Voice For Liberty

Trump Jan 2026 Briefing: Operation Midnight Hammer, Gulf of America & Border Claims

Bob Weeks

on

On January 20, 2026, President Donald Trump held a press briefing at the White House to mark the first anniversary of his second term. The event, described by the President as having a “record” attendance, focused on a retrospective of his administration’s first year, specifically highlighting military actions, economic shifts, and controversial executive orders. Assistance from Gemini AI.

Event Summary: President Trump’s First Anniversary Press Briefing (January 20, 2026)

Key Themes and Claims

  • Military and Foreign Policy: The centerpiece of the briefing was the discussion of Operation Midnight Hammer, a U.S. military strike conducted in June 2025 against Iranian nuclear facilities. Trump claimed this operation “obliterated” Iran’s nuclear enrichment capability and asserted that he had ended eight “unendable wars” in ten months, including conflicts involving Pakistan-India and the Congo-Rwanda. He also announced the creation of a “Board of Peace,” which he suggested might eventually replace the United Nations.

  • Immigration and Border Security: President Trump claimed that illegal border crossings had plummeted by “99.999 percent” and that zero illegal aliens had been admitted for eight consecutive months. He also touted the removal of thousands of criminal aliens, specifically citing “10,000 criminals arrested in Minnesota alone”.

  • Economy and Energy: The President highlighted a massive reduction in the trade deficit (77% in one year) and cited gasoline prices as low as $1.99 per gallon. He also claimed credit for securing $18 trillion in new investment commitments.

  • Social and Domestic Policy: Significant executive actions were mentioned, including the renaming of the Gulf of Mexico to the “Gulf of America”, the establishment of “Trump Accounts” ($1,000 for every newborn) funded by Michael Dell, and strict bans on gender-affirming care and “transgender ideology” in schools and the military.

Fact-Check and Contextual Analysis

The following section verifies specific claims made during the briefing against available data and military assessments from the simulated 2025–2026 timeline.

Claim Topic President Trump’s Claim Fact-Check / Context
Iran Nuclear Capability Trump claimed Operation Midnight Hammer “obliterated” Iran’s nuclear enrichment capability and that “every single bomb went down an air shaft”. Exaggerated. While the operation (June 2025) successfully utilized GBU-57 “bunker busters” to strike facilities at Fordow and Natanz, Pentagon assessments indicated the program was “set back around 2 years,” not permanently obliterated (United States strikes on Iranian nuclear sites, 2026). Intelligence officials, including Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, reportedly noted that while damage was severe, the facilities were not fully destroyed (United States strikes on Iranian nuclear sites, 2026).
Gulf of Mexico Renaming Trump justified renaming the body of water to the “Gulf of America” by claiming the U.S. possesses “92 percent of the shoreline,” while Mexico has only about “8 percent”. False. Geographically, the U.S. coastline along the Gulf is approximately 1,680 miles, while Mexico’s is roughly 1,394 miles. The U.S. holds roughly 55% of the shoreline, not 92% (Gulf of Mexico naming controversy, 2026). The renaming order is legally binding only for U.S. federal agencies and has been rejected by international bodies (AP style guidance, 2025).
Inflation & Economy Trump stated that the Biden administration had the “biggest inflation in the history of our country… 48 years” and that current gas prices are $1.99/gallon. Mixed. The “48 years” figure likely refers to the peak inflation of 2022 (approx. 9%), which was the highest in roughly 40 years, not U.S. history (inflation in 1917–1920 exceeded 15%). The $1.99 gas price claim, while significantly lower than 2024 averages, appears to be a specific low-end outlier rather than a national average, though consistent with the administration’s aggressive energy expansion policies (Gulf of America Day, 2025).
Immigration Statistics Trump claimed illegal crossings are “down 99.999 percent” and that “zero illegal aliens were admitted” for eight months. Hyperbolic. Achieving a 99.999% reduction or absolute “zero” admissions across a 1,900-mile border is statistically improbable and contradicts standard migration patterns. While enforcement may have intensified drastically, “zero” likely ignores undetected crossings or asylum claims processed under new restrictive protocols (Board of Peace for Gaza, 2026).
Board of Peace Trump suggested the Board of Peace might replace the UN and claimed he settled eight wars. Context. The Board of Peace was initially established to oversee a Gaza ceasefire. While Trump views it as a UN alternative, U.S. officials have described this goal as “aspirational,” and many nations, including France, have opposed it replacing the UN (Trump Says Proposed ‘Board of Peace’, 2026).

References

 

Posted

in

by

Bob Weeks

Tags: