President Donald Trump used Tuesday’s televised Cabinet meeting to repeat a long list of inaccurate or misleading claims. Many of them have already been debunked in detail, but he brought them back again on topics ranging from inflation and gas prices to Ukraine aid and the 2020 election.
Below is a breakdown of 13 false or misleading statements he made, plus one that needs additional context.
Inflation and the economy
Grocery prices
Trump again insisted that “grocery prices are down.” They are not.
According to the latest Consumer Price Index data for September, average grocery prices were about 2.7% higher than in September 2024, roughly 1.4% higher than in January 2025 (when Trump returned to office), and about 0.3% higher than in August. Overall, grocery costs continue to rise, not fall.
Prescription drug prices
Trump repeated his claim that an executive order on prescription drugs would “slash drug prices by 200%, 300%, 400%, 500%, 600%, 700%, 800%,” and later he threw out “900%” as well. Those figures are nonsensical.
A price cut can only go as far as 100% — at which point the drug would be free. Anything beyond 100% is mathematically impossible. You can read a longer fact check here.
Inflation under Trump
Trump claimed, “Since last January, we’ve stopped inflation in its tracks.” The phrase is vague, but under any reasonable interpretation, it’s incorrect.
Inflation has not been “stopped.” The year-over-year inflation rate in September was 3.0%, the same as it was in January — and, taken out to more decimal places, actually slightly higher. September also marked the fifth straight month in which the year-over-year rate had risen. (To his slight credit, Trump did add, “And there’s still more to do, there’s always more to do, but we have it down to a very good level.”)
Inflation under President Joe Biden
Trump repeated that he “inherited the worst inflation in history,” adding, “They say it’s the worst inflation that we’ve had in 48 years, I say ever.”
In reality, he inherited a 3.0% inflation rate, which is the same as the most recent reading. It is true that under Biden, the annual inflation rate hit a roughly 40-year high in June 2022 at 9.1%. But that was still far below the all-time US peak of about 23.7% in 1920. And if Trump was suggesting that total cumulative inflation over Biden’s term was an all-time record, that’s also wrong; inflation was significantly higher during the Jimmy Carter years.
Investment in the United States
Citing “new investments in the United States,” Trump reiterated his claim that “we’ve secured commitments of over $18 trillion.” That number is simply made up.
At the time he spoke, the White House’s own website put the figure at $9.6 trillion — and even that was heavily inflated. A detailed CNN review in October found that the White House tally included vague pledges, references to “bilateral trade” or “economic exchange” (rather than direct investment in the US), and some statements that didn’t even qualify as concrete commitments. You can read more here.
Gas prices
On gas prices, Trump said, “We’re now at about $2.50 a gallon.”
This isn’t strictly false for every location: AAA data showed seven states with average prices below $2.60 a gallon, and Oklahoma was around $2.40. However, it is misleading as a description of the national situation. The nationwide average was still close to $3.00 a gallon, not $2.50.
Foreign affairs
US aid to Ukraine
Trump claimed that “Biden gave away $350 billion” in aid to Ukraine, calling it “a massive amount of money.” While US aid has indeed been substantial, his figure is wildly off.
The inspector general overseeing the US response to the war reports that about $94 billion had actually been disbursed by the end of June 2025 — with about $93 billion more appropriated — including funding spent in the US and elsewhere in Europe as part of the broader effort. Meanwhile, a German think tank tracking aid to Ukraine estimates the US has allocated about $133 billion to Ukraine itself (with roughly $5 billion more committed) through August, at current exchange rates. Those totals are far below $350 billion.
Trump and “eight wars”
Trump again said, “we ended eight wars” and “I’ve settled eight wars.” While he has been involved in some ceasefires and peace efforts, the number “eight” significantly overstates his record.
He has described the dispute between Egypt and Ethiopia over a major dam on a Nile tributary as one of these “wars,” but that conflict is a diplomatic standoff, not an active war, and it remains unresolved. He has also cited a supposed war between Serbia and Kosovo that did not occur during his presidency, though he has sometimes claimed he prevented a new war there (without offering many details). Another case he puts on the list is a conflict involving the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda; however, fighting has continued despite a peace agreement brokered this year that was never signed by the main rebel coalition.
Even in conflicts where Trump’s administration played a role in reducing violence, it is debatable how decisive that role was — and whether those conflicts can fairly be described as ended. For instance, violence in Gaza continued after the October ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas. In any case, “eight wars” is an inflated count.
Strikes on alleged drug boats
Defending US strikes on alleged drug-trafficking boats in international waters, Trump said, “every boat that you see get blown up, we save 25,000 – on average – lives; 25,000 lives.”
There are multiple problems with this. First, the administration has not publicly produced clear evidence that these boats were carrying fentanyl, and the Caribbean — where most of the strikes took place — is not known as a major route for fentanyl smuggling.
Second, the math simply doesn’t add up. The total number of US overdose deaths from all drugs in 2024 was about 82,000, according to provisional federal data. The idea that destroying a single boat would prevent around 25,000 deaths is not credible. A Johns Hopkins public health professor has described the figure as “absurd.” You can read a longer fact check here.
Energy and environment
China and gasoline
Discussing energy, Trump said, “We have so much gasoline. You know, China doesn’t have gasoline; we do.”
This is plainly wrong. China does produce oil and gasoline. In 2024, China produced more than four million barrels of crude oil per day, according to the US Energy Information Administration (EIA). Trump could correctly argue that US production — over 13 million barrels per day — is much larger, or that China’s domestic production is not enough to cover its demand (Chinese refiners processed over 14 million barrels per day in 2024). But saying China “doesn’t have gasoline” is an exaggeration.
Biden and electric cars
Trump claimed that under President Biden, “By 2030, everybody had to own an electric car.”
Biden did push for stricter emissions rules and more electric vehicle production, but there was no policy forcing Americans to own an electric car or abandon gas-powered vehicles.
The 2024 emissions rules for automakers were designed so that electric vehicles would represent roughly 35% to 56% of new passenger vehicle sales in 2032. That is very different from a mandate that “everybody” must drive an EV.
Miscellaneous
The 2020 election
Trump once again called the 2020 election “a fake election” and “a rigged election.”
In reality, he legitimately lost a free and fair election to Joe Biden. Multiple recounts, audits, and court cases across key states confirmed the result and found no evidence of fraud that could have changed the outcome.
Crime in Washington, DC
Trump said that Washington, DC, now has “no murders,” even as he referred to a recent deadly attack on National Guard troops.
The claim that there are “no murders” in the capital is false. Homicides have continued since the National Guard was deployed there in August. There were killings in Washington as recently as November. Trump made a similar inaccurate claim last week, saying the city hadn’t had a murder “in six months.”
Trump’s domestic bill and Social Security
Trump repeated that the major domestic policy bill he signed earlier this year includes “no tax on Social Security.” That is misleading.
The law does create a new, temporary tax deduction of up to $6,000 per year for people aged 65 and older, with a reduced deduction for those earning $75,000 or more. But the White House has itself acknowledged that millions of Social Security recipients 65 and older will still pay taxes on their benefits. The deduction also expires in 2028 and does nothing for beneficiaries younger than 65.
