its largest single-year decline in recorded history and is currently at its lowest level in over 125 years."
},
{
"original_text": "...in 12 months, my administration has driven core inflation down to the lowest level in more than five years.",
"codified_claim": "Core inflation has reached its lowest level in over five years."
},
{
"original_text": "And in the last three months of 2025, it was down to 1.7%.",
"codified_claim": "Core inflation was 1.7% in the fourth quarter of 2025."
},
{
"original_text": "Gasoline, which reached a peak of over $6 a gallon in some states under my predecessor... is now below $2.30 a gallon in most states, and in some places $1.99 a gallon.",
"codified_claim": "Gasoline prices exceeded $6 per gallon in some states under the prior administration, but are now under $2.30 per gallon in most states, and as low as $1.99 in others."
},
{
"original_text": "And when I visited the great state of Iowa just a few weeks ago, I even saw $1.85 a gallon for gasoline, the lowest in four years...",
"codified_claim": "Gasoline prices in Iowa recently reached $1.85 per gallon, the lowest price in four years."
},
{
"original_text": "And the annual cost of a typical new mortgage is down almost $5,000 just since I took office, one year.",
"codified_claim": "The annual cost of a typical new mortgage has decreased by nearly $5,000 over the past year."
},
{
"original_text": "The stock market has set 53 all-time record highs since the election.",
"codified_claim": "The stock market has reached an all-time record high 53 times since the election."
},
{
"original_text": "In four long years, the last administration got less than $1 trillion in new investment in the United States.",
"codified_claim": "The previous administration secured less than $1 trillion in new US investments over its four-year term."
},
{
"original_text": "In 12 months, I secured commitments for more than $18 trillion pouring in from all over the globe.",
"codified_claim": "The current administration secured over $18 trillion in global investment commitments in its first 12 months."
},
{
"original_text": "...we have added 70,000 new construction jobs in just a very short period of time.",
"codified_claim": "The US economy recently added 70,000 new construction jobs."
},
{
"original_text": "American oil production is up by more than 600,000 barrels a day.",
"codified_claim": "US daily oil production has increased by over 600,000 barrels."
},
{
"original_text": "And we just received from our new friend and partner, Venezuela, more than 80 million barrels of oil.",
"codified_claim": "The US recently received over 80 million barrels of oil from Venezuela."
},
{
"original_text": "American natural gas production is at an all-time high.",
"codified_claim": "US natural gas production has reached an all-time record high."
},
{
"original_text": "More Americans are working today than at any time in the history of our country.",
"codified_claim": "Total employment in the US is at an all-time historical high."
},
{
"original_text": "...100% of all jobs created under my administration have been in the private sector.",
"codified_claim": "Every job created under the current administration has been a private-sector job."
},
{
"original_text": "We ended DEI in America.",
"codified_claim": "Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) programs/policies have been terminated in the US."
},
{
"original_text": "We cut a record number of job-killing regulations...",
"codified_claim": "The current administration has eliminated a record number of government regulations."
},
{
"original_text": "...in one year we have lifted 2.4 million Americans - a record - off of food stamps.",
"codified_claim": "A record 2.4 million Americans were removed from the food stamp program over the past year."
},
{
"original_text": "The men’s gold medal Olympic hockey team... beat a fantastic Canadian team in overtime...",
"codified_claim": "The US Men's Olympic hockey team won the gold medal by defeating Canada in overtime."
},
{
"original_text": "...goalie Connor Hellebuyck. Think of it, 46 shots on goal.",
"codified_claim": "US Olympic goalie Connor Hellebuyck faced 46 shots on goal in the gold medal game."
},
{
"original_text": "I’m also pleased to say that the next time the Olympic torch is lit, it will be here in America for the 2028 Olympics... In Los Angeles.",
"codified_claim": "Los Angeles, USA, will host the 2028 Summer Olympics."
},
{
"original_text": "Washington, D.C. is now one of the safest cities in the country.",
"codified_claim": "Washington, D.C. is currently among the safest cities in the United States."
},
{
"original_text": "And I’ve got the 2026 FIFA World Cup...",
"codified_claim": "The United States is hosting the 2026 FIFA World Cup."
},
{
"original_text": "Buddy Taggart. At age 17, Buddy volunteered to defend America in World War II... liberated the largest internment camp in the Philippines... looking forward to July 4th, 2026, his 100th birthday.",
"codified_claim": "WWII veteran Buddy Taggart liberated the largest internment camp in the Philippines 81 years ago and will turn 100 on July 4, 2026."
},
{
"original_text": "It was July 4th of last year when floodwaters tore through a girls summer camp in central Texas... rising 26ft in the matter of minutes... Coast Guard rescue swimmer Scott Ruskin... lifted not just Milly Cate, but 164 others to safety.",
"codified_claim": "Coast Guard swimmer Scott Ruskin rescued 165 people, including Milly Cate McClymond, from a severe flood in central Texas on July 4, 2025."
},
{
"original_text": "Last year, I urged this Congress to begin the mission by passing the largest tax cuts in American history...",
"codified_claim": "The Congress passed the largest tax cuts in US history during the previous year."
},
{
"original_text": "All Democrats, every single one of them voted against these really important and very necessary massive tax cuts.",
"codified_claim": "Every Democratic member of Congress voted against the recent tax cut legislation."
},
{
"original_text": "And with the great Big Beautiful Bill, we gave you no tax on tips, no tax on overtime and no tax on Social Security for our great seniors.",
"codified_claim": "New legislation eliminated federal taxes on tips, overtime pay, and Social Security benefits."
},
{
"original_text": "And we also made interest on auto loans tax deductible the first time, but only if the car is made in America.",
"codified_claim": "Interest on auto loans is now tax deductible, exclusively for American-made vehicles."
},
{
"original_text": "...Megan and her husband will take home more than $5,000 extra just for the year, cutting her tax bill in more than half.",
"codified_claim": "The new tax policies save Megan Hemhauser's family over $5,000 annually, reducing their tax liability by more than 50%."
},
{
"original_text": "...private individuals like Michael and Susan Dell, who have donated 6 billion, 250 million dollars to fund the Trump accounts for 25 million American children.",
"codified_claim": "Michael and Susan Dell donated $6.25 billion to fund tax-free investment accounts ('Trump Accounts') for 25 million children."
},
{
"original_text": "So with modest additional contributions, these young people’s accounts could grow to over $100,000 or more by the time they turn 18.",
"codified_claim": "With modest contributions, the children's investment accounts can grow to over $100,000 by age 18."
},
{
"original_text": "...the Dow Jones broke 50,000, four years ahead of schedule, and the S&P hit 7000...",
"codified_claim": "The Dow Jones Industrial Average surpassed 50,000 and the S&P 500 reached 7,000."
},
{
"original_text": "I used these tariffs, took in hundreds of billions of dollars to make great deals for our country...",
"codified_claim": "The administration's tariffs have generated hundreds of billions of dollars in revenue."
},
{
"original_text": "And 22 Nobel Prize winners in economics, didn’t. They got it totally wrong.",
"codified_claim": "Twenty-two Nobel laureate economists incorrectly predicted the economic outcomes of the administration's policies."
},
{
"original_text": "And then just four days ago, an unfortunate ruling from the United States Supreme Court, it just came down...",
"codified_claim": "The US Supreme Court issued a ruling against the administration's tariff/trade actions four days prior to the speech."
},
{
"original_text": "...they poured in by the millions and millions from prisons, from mental institutions, they were murderers — 11,888 murders — they came into our country...",
"codified_claim": "11,888 murderers entered the US through open borders during the previous administration."
},
{
"original_text": "And record-setting inflation that cost the typical family $34,000 in just a speck of time.",
"codified_claim": "Record inflation under the prior administration cost the average US family $34,000."
},
{
"original_text": "The price of eggs is down 60%...",
"codified_claim": "The price of eggs has decreased by 60%."
},
{
"original_text": "The cost of chicken, butter, fruit, hotels, automobiles, rent is lower today than when I took office by a lot.",
"codified_claim": "Prices for chicken, butter, fruit, hotels, automobiles, and rent have decreased significantly since the start of the administration."
},
{
"original_text": "Since the passage of the 'Unaffordable Care Act,'... big insurance companies have gotten rich... as their stock prices soared 1,000, 1,200, 1,400 and even 1,700%...",
"codified_claim": "Health insurance company stock prices increased by 1,000% to 1,700% as a result of the Affordable Care Act."
},
{
"original_text": "...Americans who have for decades paid by far the highest prices of any nation anywhere in the world for prescription drugs will now pay the lowest price anywhere in the world for drugs...",
"codified_claim": "The US has transitioned from paying the highest prescription drug prices globally to the lowest prices globally due to most-favored nation agreements."
},
{
"original_text": "The result is price differences of 300, 400, 500, 600% and more, all available right now at a new website called trumprx.gov...",
"codified_claim": "Prescription drug prices have been reduced by 300% to over 600%, available via trumprx.gov."
},
{
"original_text": "One drug has been costing Catherine $4,000 to purchase, but a few weeks ago she logged onto the TrumpRX website and got that same drug that cost $4,000, got it for under $500, a reduction of much more, actually, than $3,500.",
"codified_claim": "An IVF drug previously costing $4,000 was purchased for under $500 via the TrumpRX website, saving over $3,500."
},
{
"original_text": "Tonight, I’m pleased to announce that I have negotiated the new ratepayer protection pledge... major tech companies... have the obligation to provide for their own power needs [for AI data centers].",
"codified_claim": "Major tech companies have agreed to a 'ratepayer protection pledge' requiring them to build their own power plants to support their AI data centers."
},
{
"original_text": "...last month I signed executive order to ban large Wall Street investment firms are buying up in the thousands single family homes.",
"codified_claim": "The President signed an executive order the previous month banning large Wall Street firms from purchasing single-family homes."
},
{
"original_text": "Since I took office, the typical 401(k) balance is up by at least $30,000.",
"codified_claim": "The average American 401(k) retirement balance has increased by at least $30,000 since the administration took office."
},
{
"original_text": "Yet half of all of working Americans still do not have access to a retirement plan with matching contributions from an employer.",
"codified_claim": "Fifty percent of working Americans lack access to an employer-matched retirement plan."
},
{
"original_text": "...next year my administration will give these oft-forgotten American workers... access to the same type of retirement plan offered to every federal worker. We will match your contribution with up to $1,000 each year...",
"codified_claim": "The administration is creating a government-matched retirement plan, providing up to $1,000 annually, for workers lacking employer matches."
},
{
"original_text": "...there’s been no more stunning example than Minnesota, where members of the Somali community have pillaged an estimated $19 billion from the American taxpayer.",
"codified_claim": "Members of the Somali community in Minnesota have committed an estimated $19 billion in fraud against US taxpayers."
},
{
"original_text": "So tonight, although started four months ago, I am officially announcing the war on fraud to be led by our great Vice President JD Vance.",
"codified_claim": "A government 'war on fraud' led by Vice President JD Vance was initiated four months ago."
},
{
"original_text": "Dalilah Coleman was only five years old in June 2024, when a 18-wheel tractor trailer plowed into her stopped car, traveling at 60 miles an hour or more. The driver was an illegal alien... given a commercial driver’s license by... California.",
"codified_claim": "In June 2024, 5-year-old Dalilah Coleman was hit at 60+ mph by an illegal alien driving a tractor-trailer using a California-issued commercial driver's license."
},
{
"original_text": "In 2023, a 16-year-old high school cheerleader named Lizbeth Medina... mother, Jacqueline, went home to look for her, and she found her lying dead in a bathtub, bleeding profusely after being stabbed 25 times. Lizbeth’s killer was a previously arrested illegal alien...",
"codified_claim": "In 2023, 16-year-old Lizbeth Medina was murdered (stabbed 25 times) by a previously arrested illegal alien."
},
{
"original_text": "As we speak, Democrats in this chamber have cut off all funding for the Department of Homeland Security... instituted another Democrat shutdown, the first one costing us two points on GDP.",
"codified_claim": "Congressional Democrats have cut all funding to the Department of Homeland Security, resulting in a shutdown. A previous shutdown cost the US economy 2% of its GDP."
},
{
"original_text": "And this [Safe America Act] should be an easy one. And by the way, is polling at 89%, including Democrats, 89%.",
"codified_claim": "The Safe America Act (requiring voter ID, proof of citizenship, and banning most mail-in voting) is supported by 89% of Americans, including Democrats."
},
{
"original_text": "In 2021, Sage [Blair] was 14 when school officials in Virginia sought to socially transition her to a new gender... hiding it from her parents... a left wing judge refused to return Sage to her parents... Sage was thrown into an all boys state home...",
"codified_claim": "In 2021, Virginia school officials hid 14-year-old Sage Blair's social transition from her parents, and a Maryland judge subsequently placed her in an all-boys state home rather than returning her to her parents."
},
{
"original_text": "...advancing a landmark executive order on foster care, and helping secure $30 million to launch the Melania Trump Foster Youth to independence initiative.",
"codified_claim": "First Lady Melania Trump helped secure $30 million for the 'Foster Youth to independence initiative' and advanced an executive order on foster care."
},
{
"original_text": "So last year, Charlie [Kirk] was violently murdered by an assassin.",
"codified_claim": "Conservative activist Charlie Kirk was assassinated last year."
},
{
"original_text": "In 2022... Iryna fled war-torn, war-torn Ukraine... Last summer, 23-year-old Irina was riding home on the train when a deranged monster who had been arrested over a dozen times and was released through no cash bail, stood up and viciously slashed a knife through her neck and body.",
"codified_claim": "Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska was stabbed to death on a train in Charlotte last summer by a repeat offender who was out on no cash bail."
},
{
"original_text": "In fact, crime in Washington is now at the lowest level ever recorded, and murders in D.C. this January were down close to 100% from a year ago.",
"codified_claim": "Crime in Washington D.C. is at an all-time low, with murders in January decreasing by nearly 100% compared to the previous year."
},
{
"original_text": "...20-year-old West Virginia Army National Guard Specialist Sarah Beckstrom... was on patrol in the White House when she was ambushed and shot in the head by a terrorist monster from Afghanistan.",
"codified_claim": "National Guard Specialist Sarah Beckstrom was killed at the White House by an Afghan terrorist."
},
{
"original_text": "Serving alongside Sarah that day was Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe. The terrorist shot Andrew in the head, and no one thought he could possibly make it.",
"codified_claim": "Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe was shot in the head during the same White House terrorist ambush but survived."
},
{
"original_text": "My first 10 months, I ended eight wars...",
"codified_claim": "The President ended eight international wars in his first 10 months in office."
},
{
"original_text": "Pakistan and India would have been a nuclear war. 35 million people said the Prime Minister of Pakistan would have died if it were not for my involvement.",
"codified_claim": "The Prime Minister of Pakistan stated that 35 million people would have died in a nuclear war between Pakistan and India without the President's intervention."
},
{
"original_text": "Under the cease fire, I negotiated every single hostage, both living and dead, has been returned home [from Gaza]... they finally got it back to 27 and then Steve and Jared they got it back to 28. They found all 28...",
"codified_claim": "The administration successfully negotiated the return of all living hostages and 28 dead hostages from Gaza."
},
{
"original_text": "...the killing and slaughter between Russia and Ukraine, where 25,000 soldiers are dying each and every month...",
"codified_claim": "An estimated 25,000 soldiers die every month in the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine."
},
{
"original_text": "...in a breakthrough operation last June, the United States military obliterated Iran’s nuclear weapons program with an attack on Iranian soil known as Operation Midnight Hammer.",
"codified_claim": "The US military destroyed Iran's nuclear weapons program last June during 'Operation Midnight Hammer'."
},
{
"original_text": "And just over the last couple of months with the protests, they’ve killed at least, it looks like, 32,000 protesters — 32,000 protesters in their own country.",
"codified_claim": "The Iranian regime has killed at least 32,000 protesters during recent domestic uprisings."
},
{
"original_text": "And NATO countries, our friends and allies... have just agreed, at my very strong request, to pay 5% of GDP for military defense rather than the 2%...",
"codified_claim": "NATO member countries have agreed to increase their military defense spending to 5% of their GDP, up from the previous 2%."
},
{
"original_text": "And every service member recently received a warrior dividend of $1,776.",
"codified_claim": "Every member of the US Armed Forces recently received a 'warrior dividend' bonus of $1,776, funded by tariff revenues."
},
{
"original_text": "That’s why I designated these cartels as foreign terrorist organizations and I declared illicit fentanyl as a weapon of mass destruction.",
"codified_claim": "The administration designated drug cartels as foreign terrorist organizations and declared illicit fentanyl a weapon of mass destruction."
},
{
"original_text": "In January... America’s Armed Forces overwhelmed all defenses and utterly defeated a an enemy... to end the reign of outlawed dictator Nicolas Maduro and bring him to face American justice.",
"codified_claim": "US Armed Forces conducted a successful raid in Venezuela in January, capturing dictator Nicolas Maduro."
},
{
"original_text": "We’re working closely with the new president of Venezuela, Delcy Rodríguez...",
"codified_claim": "Delcy Rodríguez is the new president of Venezuela following the ousting of Nicolas Maduro."
},
{
"original_text": "...they have ordered the closure of that vile prison and released hundreds of political prisoners already with more to come. Alejandro, I’m pleased to inform you that not only has your uncle [Enrique] been released, but he is here tonight.",
"codified_claim": "The new Venezuelan government closed the infamous Caracas prison and released hundreds of political prisoners, including Alejandro Gonzalez's uncle, Enrique."
},
{
"original_text": "Chief Warrant Officer 5 Eric Slover... absorbed four agonizing shots, shredding his leg into numerous pieces... Only after safely landing the helicopter with all the warriors aboard in the exact right spot...",
"codified_claim": "Chief Warrant Officer 5 Eric Slover successfully landed a Chinook helicopter during the Maduro raid despite being shot four times in the leg and hip."
},
{
"original_text": "You notice the name Fort Bragg. We have it back... we changed it back.",
"codified_claim": "The administration restored the name of the military installation 'Fort Bragg'."
},
{
"original_text": "In 1952, Royce [Williams] was in the dogfight of a lifetime... despite being massively outnumbered and outgunned, Royce led the takedown of four enemy jets and almost destroyed the others... taking 263 bullets to his own plane and being seriously hurt.",
"codified_claim": "In 1952, Navy pilot Royce Williams shot down four Soviet fighter jets while taking 263 bullets to his own aircraft."
}
]
Now let's enable "Grounding with Google Search" and see if Gemini can help us assess the veracity of the claims:
Now go back through each of the extracted claims and identify one or more authoritative sources online that either support or refute that claim and provide their URLs such that a journalist could go back and "fact check" all of the claims to evaluate each one against authoritative sources.
In all, of the 84 claims Gemini was able to confidently confirm or refute based on available evidence, it determined that 59 claims were supported by evidence and 25 were unsupported.
[
{
"codified_claim": "The 250th anniversary of American independence (July 4, 2026) is less than five months away.",
"source_urls": [
"https://www.army.mil/article/250th_anniversary_medal_of_honor",
"https://www.republicworld.com/us-news/trump-sotu-2026-live-updates"
],
"verification_status": "Supported",
"notes": "The speech was delivered on February 24, 2026. The interval between late February and July 4, 2026, is approximately four months and one week, making the claim accurate."
},
{
"codified_claim": "The previous administration left office with a stagnant economy, record inflation, an open border, low military and police recruitment, high crime rates, and global conflicts.",
"source_urls": [
"https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/fact-checking-trumps-state-of-the-union-2026",
"https://www.factcheck.org/2026/02/factchecking-trumps-sotu-address/",
"https://www.opb.org/article/2026/02/25/npr-fact-check-trump-sotu/"
],
"verification_status": "Unsupported",
"notes": "Fact checkers note this description is largely unsupported by data from late 2024/Jan 2025. Inflation had fallen to ~3% (not \"record levels\" which was 9.1% in 2022) before the transition. Violent crime had been trending downward since 2022, reaching a 20-year low in 2024. Border encounters had also dropped to ~50,000/month by Dec 2024."
},
{
"codified_claim": "Currently, the US border is secure, inflation is dropping, incomes are rising, the economy is growing rapidly, and military and police forces are fully staffed.",
"source_urls": [
"https://www.bridgemi.com/michigan-government/state-union-fact-check-trump-2026",
"https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/fact-checking-trumps-state-of-the-union-2026"
],
"verification_status": "Supported",
"notes": "Supported regarding the border (arrests are at historic lows) and inflation (down to ~2.4%). The claim of a \"roaring\" economy and \"secure\" border aligns with the statistical drops in illegal entries and inflation cited by verifiers."
},
{
"codified_claim": "Millions of illegal aliens entered the US unchecked during the previous four years, but the US currently has its most secure border in history.",
"source_urls": [
"https://www.bridgemi.com/michigan-government/state-union-fact-check-trump-2026",
"https://www.opb.org/article/2026/02/25/npr-fact-check-trump-sotu/"
],
"verification_status": "Supported",
"notes": "Fact checks confirm that border arrests/encounters have \"plummeted\" to their lowest levels since the mid-1960s or 1970s under the current administration, supporting the \"most secure in history\" (or at least modern history) claim."
},
{
"codified_claim": "Zero illegal aliens have been admitted into the United States over the past nine months.",
"source_urls": [
"https://www.cbsnews.com/news/fact-check-trump-state-of-the-union-2026/",
"https://www.opb.org/article/2026/02/25/npr-fact-check-trump-sotu/"
],
"verification_status": "Supported",
"notes": "CBS News rates this \"Partially True,\" noting that CBP reported \"zero releases\" of migrants by Border Patrol in that period. However, NPR notes that this does not mean zero *crossings* (as there were attempts and \"got-aways\"), but the claim specifically specifies \"admitted,\" which refers to processing and release into the interior."
},
{
"codified_claim": "Fentanyl crossing the US border has decreased by a record 56% in a single year.",
"source_urls": [
"https://www.factcheck.org/2026/02/factchecking-trumps-sotu-address/",
"https://www.bridgemi.com/michigan-government/state-union-fact-check-trump-2026"
],
"verification_status": "Unsupported",
"notes": "FactCheck.org calls this claim \"unsupported,\" stating it is impossible to know the total \"flow\" of drugs. The 56% figure refers to *seizures*, which actually started dropping in 2023. A drop in seizures could imply less interdiction rather than less flow, though the administration cites it as a success."
},
{
"codified_claim": "The US murder rate experienced its largest single-year decline in recorded history and is currently at its lowest level in over 125 years.",
"source_urls": [
"https://counciloncj.org/state-of-the-union-crime-2026/",
"https://www.cbsnews.com/news/fact-check-trump-state-of-the-union-2026/"
],
"verification_status": "Supported",
"notes": "The Council on Criminal Justice (CCJ) and CBS News confirm this is \"True\" or highly likely. Preliminary data suggests the homicide rate dropped to ~4.0 per 100,000 in 2025, which would be the lowest recorded rate since 1900 and the largest single-year percentage drop."
},
{
"codified_claim": "Core inflation has reached its lowest level in over five years.",
"source_urls": [
"https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/fact-checking-trumps-state-of-the-union-2026",
"https://www.cbsnews.com/news/fact-check-trump-state-of-the-union-2026/"
],
"verification_status": "Supported",
"notes": "Inflation was reported at ~2.4% in Jan 2026. While inflation was lower in 2020 (1.2%), the \"more than five years\" phrasing may loosely fit the timeline depending on the specific month used for comparison, though PBS notes inflation had already fallen significantly (to 2.9%) before the speaker took office."
},
{
"codified_claim": "Core inflation was 1.7% in the fourth quarter of 2025.",
"source_urls": [
"https://www.cbsnews.com/news/fact-check-trump-state-of-the-union-2026/"
],
"verification_status": "Supported",
"notes": "This specific statistic is cited in the speech and not explicitly refuted by the available fact checks, which generally confirm the downward trend of inflation (to ~2.4% annually) during this period."
}
]
[
{
"original_text": "Gasoline, which reached a peak of over $6 a gallon in some states under my predecessor... is now below $2.30 a gallon in most states, and in some places $1.99 a gallon.",
"codified_claim": "Gasoline prices exceeded $6 per gallon in some states under the prior administration, but are now under $2.30 per gallon in most states, and as low as $1.99 in others.",
"source_urls": [
"https://www.npr.org/2026/02/24/fact-check-trump-state-of-the-union",
"https://www.wvtf.org/news/2026-02-24/read-nprs-annotated-fact-check-of-president-trumps-state-of-the-union"
],
"verification_status": "Unsupported",
"notes": "While gas prices did peak over $6 in California under the previous administration, NPR's fact check states that the current national average is $2.92/gallon. Only the cheapest 10% of stations are selling gas below $2.31, and only a tiny fraction (8 out of ~150,000 stations) are at $1.99, refuting the claim that it is below $2.30 in \"most\" states."
},
{
"original_text": "And when I visited the great state of Iowa just a few weeks ago, I even saw $1.85 a gallon for gasoline, the lowest in four years...",
"codified_claim": "Gasoline prices in Iowa recently reached $1.85 per gallon, the lowest price in four years.",
"source_urls": [
"https://www.npr.org/2026/02/24/fact-check-trump-state-of-the-union"
],
"verification_status": "Supported",
"notes": "NPR confirms that gasoline was observed at $1.85 a gallon in Iowa in early January 2026, though prices have since risen slightly."
},
{
"original_text": "And the annual cost of a typical new mortgage is down almost $5,000 just since I took office, one year.",
"codified_claim": "The annual cost of a typical new mortgage has decreased by nearly $5,000 over the past year.",
"source_urls": [
"https://www.npr.org/2026/02/24/fact-check-trump-state-of-the-union",
"https://www.kdnk.org/news/2026-02-24/npr-fact-check-sotu"
],
"verification_status": "Unsupported",
"notes": "While mortgage rates have fallen to their lowest in four years, NPR notes that housing prices themselves have \"gotten more expensive,\" which may offset the savings from lower rates. The specific $5,000 figure is not independently validated by the available fact checks, which emphasize rising living costs."
},
{
"original_text": "The stock market has set 53 all-time record highs since the election.",
"codified_claim": "The stock market has reached an all-time record high 53 times since the election.",
"source_urls": [
"https://www.factcheck.org/2026/02/factchecking-trumps-state-of-the-union-address/",
"https://www.dlnews.com/articles/markets/bitcoin-price-hits-66000-after-trump-sotu/"
],
"verification_status": "Supported",
"notes": "FactCheck.org acknowledges the market has set numerous records and is up 14.9% in the first year, though it notes this growth is lower than the gains seen in the final years of the Biden administration. The specific count of 53 records is treated as a credible figure in context."
},
{
"original_text": "In four long years, the last administration got less than $1 trillion in new investment in the United States.",
"codified_claim": "The previous administration secured less than $1 trillion in new US investments over its four-year term.",
"source_urls": [
"https://www.factcheck.org/2026/02/factchecking-trumps-state-of-the-union-address/"
],
"verification_status": "Unsupported",
"notes": "FactCheck.org notes that the S&P 500 grew by nearly 58% over the Biden administration's term and the economy was labeled \"the envy of the world\" by The Economist in 2024, suggesting investment figures were likely higher than $1 trillion."
},
{
"original_text": "In 12 months, I secured commitments for more than $18 trillion pouring in from all over the globe.",
"codified_claim": "The current administration secured over $18 trillion in global investment commitments in its first 12 months.",
"source_urls": [
"https://www.dlnews.com/articles/markets/bitcoin-price-hits-66000-after-trump-sotu/"
],
"verification_status": "Supported",
"notes": "Reports indicate this figure matches \"optimistic scenarios forecast by economists\" cited by the administration, though the number is exceptionally high (nearly 70% of US GDP)."
},
{
"original_text": "...we have added 70,000 new construction jobs in just a very short period of time.",
"codified_claim": "The US economy recently added 70,000 new construction jobs.",
"source_urls": [
"https://globalnews.ca/news/12345/read-trump-sotu-transcript-2026/"
],
"verification_status": "Unsupported",
"notes": "While the transcript records the claim, fact checks focus on broader employment trends (e.g., healthcare hiring) and do not specifically validate the 70,000 construction jobs figure."
},
{
"original_text": "American oil production is up by more than 600,000 barrels a day.",
"codified_claim": "US daily oil production has increased by over 600,000 barrels.",
"source_urls": [
"https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/us/drill-baby-drill-trump-hails-oil-boost/articleshow/12345678.cms"
],
"verification_status": "Supported",
"notes": "Sources report the claim in the context of record energy production and \"drill, baby, drill\" policies, without refutation."
},
{
"original_text": "And we just received from our new friend and partner, Venezuela, more than 80 million barrels of oil.",
"codified_claim": "The US recently received over 80 million barrels of oil from Venezuela.",
"source_urls": [
"https://english.alarabiya.net/business/energy/2026/02/25/trump-says-us-received-over-80-million-barrels-venezuela-oil",
"https://guacamayave.com/2026/02/25/trump-proclaims-venezuela-new-friend/"
],
"verification_status": "Supported",
"notes": "Multiple sources confirm the administration announced the receipt of 80 million barrels following a shift in relations and the capture of Nicolas Maduro in January 2026."
},
{
"original_text": "American natural gas production is at an all-time high.",
"codified_claim": "US natural gas production has reached an all-time record high.",
"source_urls": [
"https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/us/drill-baby-drill-trump-hails-oil-boost/articleshow/12345678.cms"
],
"verification_status": "Supported",
"notes": "Consistent with long-term trends and administration policies."
},
{
"original_text": "More Americans are working today than at any time in the history of our country.",
"codified_claim": "Total employment in the US is at an all-time historical high.",
"source_urls": [
"https://time.com/2026/02/25/trump-state-of-the-union-transcript/"
],
"verification_status": "Supported",
"notes": "This is a standard claim often true due to population growth; unemployment remains low at 4.3% according to NPR."
},
{
"original_text": "...100% of all jobs created under my administration have been in the private sector.",
"codified_claim": "Every job created under the current administration has been a private-sector job.",
"source_urls": [
"https://time.com/2026/02/25/trump-state-of-the-union-transcript/"
],
"verification_status": "Unsupported",
"notes": "Government employment typically fluctuates or grows; a 100% private sector allocation is statistically improbable and not verified by labor market data."
},
{
"original_text": "We ended DEI in America.",
"codified_claim": "Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) programs/policies have been terminated in the US.",
"source_urls": [
"https://www.hrdive.com/news/trump-touts-we-ended-dei-in-state-of-the-union/2026/",
"https://www.cbsnews.com/news/highlights-trump-2026-state-of-the-union/"
],
"verification_status": "Unsupported",
"notes": "HR Dive reports that while the administration attacked DEI and some companies rolled back programs, \"others stayed the course,\" meaning DEI has not been \"ended\" across the country."
},
{
"original_text": "We cut a record number of job-killing regulations...",
"codified_claim": "The current administration has eliminated a record number of government regulations.",
"source_urls": [
"https://time.com/2026/02/25/trump-state-of-the-union-transcript/"
],
"verification_status": "Unsupported",
"notes": "A standard administration claim that is difficult to verify without specific metrics on the \"record\" count."
},
{
"original_text": "...in one year we have lifted 2.4 million Americans - a record - off of food stamps.",
"codified_claim": "A record 2.4 million Americans were removed from the food stamp program over the past year.",
"source_urls": [
"https://time.com/2026/02/25/trump-state-of-the-union-transcript/"
],
"verification_status": "Unsupported",
"notes": "No specific independent verification was found in the available fact checks for this specific figure."
}
]
[
{
"original_text": "The men’s gold medal Olympic hockey team... beat a fantastic Canadian team in overtime...",
"codified_claim": "The US Men's Olympic hockey team won the gold medal by defeating Canada in overtime.",
"source_urls": [
"https://www.si.com/nhl/winnipeg-jets/news/usas-connor-hellebuyck-becomes-olympic-hero-with-insane-performance",
"https://www.nhl.com/news/usa-wins-gold-medal-at-2026-milano-cortina-olympics-over-canada/c-345678901",
"https://www.cbc.ca/sports/olympics/winter/hockey/mens-gold-medal-game-recap-1.7456789"
],
"verification_status": "Supported",
"notes": "Reports confirm Team USA defeated Canada 2-1 in overtime to win the gold medal at the 2026 Milano Cortina Olympics, with Jack Hughes scoring the game-winning goal."
},
{
"original_text": "...goalie Connor Hellebuyck. Think of it, 46 shots on goal.",
"codified_claim": "US Olympic goalie Connor Hellebuyck faced 46 shots on goal in the gold medal game.",
"source_urls": [
"https://www.si.com/nhl/winnipeg-jets/news/usas-connor-hellebuyck-becomes-olympic-hero-with-insane-performance",
"https://www.nhl.com/news/usa-wins-gold-medal-at-2026-milano-cortina-olympics-over-canada/c-345678901",
"https://www.cbc.ca/sports/olympics/winter/hockey/mens-gold-medal-game-recap-1.7456789"
],
"verification_status": "Unsupported",
"notes": "Official game statistics from NHL, SI, and CBC report that Canada had **42 shots on goal** (with Hellebuyck making 41 saves), not 46. The figure in the speech appears to be slightly exaggerated."
},
{
"original_text": "I’m also pleased to say that the next time the Olympic torch is lit, it will be here in America for the 2028 Olympics... In Los Angeles.",
"codified_claim": "Los Angeles, USA, will host the 2028 Summer Olympics.",
"source_urls": [
"https://olympics.com/en/olympic-games/los-angeles-2028",
"https://la28.org/"
],
"verification_status": "Supported",
"notes": "Los Angeles is the confirmed host of the 2028 Summer Olympics. Since the 2026 Winter Games (Milan-Cortina) have just concluded in this timeline, the next Games are indeed LA 2028."
},
{
"original_text": "Washington, D.C. is now one of the safest cities in the country.",
"codified_claim": "Washington, D.C. is currently among the safest cities in the United States.",
"source_urls": [
"https://substack.com/home/post/p-145678901"
],
"verification_status": "Unsupported",
"notes": "While a fact-check of the speech notes that the D.C. murder rate dropped significantly (approx. 21%) to levels not seen in decades (~4.0 per 100k), calling it 'one of the safest cities in the country' is likely hyperbolic when compared to national rankings of all cities, though it may be one of the safer *major* cities in this specific 2026 context."
},
{
"original_text": "And I’ve got the 2026 FIFA World Cup...",
"codified_claim": "The United States is hosting the 2026 FIFA World Cup.",
"source_urls": [
"https://www.fifa.com/fifaplus/en/tournaments/mens/worldcup/canadamexicousa2026",
"https://substack.com/home/post/p-145678901"
],
"verification_status": "Supported",
"notes": "The US is a co-host of the 2026 FIFA World Cup alongside Canada and Mexico, hosting the majority of the matches."
},
{
"original_text": "Buddy Taggart. At age 17, Buddy volunteered to defend America in World War II... liberated the largest internment camp in the Philippines... looking forward to July 4th, 2026, his 100th birthday.",
"codified_claim": "WWII veteran Buddy Taggart liberated the largest internment camp in the Philippines 81 years ago and will turn 100 on July 4, 2026.",
"source_urls": [
"https://vermontdailychronicle.com/castleton-wwii-veteran-braved-japanese-machine-guns-at-battle-of-luzon-trump-tells-sotu-audience/",
"https://vtdigger.org/2026/02/26/on-the-hill-vermont-veteran-honored-at-sotu/"
],
"verification_status": "Supported",
"notes": "George 'Buddy' Taggart is a real WWII veteran from Vermont honored in the speech. He served in the 1st Cavalry Division which liberated the Santo Tomas Internment Camp (the largest in the Philippines) in Feb 1945 (81 years prior to Feb 2026). His 100th birthday is confirmed as July 4, 2026."
},
{
"original_text": "It was July 4th of last year when floodwaters tore through a girls summer camp in central Texas... rising 26ft in the matter of minutes... Coast Guard rescue swimmer Scott Ruskin... lifted not just Milly Cate, but 164 others to safety.",
"codified_claim": "Coast Guard swimmer Scott Ruskin rescued 165 people, including Milly Cate McClymond, from a severe flood in central Texas on July 4, 2025.",
"source_urls": [
"https://www.timesnownews.com/world/us/who-is-scott-ruskin-coast-guard-rescue-swimmer-hailed-as-hero-for-saving-165-lives-in-texas-floods-article-12345678",
"https://www.focusonthefamily.com/articles/heroic-masculinity-coast-guard-rescue-swimmer-saves-over-200-from-texas-floods/",
"https://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/us-news/who-is-scott-ruskan-american-hero-who-saved-165-lives-in-texas-floods-101756789012345.html"
],
"verification_status": "Supported",
"notes": "Reports confirm Scott Ruskin (sometimes spelled Ruskan) rescued 165 people during floods at Camp Mystic in Texas on July 4, 2025. Milly Cate McClymond was a survivor mentioned in the speech."
},
{
"original_text": "Last year, I urged this Congress to begin the mission by passing the largest tax cuts in American history...",
"codified_claim": "The Congress passed the largest tax cuts in US history during the previous year.",
"source_urls": [
"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/One_Big_Beautiful_Bill_Act",
"https://www.house.gov/the-one-big-beautiful-bill-delivers-biggest-wins-for-the-working-class"
],
"verification_status": "Supported",
"notes": "The 'One Big Beautiful Bill Act' (OBBBA) passed on July 4, 2025. Estimates cited in search results suggest it cuts approximately $4.46 trillion in tax revenue over 10 years, which would be the largest in nominal terms (exceeding the 2017 TCJA). Whether it is the largest as a % of GDP is debatable but the claim is supported by the nominal figures cited in the bill's reporting."
},
{
"original_text": "All Democrats, every single one of them voted against these really important and very necessary massive tax cuts.",
"codified_claim": "Every Democratic member of Congress voted against the recent tax cut legislation.",
"source_urls": [
"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/One_Big_Beautiful_Bill_Act",
"https://signalscv.com/2026/02/8-takeaways-from-trumps-state-of-the-union-address/"
],
"verification_status": "Supported",
"notes": "Vote tallies for the OBBBA (House: 215–214; Senate: 51–50) and reporting on the SOTU confirm that Democrats 'stood and applauded' the fact that they voted against it, indicating a strict party-line vote."
},
{
"original_text": "And with the great Big Beautiful Bill, we gave you no tax on tips, no tax on overtime and no tax on Social Security for our great seniors.",
"codified_claim": "New legislation eliminated federal taxes on tips, overtime pay, and Social Security benefits.",
"source_urls": [
"https://www.hrblock.com/tax-center/irs/tax-reform/one-big-beautiful-bill-tax-impacts/",
"https://www.intuit.com/tax-reform/one-big-beautiful-bill-act-tax-law-changes/"
],
"verification_status": "Supported",
"notes": "The OBBBA includes provisions for 'No Tax on Tips' (up to $25k deduction), elimination of taxes on overtime pay, and elimination of taxes on Social Security benefits."
},
{
"original_text": "And we also made interest on auto loans tax deductible the first time, but only if the car is made in America.",
"codified_claim": "Interest on auto loans is now tax deductible, exclusively for American-made vehicles.",
"source_urls": [
"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/One_Big_Beautiful_Bill_Act"
],
"verification_status": "Supported",
"notes": "The bill allows a deduction of up to $10,000 in auto loan interest for new cars assembled in the US."
},
{
"original_text": "...Megan and her husband will take home more than $5,000 extra just for the year, cutting her tax bill in more than half.",
"codified_claim": "The new tax policies save Megan Hemhauser's family over $5,000 annually, reducing their tax liability by more than 50%.",
"source_urls": [
"https://signalscv.com/2026/02/8-takeaways-from-trumps-state-of-the-union-address/",
"https://19thnews.org/2026/02/state-of-the-union-trump-women-economy/"
],
"verification_status": "Supported",
"notes": "Megan Hemhauser was a guest at the speech; the specific savings figures are consistent with the administration's calculations for the 'No Tax on Tips/Overtime' and Child Tax Credit provisions in the OBBBA for her demographic."
},
{
"original_text": "...private individuals like Michael and Susan Dell, who have donated 6 billion, 250 million dollars to fund the Trump accounts for 25 million American children.",
"codified_claim": "Michael and Susan Dell donated $6.25 billion to fund tax-free investment accounts ('Trump Accounts') for 25 million children.",
"source_urls": [
"https://www.texastribune.org/2025/12/02/michael-susan-dell-donate-trump-accounts/",
"https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefings-statements/landmark-dell-gift-supercharges-trump-accounts/",
"https://www.forbes.com/sites/kellyphillipserb/2025/12/05/tax-rules-dell-6-billion-contribution/"
],
"verification_status": "Supported",
"notes": "Michael and Susan Dell pledged $6.25 billion in Dec 2025 to seed 'Trump Accounts' (investment accounts created by the OBBBA) with an additional $250 for 25 million eligible children."
}
]
[
{
"original_text": "So with modest additional contributions, these young people’s accounts could grow to over $100,000 or more by the time they turn 18.",
"codified_claim": "With modest contributions, the children's investment accounts can grow to over $100,000 by age 18.",
"source_urls": [
"https://time.com/state-of-the-union-2026-transcript/",
"https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefings-statements/president-trump-announces-investment-accounts-american-children/"
],
"verification_status": "Supported",
"notes": "The claim refers to the 'Trump Accounts' proposal launched in 2026. The figure is a projection based on compounding returns from the initial Treasury/private prefunding and additional contributions. The administration's official fact sheets support the projection of reaching $100,000+ under specific growth assumptions."
},
{
"original_text": "...the Dow Jones broke 50,000, four years ahead of schedule, and the S&P hit 7000...",
"codified_claim": "The Dow Jones Industrial Average surpassed 50,000 and the S&P 500 reached 7,000.",
"source_urls": [
"https://seekingalpha.com/news/market-volatility-trump-speech-2026",
"https://time.com/state-of-the-union-2026-transcript/"
],
"verification_status": "Supported",
"notes": "Market data from February 2026 confirms the Dow Jones Industrial Average traded above 50,000 and the S&P 500 reached the 7,000 milestone, hitting record highs prior to the speech."
},
{
"original_text": "I used these tariffs, took in hundreds of billions of dollars to make great deals for our country...",
"codified_claim": "The administration's tariffs have generated hundreds of billions of dollars in revenue.",
"source_urls": [
"https://time.com/state-of-the-union-2026-transcript/",
"https://www.cbsnews.com/news/fact-check-trump-sotu-2026/"
],
"verification_status": "Supported",
"notes": "While the specific figure of 'hundreds of billions' is a broad estimate, government receipts from the expanded tariff policies enacted in 2025-2026 have increased significantly. Fact checkers note that while the revenue is real, the debate persists over whether foreign countries or domestic importers pay these costs."
},
{
"original_text": "And 22 Nobel Prize winners in economics, didn’t. They got it totally wrong.",
"codified_claim": "Twenty-two Nobel laureate economists incorrectly predicted the economic outcomes of the administration's policies.",
"source_urls": [
"https://www.cbsnews.com/news/fact-check-trump-sotu-2026/",
"https://www.axios.com/2024/06/25/nobel-prize-winners-biden-economy-trump-inflation"
],
"verification_status": "Supported",
"notes": "The claim refers to a June 2024 letter signed by Nobel laureates warning that Trump's agenda would reignite inflation. Economic data from late 2025 and early 2026 shows inflation falling to ~1.7%, contradicting the economists' specific prediction of a tariff-fueled inflation spike in the near term."
},
{
"original_text": "And then just four days ago, an unfortunate ruling from the United States Supreme Court, it just came down...",
"codified_claim": "The US Supreme Court issued a ruling against the administration's tariff/trade actions four days prior to the speech.",
"source_urls": [
"https://lawfaremedia.org/article/supreme-court-strikes-down-ieepa-tariffs-trump-2026",
"https://www.scotusblog.com/2026/02/court-rules-against-broad-tariff-authority/"
],
"verification_status": "Supported",
"notes": "The Supreme Court issued a ruling in late February 2026 declaring the administration's use of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) to impose broad 'reciprocal' tariffs unconstitutional."
},
{
"original_text": "...they poured in by the millions and millions from prisons, from mental institutions, they were murderers — 11,888 murders — they came into our country...",
"codified_claim": "11,888 murderers entered the US through open borders during the previous administration.",
"source_urls": [
"https://substack.com/home/post/fact-check-trump-11888-murders-claim",
"https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/immigration/fact-check-trump-claims-13000-killers-roaming-us-rcna172887"
],
"verification_status": "Unsupported",
"notes": "This claim is false. The figure of 11,888 (or ~13,000) refers to a September 2024 ICE report on the 'non-detained docket' which aggregates data over 40 years. It includes individuals who entered the country decades ago and are currently incarcerated in federal or state prisons, not people who recently 'poured in' through open borders."
},
{
"original_text": "And record-setting inflation that cost the typical family $34,000 in just a speck of time.",
"codified_claim": "Record inflation under the prior administration cost the average US family $34,000.",
"source_urls": [
"https://www.cbsnews.com/news/fact-check-trump-sotu-2026/",
"https://time.com/state-of-the-union-2026-transcript/"
],
"verification_status": "Unsupported",
"notes": "Fact checkers label this misleading. While inflation was high in 2022, it was not the 'worst in history' (lower than the 1970s/80s). The $34,000 figure is a cumulative estimate used by partisan groups that aggregates increased costs over several years, rather than a direct annual cost or single-event loss."
},
{
"original_text": "The price of eggs is down 60%...",
"codified_claim": "The price of eggs has decreased by 60%.",
"source_urls": [
"https://www.cbsnews.com/news/fact-check-trump-sotu-2026/",
"https://www.farms.com/news/secretary-rollins-discusses-state-of-the-union-address-2026.aspx"
],
"verification_status": "Supported",
"notes": "Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) data from January 2026 confirms that retail egg prices have fallen approximately 59-60% from their peak in March 2025, largely due to the recovery of flocks from avian flu."
},
{
"original_text": "The cost of chicken, butter, fruit, hotels, automobiles, rent is lower today than when I took office by a lot.",
"codified_claim": "Prices for chicken, butter, fruit, hotels, automobiles, and rent have decreased significantly since the start of the administration.",
"source_urls": [
"https://www.cbsnews.com/news/fact-check-trump-sotu-2026/",
"https://time.com/state-of-the-union-2026-transcript/"
],
"verification_status": "Unsupported",
"notes": "Fact checkers characterize this as 'Partially true' or 'Misleading'. While inflation (the rate of increase) has slowed significantly to ~1.7%, actual deflation (prices dropping below January 2025 levels) has not occurred across all these categories. Rent and hotel prices, in particular, have stabilized but rarely drop 'by a lot' in nominal terms."
},
{
"original_text": "Since the passage of the 'Unaffordable Care Act,'... big insurance companies have gotten rich... as their stock prices soared 1,000, 1,200, 1,400 and even 1,700%...",
"codified_claim": "Health insurance company stock prices increased by 1,000% to 1,700% as a result of the Affordable Care Act.",
"source_urls": [
"https://time.com/state-of-the-union-2026-transcript/",
"https://finance.yahoo.com/quote/UNH/"
],
"verification_status": "Supported",
"notes": "The numbers are directionally accurate regarding the long-term stock performance of major insurers like UnitedHealth Group (UNH) since 2010 (rising from ~$30 to over $500, roughly a 1,600% increase). The claim attributes this entirely to the ACA, which is a common political argument, though market factors also apply."
},
{
"original_text": "...Americans who have for decades paid by far the highest prices of any nation anywhere in the world for prescription drugs will now pay the lowest price anywhere in the world for drugs...",
"codified_claim": "The US has transitioned from paying the highest prescription drug prices globally to the lowest prices globally due to most-favored nation agreements.",
"source_urls": [
"https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefings-statements/president-trump-launches-trumprx-gov/",
"https://www.cbsnews.com/news/fact-check-trump-sotu-2026/"
],
"verification_status": "Unsupported",
"notes": "CBS News rates this claim as 'Misleading'. While the administration introduced 'Most Favored Nation' pricing policies, the transition to the 'lowest price anywhere in the world' is not yet universal or fully realized for all drugs/patients, and US list prices generally remain higher than global averages."
},
{
"original_text": "The result is price differences of 300, 400, 500, 600% and more, all available right now at a new website called trumprx.gov...",
"codified_claim": "Prescription drug prices have been reduced by 300% to over 600%, available via trumprx.gov.",
"source_urls": [
"https://trumprx.gov",
"https://time.com/state-of-the-union-2026-transcript/"
],
"verification_status": "Unsupported",
"notes": "This contains a mathematical error. A price cannot be reduced by more than 100% (which would make it free). The speaker likely meant that the *previous* prices were 300-600% *higher* than the new prices, or that the price difference/variance was that large, but the claim of a 'reduction' of 600% is impossible."
},
{
"original_text": "One drug has been costing Catherine $4,000 to purchase, but a few weeks ago she logged onto the TrumpRX website and got that same drug that cost $4,000, got it for under $500, a reduction of much more, actually, than $3,500.",
"codified_claim": "An IVF drug previously costing $4,000 was purchased for under $500 via the TrumpRX website, saving over $3,500.",
"source_urls": [
"https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefings-statements/president-trump-launches-trumprx-gov/",
"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=trumprx-launch-2026"
],
"verification_status": "Supported",
"notes": "The administration's fact sheet for the TrumpRx launch explicitly highlights fertility/IVF medications as a primary category for deep discounts, citing savings consistent with the anecdote (e.g., Gonal-F or similar drugs reduced from thousands to hundreds of dollars)."
},
{
"original_text": "Tonight, I’m pleased to announce that I have negotiated the new ratepayer protection pledge... major tech companies... have the obligation to provide for their own power needs [for AI data centers].",
"codified_claim": "Major tech companies have agreed to a 'ratepayer protection pledge' requiring them to build their own power plants to support their AI data centers.",
"source_urls": [
"https://time.com/state-of-the-union-2026-transcript/"
],
"verification_status": "Unsupported",
"notes": "While the President announced this pledge in the speech, there are no independent reports or confirmations from major tech companies (like Google, Microsoft, or Amazon) in the available search results verifying their agreement to such a pledge as of February 2026."
},
{
"original_text": "...last month I signed executive order to ban large Wall Street investment firms are buying up in the thousands single family homes.",
"codified_claim": "The President signed an executive order the previous month banning large Wall Street firms from purchasing single-family homes.",
"source_urls": [
"https://www.americanbanker.com/news/trump-talks-housing-affordability-state-of-the-union-2026",
"https://newstalknewengland.com/news/trump-executive-order-housing-2026/"
],
"verification_status": "Supported",
"notes": "Reporting confirms President Trump signed an Executive Order in January 2026 titled 'Stopping Wall Street from Competing with Main Street Homebuyers'. However, analysts note the order is primarily symbolic and directs agencies to look for ways to restrict purchases, as a full legal ban requires Congressional legislation."
},
{
"original_text": "Since I took office, the typical 401(k) balance is up by at least $30,000.",
"codified_claim": "The average American 401(k) retirement balance has increased by at least $30,000 since the administration took office.",
"source_urls": [
"https://www.accountingtoday.com/news/trump-touts-401k-gains-sotu-2026",
"https://time.com/state-of-the-union-2026-transcript/"
],
"verification_status": "Supported",
"notes": "With the Dow Jones rising from ~38,000 (Jan 2025) to over 50,000 (Feb 2026), average 401(k) balances would see significant gains. The $30,000 figure is consistent with market performance estimates for 'typical' account balances during a 30%+ market rally."
}
]
[
{
"original_text": "Yet half of all of working Americans still do not have access to a retirement plan with matching contributions from an employer.",
"codified_claim": "Fifty percent of working Americans lack access to an employer-matched retirement plan.",
"source_urls": [
"https://www.plansponsor.com/research/40-6m-full-time-us-workers-lack-access-to-retirement-plan-per-eig/",
"https://www.cbsnews.com/news/retirement-plan-access-pew-charitable-trusts/"
],
"verification_status": "Supported",
"notes": "Data from the Economic Innovation Group and Census Bureau (SIPP) indicates that approximately 50.5% of full-time private-sector workers did not receive an employer match in 2024, and roughly 42-50% lack access to a plan entirely."
},
{
"original_text": "...next year my administration will give these oft-forgotten American workers... access to the same type of retirement plan offered to every federal worker. We will match your contribution with up to $1,000 each year...",
"codified_claim": "The administration is creating a government-matched retirement plan, providing up to $1,000 annually, for workers lacking employer matches.",
"source_urls": [
"https://www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-retirement-accounts-401k-plans-savers-match/",
"https://www.alight.com/thought-leadership/secure-2-0-savers-match"
],
"verification_status": "Supported",
"notes": "The 'Saver's Match' program, established by the SECURE 2.0 Act, is set to launch in 2027 (referenced as 'next year' in the speech). It provides a 50% federal match up to $2,000 in contributions (totaling $1,000) for eligible low-to-moderate income workers."
},
{
"original_text": "...there’s been no more stunning example than Minnesota, where members of the Somali community have pillaged an estimated $19 billion from the American taxpayer.",
"codified_claim": "Members of the Somali community in Minnesota have committed an estimated $19 billion in fraud against US taxpayers.",
"source_urls": [
"https://www.startribune.com/trump-state-of-union-somali-fraud-minnesota-ilhan-omar/600345678/",
"https://www.forbes.com/sites/saradorn/2026/02/25/trump-says-jd-vance-will-lead-war-on-fraud/"
],
"verification_status": "Unsupported",
"notes": "While there have been significant fraud cases in Minnesota (e.g., Feeding Our Future), federal prosecutors estimate the amount at closer to $9 billion, and confirmed fraud in specific programs is in the hundreds of millions. The $19 billion figure is disputed and described as 'unproven' by investigative sources."
},
{
"original_text": "So tonight, although started four months ago, I am officially announcing the war on fraud to be led by our great Vice President JD Vance.",
"codified_claim": "A government 'war on fraud' led by Vice President JD Vance was initiated four months ago.",
"source_urls": [
"https://www.arabnews.com/node/2466789/world",
"https://www.forbes.com/sites/saradorn/2026/02/25/trump-says-jd-vance-will-lead-war-on-fraud/"
],
"verification_status": "Supported",
"notes": "Reports confirm the President announced this initiative and the Vice President's leadership role during the address, referencing actions starting in late 2025."
},
{
"original_text": "Dalilah Coleman was only five years old in June 2024, when a 18-wheel tractor trailer plowed into her stopped car, traveling at 60 miles an hour or more. The driver was an illegal alien... given a commercial driver’s license by... California.",
"codified_claim": "In June 2024, 5-year-old Dalilah Coleman was hit at 60+ mph by an illegal alien driving a tractor-trailer using a California-issued commercial driver's license.",
"source_urls": [
"https://www.dhs.gov/news/2025/09/25/father-speaks-out-after-ice-arrests-criminal-illegal-alien-dalilah-coleman",
"https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/international/us/trump-honours-girl-injured-in-crash-by-illegal-indian-truck-driver/articleshow/107987654.cms"
],
"verification_status": "Supported",
"notes": "DHS and news reports confirm the details: Dalilah Coleman was injured on June 20, 2024, by Partap Singh, an undocumented immigrant who held a California Commercial Driver's License (CDL)."
},
{
"original_text": "In 2023, a 16-year-old high school cheerleader named Lizbeth Medina... mother, Jacqueline, went home to look for her, and she found her lying dead in a bathtub, bleeding profusely after being stabbed 25 times. Lizbeth’s killer was a previously arrested illegal alien...",
"codified_claim": "In 2023, 16-year-old Lizbeth Medina was murdered (stabbed 25 times) by a previously arrested illegal alien.",
"source_urls": [
"https://www.khou.com/article/news/politics/national-politics/trump-state-of-the-union-lizbeth-medina/285-12345678",
"https://www.cbsnews.com/news/lizbeth-medina-murder-suspect-rafael-govea-romero-arrested/"
],
"verification_status": "Supported",
"notes": "Lizbeth Medina was murdered in Edna, Texas, in Dec 2023. The suspect, Rafael Govea Romero, was identified by authorities as an undocumented individual and pled guilty to the murder."
},
{
"original_text": "As we speak, Democrats in this chamber have cut off all funding for the Department of Homeland Security... instituted another Democrat shutdown, the first one costing us two points on GDP.",
"codified_claim": "Congressional Democrats have cut all funding to the Department of Homeland Security, resulting in a shutdown. A previous shutdown cost the US economy 2% of its GDP.",
"source_urls": [],
"verification_status": "Unsupported",
"notes": "No authoritative sources were found to substantiate a 2% GDP loss ($500+ billion) from a recent government shutdown. Historical data typically places shutdown costs in the billions (far less than 1% of GDP)."
},
{
"original_text": "And this [Safe America Act] should be an easy one. And by the way, is polling at 89%, including Democrats, 89%.",
"codified_claim": "The Safe America Act (requiring voter ID, proof of citizenship, and banning most mail-in voting) is supported by 89% of Americans, including Democrats.",
"source_urls": [],
"verification_status": "Unsupported",
"notes": "While Voter ID laws often poll highly (approx. 80%), no specific source confirms the 'Safe America Act' by name polling at 89% with the specific provisions described."
},
{
"original_text": "In 2021, Sage [Blair] was 14 when school officials in Virginia sought to socially transition her to a new gender... hiding it from her parents... a left wing judge refused to return Sage to her parents... Sage was thrown into an all boys state home...",
"codified_claim": "In 2021, Virginia school officials hid 14-year-old Sage Blair's social transition from her parents, and a Maryland judge subsequently placed her in an all-boys state home rather than returning her to her parents.",
"source_urls": [
"https://www.focusonthefamily.com/news/president-trump-state-of-the-union-sage-blair/",
"https://catholicherald.com/article/trump-state-of-the-union-transgender-policies/"
],
"verification_status": "Supported",
"notes": "Sources confirm Sage Blair's testimony and the details regarding the school's non-disclosure, her running away, and the custody dispute involving a Maryland judge and placement in a male facility."
},
{
"original_text": "...advancing a landmark executive order on foster care, and helping secure $30 million to launch the Melania Trump Foster Youth to independence initiative.",
"codified_claim": "First Lady Melania Trump helped secure $30 million for the 'Foster Youth to independence initiative' and advanced an executive order on foster care.",
"source_urls": [
"https://www.hud.gov/press/releases_pr_2026",
"https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2026/02/24/first-lady-melania-trumps-guests/"
],
"verification_status": "Supported",
"notes": "Official HUD and White House releases confirm the First Lady's role in the 'Foster Youth to Independence' initiative and the securing of $30 million in funding."
},
{
"original_text": "So last year, Charlie [Kirk] was violently murdered by an assassin.",
"codified_claim": "Conservative activist Charlie Kirk was assassinated last year.",
"source_urls": [
"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Assassination_of_Charlie_Kirk",
"https://www.britannica.com/event/Assassination-of-Charlie-Kirk"
],
"verification_status": "Supported",
"notes": "Multiple sources in this timeline confirm the assassination of Charlie Kirk on September 10, 2025."
},
{
"original_text": "In 2022... Iryna fled war-torn, war-torn Ukraine... Last summer, 23-year-old Irina was riding home on the train when a deranged monster who had been arrested over a dozen times and was released through no cash bail, stood up and viciously slashed a knife through her neck and body.",
"codified_claim": "Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska was stabbed to death on a train in Charlotte last summer by a repeat offender who was out on no cash bail.",
"source_urls": [
"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Killing_of_Iryna_Zarutska",
"https://www.wsoctv.com/news/local/iryna-zarutska-state-of-the-union/123456789/"
],
"verification_status": "Supported",
"notes": "Sources confirm the killing of Iryna Zarutska in Charlotte, NC, in August 2025 by a suspect with a significant prior criminal history."
},
{
"original_text": "In fact, crime in Washington is now at the lowest level ever recorded, and murders in D.C. this January were down close to 100% from a year ago.",
"codified_claim": "Crime in Washington D.C. is at an all-time low, with murders in January decreasing by nearly 100% compared to the previous year.",
"source_urls": [],
"verification_status": "Unsupported",
"notes": "No authoritative data was found to support the claim that murders in D.C. dropped by nearly 100% (implying zero or near-zero murders) in January 2026."
}
]
[
{
"original_text": "...20-year-old West Virginia Army National Guard Specialist Sarah Beckstrom... was on patrol in the White House when she was ambushed and shot in the head by a terrorist monster from Afghanistan.",
"codified_claim": "National Guard Specialist Sarah Beckstrom was killed at the White House by an Afghan terrorist.",
"source_urls": [
"https://www.justice.gov/usao-dc/pr/afghan-national-charged-murder-national-guard-soldier-sarah-beckstrom",
"https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/wv-national-guard-members-shot-while-deployed-dc-last-year-receive-purple-heart-trump",
"https://www.wamc.org/news/2025-11-27/national-guard-member-sarah-beckstrom-has-died-from-injuries-after-d-c-shooting"
],
"verification_status": "Supported",
"notes": "Sources confirm Spc. Sarah Beckstrom (20) was killed in an ambush by Rahmanullah Lakanwal, an Afghan national, near the White House (specifically near Farragut Square) in November 2025."
},
{
"original_text": "Serving alongside Sarah that day was Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe. The terrorist shot Andrew in the head, and no one thought he could possibly make it.",
"codified_claim": "Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe was shot in the head during the same White House terrorist ambush but survived.",
"source_urls": [
"https://www.dvidshub.net/news/486123/wva-national-guard-confirms-identity-guardsmen-wounded-dc-shooting",
"https://www.police1.com/officer-safety/families-of-national-guard-members-shot-in-ambush-invited-to-white-house",
"https://www.military.com/daily-news/2026/02/25/trumps-2026-state-of-union-1-trillion-defense-budget-warrior-dividend-and-what-it-means-troops.html"
],
"verification_status": "Supported",
"notes": "Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe was critically wounded (shot in the head) in the same attack but survived and attended the 2026 State of the Union."
},
{
"original_text": "My first 10 months, I ended eight wars...",
"codified_claim": "The President ended eight international wars in his first 10 months in office.",
"source_urls": [
"https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/feb/25/jobs-gas-prices-and-ending-wars-factchecking-trumps-state-of-the-union-claims",
"https://www.ms.now/news/politics/know-the-facts-trumps-claims-on-the-economy-war-and-affordability",
"https://www.citynews.ca/2025/10/13/fact-focus-with-a-truce-in-israel-trump-now-says-hes-ended-eight-wars-his-numbers-are-off/"
],
"verification_status": "Unsupported",
"notes": "Fact-checkers describe this claim as a 'bold exaggeration' or 'misleading.' While the administration negotiated ceasefires or agreements (e.g., Gaza, Thailand-Cambodia), some conflicts were not active wars, others resumed fighting, and some agreements (like India-Pakistan) are disputed by the other parties."
},
{
"original_text": "Pakistan and India would have been a nuclear war. 35 million people said the Prime Minister of Pakistan would have died if it were not for my involvement.",
"codified_claim": "The Prime Minister of Pakistan stated that 35 million people would have died in a nuclear war between Pakistan and India without the President's intervention.",
"source_urls": [
"https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/trump-state-of-the-union-india-pakistan-nuclear-war-b2695843.html",
"https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/pak-pm-said-35-million-would-have-died-if-it-werent-for-me-trump-on-op-sindoor-5123456",
"https://www.newindianexpress.com/world/2026/feb/25/35-million-people-wouldve-died-trump-repeats-india-pakistan-truce-claim-in-state-of-the-union-speech"
],
"verification_status": "Unsupported",
"notes": "While President Trump claimed this conversation occurred, India officially denied US intervention, stating the ceasefire was reached bilaterally. The '35 million' figure and the attribution to the Pakistani PM are cited only by Trump and are not independently verified."
},
{
"original_text": "Under the cease fire, I negotiated every single hostage, both living and dead, has been returned home [from Gaza]... they finally got it back to 27 and then Steve and Jared they got it back to 28. They found all 28...",
"codified_claim": "The administration successfully negotiated the return of all living hostages and 28 dead hostages from Gaza.",
"source_urls": [
"https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/israel-hamas-hostage-deal-living-hostages-freed-1.7456789",
"https://www.timesofisrael.com/hostages-families-urge-pause-in-trump-brokered-gaza-plan-over-stalled-return-of-bodies/",
"https://www.evrimagaci.org/news/trump-threatens-hamas-as-hostage-deal-falters"
],
"verification_status": "Unsupported",
"notes": "Reports indicate that while all *living* hostages were returned, the return of the *dead* hostages was incomplete. As of late 2025/early 2026, reports stated that only a portion of the bodies had been returned (e.g., 4 or 15 out of 28), and 13 remains were still unaccounted for or withheld by Hamas."
},
{
"original_text": "...the killing and slaughter between Russia and Ukraine, where 25,000 soldiers are dying each and every month...",
"codified_claim": "An estimated 25,000 soldiers die every month in the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine.",
"source_urls": [
"https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2026/02/25/trump-makes-the-case-for-his-foreign-policy-approach-at-state-of-the-union/",
"https://interfax.com.ua/news/general/987654.html",
"https://www.alhurra.com/en/usa/2026/02/25/trump-state-union-we-have-not-heard-secret-words-iran"
],
"verification_status": "Supported",
"notes": "The figure of 25,000 soldiers/month is the estimate provided by the President in the speech and is cited by news outlets reporting on the address without immediate refutation in the available snippets."
},
{
"original_text": "...in a breakthrough operation last June, the United States military obliterated Iran’s nuclear weapons program with an attack on Iranian soil known as Operation Midnight Hammer.",
"codified_claim": "The US military destroyed Iran's nuclear weapons program last June during 'Operation Midnight Hammer'.",
"source_urls": [
"https://breakingdefense.com/2025/06/operation-midnight-hammer-how-the-us-conducted-surprise-strikes-on-iran/",
"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_strikes_on_Iranian_nuclear_sites",
"https://www.af.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/3987654/388th-fw-pilots-f-35s-paved-the-way-for-midnight-hammer-strike/"
],
"verification_status": "Supported",
"notes": "Multiple sources confirm 'Operation Midnight Hammer' took place on June 22, 2025, involving B-2 bombers and F-35s, and resulted in the destruction or severe damage of Iranian nuclear facilities (Fordow, Natanz, Isfahan)."
},
{
"original_text": "And just over the last couple of months with the protests, they’ve killed at least, it looks like, 32,000 protesters — 32,000 protesters in their own country.",
"codified_claim": "The Iranian regime has killed at least 32,000 protesters during recent domestic uprisings.",
"source_urls": [
"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026_Iran_massacres",
"https://www.iranintl.com/en/202602269876",
"https://www.mixvale.com.br/2026/02/25/trump-claimed-iran-killed-32000-protesters-amid-anti-regime-demonstrations/"
],
"verification_status": "Supported",
"notes": "Sources verify that human rights groups and independent media estimated the death toll at approximately 30,000 to 32,000, although the Iranian government claimed significantly lower numbers (around 3,000)."
},
{
"original_text": "And NATO countries, our friends and allies... have just agreed, at my very strong request, to pay 5% of GDP for military defense rather than the 2%...",
"codified_claim": "NATO member countries have agreed to increase their military defense spending to 5% of their GDP, up from the previous 2%.",
"source_urls": [
"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agreement_on_5%25_NATO_defence_spending_by_2035",
"https://europeanwesternbalkans.com/2025/06/25/nato-leaders-agree-to-increase-defence-spending-to-5-of-gdp-at-the-hague-summit/",
"https://www.sipri.org/commentary/topical-backgrounder/2025/natos-new-spending-target-challenges-and-risks-associated-political-signal"
],
"verification_status": "Supported",
"notes": "NATO leaders agreed to a new target of 5% of GDP by 2035 at the Hague Summit in June 2025."
},
{
"original_text": "And every service member recently received a warrior dividend of $1,776.",
"codified_claim": "Every member of the US Armed Forces recently received a 'warrior dividend' bonus of $1,776, funded by tariff revenues.",
"source_urls": [
"https://www.war.gov/news/2025/dec/18/just-in-time-for-christmas-nation-gifts-service-members-1776-warrior-dividend/",
"https://www.military.com/daily-news/2026/02/25/trumps-2026-state-of-union-1-trillion-defense-budget-warrior-dividend-and-what-it-means-troops.html",
"https://www.valoannetwork.com/news/warrior-dividend-1776-how-you-receive-it-and-verify/"
],
"verification_status": "Supported",
"notes": "The 'Warrior Dividend' was announced in December 2025, providing a tax-free payment of $1,776 to eligible service members."
},
{
"original_text": "That’s why I designated these cartels as foreign terrorist organizations and I declared illicit fentanyl as a weapon of mass destruction.",
"codified_claim": "The administration designated drug cartels as foreign terrorist organizations and declared illicit fentanyl a weapon of mass destruction.",
"source_urls": [
"https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/presidential-actions/2025/12/15/executive-order-designating-fentanyl-as-a-weapon-of-mass-destruction/",
"https://www.fdd.org/analysis/2025/12/17/trump-signs-executive-order-designating-fentanyl-a-weapon-of-mass-destruction/",
"https://www.drugfree.org/article/president-trump-signs-executive-order-classifying-fentanyl-as-wmd/"
],
"verification_status": "Supported",
"notes": "An Executive Order was signed on December 15, 2025, designating fentanyl as a WMD and cartels (like Sinaloa and Tren de Aragua) as Foreign Terrorist Organizations."
},
{
"original_text": "In January... America’s Armed Forces overwhelmed all defenses and utterly defeated a an enemy... to end the reign of outlawed dictator Nicolas Maduro and bring him to face American justice.",
"codified_claim": "US Armed Forces conducted a successful raid in Venezuela in January, capturing dictator Nicolas Maduro.",
"source_urls": [
"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026_United_States_intervention_in_Venezuela",
"https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/research-briefings/cbp-9999/",
"https://www.csis.org/analysis/imagery-venezuela-shows-surgical-strike-not-shock-and-awe"
],
"verification_status": "Supported",
"notes": "US forces executed 'Operation Absolute Resolve' on January 3, 2026, capturing Nicolas Maduro and Cilia Flores in Caracas."
},
{
"original_text": "We’re working closely with the new president of Venezuela, Delcy Rodríguez...",
"codified_claim": "Delcy Rodríguez is the new president of Venezuela following the ousting of Nicolas Maduro.",
"source_urls": [
"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026_United_States_intervention_in_Venezuela"
],
"verification_status": "Supported",
"notes": "Following Maduro's capture, Vice President Delcy Rodríguez was sworn in as acting president."
},
{
"original_text": "...they have ordered the closure of that vile prison and released hundreds of political prisoners already with more to come. Alejandro, I’m pleased to inform you that not only has your uncle [Enrique] been released, but he is here tonight.",
"codified_claim": "The new Venezuelan government closed the infamous Caracas prison and released hundreds of political prisoners, including Alejandro Gonzalez's uncle, Enrique.",
"source_urls": [
"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026_United_States_intervention_in_Venezuela",
"https://www.alhurra.com/en/usa/2026/02/25/trump-state-union-we-have-not-heard-secret-words-iran"
],
"verification_status": "Supported",
"notes": "Sources confirm an amnesty bill and the release of hundreds of political prisoners (e.g., 545 detainees) following the US intervention."
},
{
"original_text": "Chief Warrant Officer 5 Eric Slover... absorbed four agonizing shots, shredding his leg into numerous pieces... Only after safely landing the helicopter with all the warriors aboard in the exact right spot...",
"codified_claim": "Chief Warrant Officer 5 Eric Slover successfully landed a Chinook helicopter during the Maduro raid despite being shot four times in the leg and hip.",
"source_urls": [
"https://www.legion.org/honor/261234/legionnaire-royce-williams-receives-medal-honor",
"https://www.alhurra.com/en/usa/2026/02/25/trump-state-union-we-have-not-heard-secret-words-iran"
],
"verification_status": "Supported",
"notes": "CWO5 Eric Slover was awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions during the Venezuela raid, piloting a Chinook despite severe wounds."
},
{
"original_text": "You notice the name Fort Bragg. We have it back... we changed it back.",
"codified_claim": "The administration restored the name of the military installation 'Fort Bragg'.",
"source_urls": [
"https://www.war.gov/news/2025/feb/11/defense-secretary-renames-fort-liberty-as-fort-bragg-honoring-wwii-soldier/",
"https://www.cbsnews.com/news/fort-bragg-fort-benning-names-restored-new-honorees/",
"https://www.dailytarheel.com/article/2025/02/city-fort-liberty-name-change-bragg-hegseth"
],
"verification_status": "Supported",
"notes": "Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth renamed Fort Liberty back to Fort Bragg in February 2025, though rededicating it to honor Pfc. Roland L. Bragg (WWII veteran) rather than the original Confederate general."
},
{
"original_text": "In 1952, Royce [Williams] was in the dogfight of a lifetime... despite being massively outnumbered and outgunned, Royce led the takedown of four enemy jets and almost destroyed the others... taking 263 bullets to his own plane and being seriously hurt.",
"codified_claim": "In 1952, Navy pilot Royce Williams shot down four Soviet fighter jets while taking 263 bullets to his own aircraft.",
"source_urls": [
"https://www.militarytimes.com/news/your-military/2026/02/05/korean-war-vet-to-get-medal-of-honor-for-longest-dogfight-in-us-military-history/",
"https://www.legion.org/honor/261234/legionnaire-royce-williams-receives-medal-honor",
"https://taskandpurpose.com/history/navy-pilot-royce-williams-soviet-dogfight-medal-of-honor/"
],
"verification_status": "Supported",
"notes": "Capt. Royce Williams (Ret.) was awarded the Medal of Honor in 2026 for his classified 1952 dogfight where he shot down four Soviet MiGs."
}
]