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Trump delivers record-breaking address to Congress
President Donald Trump delivered his longest speech before Congress on Tuesday, lasting one hour and 47 minutes, declaring the nation is "winning again" while outlining his administration's accomplishments. The address, the longest in decades, focused heavily on economic progress, immigration policies, and foreign policy achievements.
Inflation slows but grocery prices remain elevated
Trump emphasized a decline in inflation during his speech, noting the annual rate fell to 2.4% in January 2026, down from 3% in President Biden's final year. However, inflation had surged to 9.1% in June 2022 amid global disruptions following Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
The president highlighted specific grocery items, including beef and eggs, as examples of falling prices. While egg prices dropped 34% over the past year, beef prices declined only slightly after rising 15% in the same period. Overall, grocery prices increased by 2.1% in the 12 months ending January 2026.
Economists have also pointed to Trump's 2025 tariffs as a contributing factor to inflation, estimating they added nearly one percentage point to consumer prices in January.
Gasoline prices and employment figures scrutinized
The national average price for a gallon of gasoline stood at $2.95 as of February 24, according to the Automobile Association (AAA). Trump cited isolated instances of gas selling below $2 per gallon at four U.S. stations, a claim verified by GasBuddy but noted as unrepresentative of broader trends.
Employment figures also featured prominently in the speech. The U.S. workforce reached a record 158 million people in January 2026, though the employment rate for those 16 and older dipped slightly to 59.8%, down from 60.1% when Biden left office. Meanwhile, the unemployment rate rose marginally from 4.1% to 4.3% under Trump's tenure.
Claims on foreign investment and voter fraud face scrutiny
Trump asserted that his administration had secured $12 trillion in new foreign investment, a figure unsupported by public data. The White House's own tracker, updated overnight, reported $9.7 trillion in pledges, though experts caution many may not materialize. Statistician Greg Auclair noted an uptick in foreign investment but warned of uncertainties, citing stalled trade deals like the EU agreement.
The president also repeated his claim of rampant voter fraud by "illegal aliens," urging stricter voter ID laws. However, studies, including one by the Brennan Center for Justice, found only 30 suspected cases of non-citizen voting out of 23.5 million ballots in 12 states during the 2016 election. The Heritage Foundation's database recorded 1,620 proven fraud cases since 1982, indicating rarity rather than widespread abuse.
Immigration and foreign policy claims examined
Trump stated that no illegal migrants had been released into the U.S. for nine consecutive months, a claim confirmed by a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) press release. However, Border Patrol recorded 6,070 apprehensions at the southwest border in January 2026, a sharp decline from 124,215 in January 2024 under Biden.
On foreign policy, Trump claimed credit for ending eight wars, including conflicts between Israel and Hamas, India and Pakistan, and Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo. While his administration brokered a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, other disputes-such as Egypt and Ethiopia's dam conflict-never escalated into active warfare. India also downplayed the U.S. role in resolving its brief skirmish with Pakistan.
Fact-checkers weigh in on key assertions
BBC Verify analyzed several of Trump's statements, confirming some while challenging others. The team noted that while economic indicators show improvement, certain claims-such as the $12 trillion investment figure and the scope of ended wars-require additional context or correction.
