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In his first address to Congress since reclaiming the presidency, Donald Trump on Tuesday night celebrated his administration’s sweeping budget cuts, immigration crackdown, and economic policies. But amid the 100-minute speech—one of the longest in modern history—the former president presented a series of misleading or outright false claims, from baseless accusations of Social Security fraud to exaggerated claims about border security and economic growth.
Here’s a fact-check on key statements from Trump’s speech.
Social Security: No, Millions of 160-Year-Olds Aren’t Collecting Benefits
Trump claimed that the Social Security Administration (SSA) is issuing checks to millions of people over the age of 100, including some allegedly older than 160. He even suggested that SSA records list one beneficiary at age 360.
This is false.
While SSA records do include millions of centenarians, they are mostly inactive, outdated files. An SSA Inspector General report from 2023 identified 18.9 million individuals over age 100 still in the database, but almost none receive benefits. In reality, only 89,106 Americans over 99 received Social Security retirement benefits in December 2024, per SSA data.
Additionally, SSA’s Inspector General found that only 0.84% of benefits payments were improper between 2015 and 2022, totaling $71.8 billion—mostly due to overpayments, not fraud.
Egg Prices: Did Biden Cause the Spike?
Trump blamed Joe Biden for soaring egg prices, saying, “Joe Biden especially let the price of EGGS get out of control.”
This claim needs context.
Egg prices did spike during Biden’s presidency, hitting a peak of $4.32 per dozen in January 2023 due to inflation and supply chain issues. However, the recent highest recorded price was in January 2025, under Trump’s watch, at $4.95 per dozen, driven by a severe bird flu outbreak.
Auto Industry Growth: No, New Plants Aren’t Opening ‘All Over the Place’
Trump claimed, “Plants are opening up all over the place. Honda just announced a new plant in Indiana, one of the largest anywhere in the world.”
This is mostly false.
Honda has not publicly announced a new plant in Indiana, though a report suggested the company may shift production from Mexico to the U.S. No automaker has officially announced new plants since Trump returned to office. Moreover, Trump’s 25% tariff on car imports from Mexico and Canada could significantly increase vehicle prices rather than stimulate domestic production.
Immigration: Trump Exaggerates Impact on U.S. Cities
Trump accused the Biden administration of flying illegal migrants into the U.S. and claimed that entire cities, including Aurora, Colorado, and Springfield, Ohio, had been “destroyed” by illegal immigration.
This is false.
While both cities have migrant populations, there is no evidence to support Trump’s claims that they have been overrun by criminal elements. His past claims about Springfield, including accusations that migrants were eating pets, were debunked as unrelated to immigration. Similarly, law enforcement in Aurora has found no evidence that the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua has taken over parts of the city, as Trump has repeatedly suggested.
Fentanyl Crisis: Is Canada to Blame?
Trump accused both Canada and Mexico of fueling the fentanyl crisis, stating that “they’ve allowed fentanyl to come into our country at levels never seen before.”
This is partly false.
While Mexico is a significant source of fentanyl smuggled into the U.S., Canada is not a major contributor. In fiscal year 2024, only 43 pounds of fentanyl were seized at the northern border compared to 21,000+ pounds from the southern border, per Customs and Border Protection (CBP) data.
Crime and Border Security: Are Millions of Criminal Migrants “Embedded” in the U.S.?
Trump claimed, “Over the past four years, 21 million people poured into the United States. Many of them were murderers, human traffickers, gang members, and other criminals.”
This is misleading.
CBP data from 2021 to early 2025 shows about 14 million migrant encounters at U.S. borders, not 21 million. Of those, only 118,000 were identified as having criminal backgrounds—a tiny fraction of total encounters. While some criminals have entered the U.S., there’s no evidence that migrant crime is widespread.
Ukraine War: Has the U.S. Spent More Than Europe?
Trump claimed, “We’ve spent $350 billion defending Ukraine, while Europe has only spent $100 billion.”
This is mostly false.
Since Russia’s invasion in 2022, U.S. aid to Ukraine totals $114.2 billion, per the Kiel Institute. Meanwhile, Europe has allocated more than $132.3 billion in military and financial assistance—outpacing the U.S. Trump’s claim also ignores that European nations contribute significantly through non-military means, such as housing millions of Ukrainian refugees.
Public Opinion: Do Most Americans Believe the Country Is on the “Right Track”?
Trump boasted that “for the first time in modern history, more Americans believe that our country is headed in the right direction than the wrong direction.”
This is false.
The claim appears to be based on a single Rasmussen Reports poll, which showed 47% of respondents believed the U.S. was on the “right track.” However, Rasmussen is a right-leaning pollster with questionable methodology. Other major polls, including NPR/Marist/PBS, found only 45% of Americans held this view—a number that Biden also reached in 2021.
Conclusion: A Speech Filled With Distortions
Trump’s first congressional speech of his second term was filled with misleading statements, exaggerations, and outright falsehoods. His claims on Social Security fraud, illegal immigration, border security, and economic growth were largely inaccurate, while his attacks on Biden’s handling of the economy and foreign aid lacked crucial context.
With his administration pushing major policy changes, Trump’s rhetoric is likely to continue shaping public debate. However, as fact-checking reveals, his claims often diverge from reality.
