A look at Trump's false and misleading claims ahead of the State of the Union

https://apnews.com/article/fact-check-trump-state-of-union-87b184f7a38e65fa97d27c05ba2497fa

A look at Trump’s false and misleading claims ahead of the State of the Union
By MELISSA GOLDIN
Updated 5:18 AM CST, February 24, 2026

President Donald Trump will deliver the first State of the Union address of his second term on Tuesday. Priorities for the Republican’s administration have centered largely on the economy, immigration, crime, energy and national security.

Trump has spent the last year touting his accomplishments while mocking the record of his predecessor, former President Joe Biden. But much of this bluster is based on false and misleading claims — many of which are likely to be a part of the president’s address to the nation.

Here’s a look at some of the false and misleading statements Trump has made at recent public appearances.

Economy

Trump often says the U.S. is now “the hottest country anywhere in the world” after years as a “dead country.” The U.S. economy was hardly “dead’’ when Trump returned to office last year. But in his second term, it’s generally performed strongly — after getting off to a bumpy start.

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