President Donald Trump convened his full Cabinet on March 26, 2026, delivering a sweeping, wide-ranging session that touched on nearly every major front of his second term. The meeting’s dominant subject was Operation Epic Fury — the ongoing U.S. military campaign against Iran — with Trump and senior officials offering their most detailed public accounting yet of a campaign they said is running ahead of schedule, has obliterated Iran’s navy and air force, and has Iran “begging” for a deal. But the meeting ranged far beyond foreign policy: Trump and cabinet members also addressed the government shutdown Democrats are using to block new Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin, the state of ongoing Ukraine peace negotiations, drug pricing, economic data, crime in major cities, CDL licensing reform, and a lengthy riff on Federal Reserve renovation costs, presidential signing pens, and the lawsuits Trump says are following him everywhere he turns. Assistance from Claude AI.
Participants
| Name | Title |
|---|---|
| Donald Trump | President of the United States |
| JD Vance | Vice President of the United States |
| Marco Rubio | Secretary of State |
| Pete Hegseth | Secretary of Defense |
| Scott Bessent | Secretary of the Treasury |
| Steve Witkoff | Special Envoy / Middle East Negotiator |
| Sean Duffy | Secretary of Transportation |
| Chris Wright | Secretary of Energy |
| Doug Burgum | Secretary of the Interior |
| Markwayne Mullin | Secretary of Homeland Security (newly sworn in) |
| Kevin Warsh | Federal Reserve Chair-designate (present, briefly heard from) |
| Multiple unidentified reporters | Press corps |
Topic 1: Welcome for New Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin — and the Government Shutdown
Trump opened the formal portion of the meeting by welcoming Markwayne Mullin, the former Oklahoma senator who was sworn in as Secretary of Homeland Security the previous day, with his family present in the Oval Office.
“Congratulations to you. You have an amazing family. They were here yesterday in the Oval, sworn in.”
Trump immediately pivoted to a political attack, framing the Democrats’ opposition to Mullin’s confirmation — which he said had dragged on 41 days — as a deliberate attempt to keep the border open.
“We’re now on day 41 of the disgraceful Democrat shutdown of Markwayne’s department. Congratulations. You came into a department that’s shut down, shut down by the radical Democrats.”
Trump claimed that airport travelers are now angry specifically at Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer, saying a woman on a TV segment called Schumer “a disgrace to our country.” He characterized the Democrats’ position as fighting to “return to open borders and give amnesty to illegal alien criminals,” and invoked the figure of 11,888 murders he attributed to illegal immigrants, a claim he repeated multiple times throughout the meeting. He concluded with a warning:
“They need to end the shutdown immediately or we’ll have to take some very drastic measures.”
Topic 2: Operation Epic Fury — The Iran Military Campaign
This was the meeting’s central subject, addressed at length by Trump, Vice President Vance, Secretary of State Rubio, Secretary of Defense Hegseth, and Special Envoy Witkoff.
Background for general readers: “Operation Epic Fury” is the name the Trump administration has given to an ongoing U.S. military campaign against Iran. Trump also referenced “Operation Midnight Hammer,” which appears to refer specifically to the B-2 stealth bomber strikes against Iran’s underground nuclear facilities. The campaign began approximately 26–27 days before this meeting, based on timestamps in the transcript.
Trump’s Assessment: Iran Is “Obliterated”
Trump offered a sweeping account of military progress, claiming the U.S. has:
- Destroyed Iran’s Navy entirely: “154 ships have been shot down and are resting very nicely at the bottom of the sea.”
- Eliminated Iran’s Air Force: “Their Air Force is gone.”
- Knocked out 90%+ of missile launchers and missiles: “We’ve knocked out probably close to 90 percent of the launchers, probably more than they fired, we knocked out.”
- Dismantled 22 Iranian “mine droppers” (ships used to lay naval mines): “Every one of those mine droppers has been struck.”
- Destroyed drone and missile manufacturing facilities: “We’ve really done tremendous damage to the places where they make them.”
- Killed Iran’s leadership: “The first level is gone, and they met to pick a new level and they’re gone.”
Trump said the campaign was originally estimated to take four to six weeks, and at 26 days in, was “way ahead of schedule.” He claimed Iran’s leadership privately acknowledges the campaign is “a disaster.”
Trump on Nuclear Justification
Trump offered what amounted to a retrospective case for the operation, arguing that Iran was on the verge of a nuclear weapon:
“If we didn’t attack with the B-2 bombers, they would have had a nuclear weapon within two weeks of that, maybe four weeks.”
He described the B-2 raid on nuclear facilities as “one of the great air raids in history, maybe the greatest — dark at night, no moon, no light, every single bomb hit its mark.” He also argued that Iran had fired missiles at five regional neighbors — Qatar, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Kuwait, and Oman — revealing what he called a plan to “take over the Middle East.”
He criticized former President Barack Obama’s Iran nuclear deal as having “gave them free will toward a nuclear weapon,” and said he had terminated that deal.
Trump on Deal Negotiations
Trump was emphatic that it is Iran, not the United States, seeking a deal:
“They are begging to make a deal, not me.”
He said the Wall Street Journal had published stories suggesting he was eager for an agreement, which he called “fake news.” He declined to set or confirm a specific deadline for escalation, saying only: “I don’t know yet.” He revealed that ten oil tankers — “a present” from Iran’s negotiating counterparts — had sailed through the Strait of Hormuz in the previous days as a goodwill gesture, which he took as a sign the talks involved “the right people.”
Background for general readers: The Strait of Hormuz is a narrow waterway between Iran and Oman through which roughly 20% of the world’s oil supply passes. Iran has periodically threatened to close or mine it in response to military pressure.
Vice President JD Vance
Vance offered a tighter strategic framing, describing the campaign’s purpose in stark terms:
“You don’t want the worst people in the world to have a nuclear weapon.”
He noted that the destruction of Iran’s conventional military had opened up “options” — diplomatic, military, and otherwise — that did not exist before the operation began. He closed with an Easter/Holy Week message to American troops serving in the Gulf.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio
Rubio argued the operation served the entire world, not just the U.S., framing Iran’s leadership as “radical Shia clerics” and “religious fanatics” who, even at their weakest point, were still attacking embassies and hotels. He said every objective Trump set on the first night of the operation was being achieved and defended the operation against criticism:
“Every day… the Department of War lets the drummer get wicked over every portion of Iran that has these military capabilities.”
Special Envoy Steve Witkoff
Witkoff gave the most detailed diplomatic account. He said he and Jared Kushner had pursued pre-war diplomacy but found Iran’s negotiators unwilling or unauthorized to meet Trump’s conditions, which included:
- No enrichment whatsoever
- No weaponization capability
- Decommissioning of Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan (all now reportedly destroyed in Midnight Hammer)
- No stockpiling of enriched material
- Surrender of all enriched material
- Reduction in missile inventory and range
Iran’s negotiators told Witkoff they had “the inalienable right to enrich,” possessed 460 kilograms of 60% enriched uranium (enough for 11 atomic bombs), and “would not give up diplomatically what we could not win militarily.” Witkoff concluded: “The Iranians were there to buy time until a weaker president arrived.”
Now, Witkoff said, a 15-point action list forming the framework for a peace deal has been circulated through Pakistan as a mediator and has produced “strong and positive messaging.” He declined to reveal specifics, citing Trump’s instruction not to negotiate through the media.
“We have told Iran one last thing — don’t miscalculate again.”
Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth
Hegseth provided the most operationally specific update. Key details:
- Over 10,000 enemy targets destroyed
- Over 150 naval vessels sunk
- IRGC Navy commander killed overnight prior to the meeting
- A-10 Warthogs and Apache helicopter gunships are now flying strike missions inside Iranian airspace “at will” — proof, Hegseth said, that Iran’s air defenses are gone (“You only send these slow, low flying close air support platforms when the enemy has no meaningful air defenses left”)
- Two Iranian missiles were fired at a target 4,000 km away two days before the meeting — Hegseth noted London is 4,000 km from Iran and Washington is 3,300 km from Venezuela
Hegseth pushed back hard on media coverage, drawing a comparison to Democratic opposition to the Iraq War surge in 2007. He claimed many of the Iranian military facilities being destroyed were built with funds from Obama’s Iran nuclear deal payments:
“Many of the Iranian military factories and bases that we’re systematically destroying were paid for by the pallets of American cash that Barack Obama flew into Tehran under the Iran deal.”
He closed: “The Department of War will continue negotiating with bombs.”
Topic 3: Press Q&A on Iran
Q: Are you going in for the uranium stockpiles?
Trump declined to answer, calling the question “ridiculous” and joking: “Oh, yeah, we’re going in. We’re going in tomorrow, 3:00.” He said he cannot confirm or deny operational plans.
Q: Is the U.S. diverting munitions from Ukraine to the Middle East?
Trump said the U.S. draws from pre-positioned stocks in Europe and other locations regularly, characterizing it as routine. He noted that President Biden gave Ukraine “$350 billion” (a figure that has been contested — the actual total aid committed through multiple channels during the Biden administration is lower). He described the Ukraine war as “a terrible situation” with casualties of 25,000–31,000 per month, and said he’s working on a resolution but acknowledged “tremendous hatred” between Putin and Zelenskyy.
Q: Is there a new deadline on Iran?
Trump: “No, I’ll announce it.” He deferred to Witkoff, Vance, and Kushner for guidance on whether talks were progressing.
Q: Are you planning to take control of Iran’s oil?
Trump: “It’s an option. I mean, I wouldn’t talk about it, but it’s an option.” He then pivoted to Venezuela, describing an oil revenue-sharing arrangement in which the U.S. took in 100 million barrels in the first two weeks of operations there, with proceeds going to both governments and helping fund Venezuelan hospitals and teachers.
Q: Should Iran be able to charge a toll for the Strait of Hormuz?
Trump: “They shouldn’t be able to, but they’re doing it a little bit.” He noted their capacity to enforce it has diminished with each passing day.
Q: Are Gulf allies concerned about winding down the war too soon?
Trump said they probably want the U.S. to stay, but noted the speed of modern air power means the U.S. can return quickly. He praised Qatar, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Kuwait, and Bahrain as “100 percent” supportive partners, noting UAE faced 1,400 Iranian missiles that were shot down by Patriot batteries.
Q: On the five-day deadline and tanker traffic:
Trump confirmed the 10-tanker gesture, expressed uncertainty about potential mines in the strait (noting all mine-dropping vessels have been destroyed), and said he’s aware that even 1% residual threat is unacceptable for billion-dollar ships. Hegseth added that Iran’s coastal defense capabilities are “extremely limited” and declining daily.
Topic 4: NATO’s Failure to Help — and UK/Starmer Criticism
Trump returned repeatedly to his frustration with NATO allies who did not contribute to the Iran campaign:
“We’re very disappointed with NATO because NATO has done absolutely nothing.”
He accused NATO members of offering help only after Iran was “annihilated,” describing the UK’s offer to send an aircraft carrier as: “We’ll send our aircraft carrier when the war is over.” He called NATO “a paper tiger,” echoing statements he says he made 25 years ago.
When a British reporter asked about the relationship with Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Trump called him “a lovely man” but said he “did something that was shocking — he didn’t want to help us.” He was particularly aggrieved that the UK denied access to Diego Garcia (a British territory in the Indian Ocean used as a U.S. military base) for B-2 bomber operations, forcing aircraft to fly back to Missouri — a 17-hour trip versus a few hours from the island.
Background for general readers: The island Trump is referring to is likely Diego Garcia, a British Indian Ocean Territory that hosts a major U.S. military base. The UK has faced political controversy over the island’s status due to sovereignty disputes related to the Chagossian people, which may explain Starmer’s reluctance to grant expanded access.
Trump said he was also “a little surprised by Australia” for not helping, but softened when asked whether this affected the upcoming state visit from King Charles, saying: “He’s a friend of mine… has nothing to do with that, it’s different.”
Topic 5: Domestic Crime — Chicago, DC, and the National Guard
Trump called on the mayor of Chicago and governor of Illinois to invite federal help to address crime, referencing the recent murder of a young woman connected through family ties to White House aide Dan Scavino. He said the alleged perpetrator entered the country during the Biden administration’s “open border” era.
Trump held up Washington, D.C. as a success story, saying it is now “a safe city” where federal employees can walk to work, and cited similar results in New Orleans (described as the “safest Mardi Gras we’ve ever had”) and Memphis (crime down 75% in five months with federal assistance).
He offered a similar federal deployment to Chicago, New York, Los Angeles, and San Francisco if local officials would ask, while acknowledging San Francisco’s new mayor is “trying.”
Topic 6: CDL Licensing and Truckers — Secretary Duffy
After a reporter mentioned that Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy had removed 17,000 truck drivers who could not speak English from the roads, Trump asked whether similar English-language requirements could apply to Uber, Lyft, and cab drivers.
Duffy acknowledged the idea but explained that rideshare driver licenses are issued by states, not the federal government, so federal authority is limited. He explained the CDL issue differently: under the previous administration, truck driving schools were allowed to self-certify their graduates, enabling people to obtain CDLs through programs with little or no real training:
“You pay $800 and you get a certificate that you passed a CDL driving school. And they have no skills.”
He said these drivers are “killing Americans on our roads” and called for state partnership to fix the problem, noting California has begun cooperating.
Topic 7: Economic Update — Bessent
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent offered an upbeat economic overview, framing the Iran campaign in economic terms:
“National security, as you always say, is economic security.”
Key claims from Bessent:
- Iran’s financial system “collapsed in December” as a result of Treasury’s maximum pressure sanctions campaign, which he said began “almost a year” before the operation
- The U.S. dollar has appreciated since hostilities began
- Average tax refunds are up more than 10 percent for working Americans
- 44 percent of tax returns have claimed at least one Trump signature policy (no tax on tips, no tax on overtime, no tax on Social Security, auto loan interest deductibility)
- The oil market is “well-supplied” and the U.S. is taking steps to redirect stranded oil supplies to global markets
- A Maritime Reinsurance program through the Development Finance Corporation and Central Command will soon provide Gulf shipping security
- Shipping traffic in and out of the Gulf is increasing daily
Bessent said the U.S. economy is “the best insulated in the world” and that “short-term volatility” from the Iran operation is a worthwhile trade for “50 years of safety.”
Topic 8: Drug Pricing, Farmers, and Tariffs
Trump announced he will announce “tomorrow” (March 27) a series of actions to support American farmers, funded from tariff revenue. He said the administration has given farmers $12 billion from tariff proceeds.
He referenced the “Most Favored Nations” executive order on drug pricing, claiming U.S. drug prices will fall 30 to 70 percent by tying what the U.S. pays to the lowest price paid anywhere in the world. He directed the comment to Robert F. Kennedy Jr. (referred to as “Bobby”), suggesting Kennedy is overseeing implementation.
He also noted the Supreme Court recently issued what he called “a foolish ruling” that partially reversed tariff collections but said the administration has “another method that’s just as good.”
Topic 9: Federal Reserve Renovation — A Running Grievance
Trump devoted a lengthy portion of the meeting to criticism of the Federal Reserve building renovation in Washington, DC, which he claimed is costing “$3 to $4 billion” and may never be completed. He contrasted this with his own record, claiming he built the Waldorf Astoria hotel nearby for $200–201 million.
He said the renovation has stripped historic interiors — vaulted ceilings, thick masonry walls — and replaced them with “six-inch walls with no insulation.” He praised Attorney General Pam Bondi and Fox News host-turned-federal official Jeanine Pirro for bringing a lawsuit over the renovation costs.
Federal Reserve Chair-designate Kevin Warsh, who was present and briefly heard from, confirmed that a particularly beautiful interior space had been demolished. Trump suggested Warsh might never have an office in the building.
Trump also attacked Fed Chairman Jerome Powell, calling him “Jerome Too Late Powell” and suggesting he “suffers from Trump Derangement Syndrome” for not cutting interest rates.
Background for general readers: The actual documented cost of the Federal Reserve’s renovation, based on public reporting, is approximately $2.5 billion, though costs have continued to rise. Trump’s $4 billion figure is higher than documented estimates. The renovation of the Marriner S. Eccles Building has been criticized by some oversight groups for cost overruns.
Topic 10: Kennedy Center Renovation and Lawsuits
Trump addressed ongoing lawsuits against his renovation of the Kennedy Center (which he referred to as the “Trump Kennedy Center”), saying preservationist groups have sued him for fixing up what he called an “unsafe” building with leaking roofs and broken columns. He argued the restoration — which includes new windows, a new roof, and painting previously faux-gold columns white — is purely maintenance.
He also said he is building a “triumphal arc” in Washington, DC, and described plans for a new White House ballroom that he says will be the most beautiful in the country, funded entirely by private donations with “zero taxpayer dollars.”
Topic 11: The Presidential Signing Pen Story
In a widely ranging digression, Trump recounted his decision to replace the White House’s $1,000 signing pens with Sharpies. He said the expensive pens “didn’t write well,” leaving him signing documents with no ink in front of cameras. He called the CEO of Sharpie, who offered the pens for free; Trump insisted on paying, and they agreed on approximately five dollars per pen. He used the story as a metaphor for government waste, comparing the $5 pen favorably to the $4 billion Federal Reserve renovation.
A reporter noted mid-session that Sharpie’s parent company’s stock had spiked after Trump mentioned the brand. Trump replied: “By the way, they deserve it.”
Topic 12: Immigration Enforcement, Minnesota, and ICE at Airports
A reporter asked about two undocumented immigrants arrested at San Francisco airport and whether the visible presence of ICE agents was helping public relations. Trump said he instructed ICE agents to remove their masks at airports, making them more approachable. He described scenes of agents helping travelers with luggage and said public opinion is shifting:
“One person said, he’s a very strong man, but he’s a nice guy. He helped a woman with a bag that she couldn’t lift.”
Trump then sharply attacked Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison, calling both “dirty” and “crooked,” alleging they presided over massive Medicaid and daycare fraud he put at $19 billion and framing it in racially charged terms, claiming immigrants from Somalia had exploited the state’s programs.
Topic 13: Mail-In Ballot, Cognitive Tests, and Gavin Newsom
A reporter challenged Trump over his use of a mail-in ballot in a recent Florida election, given his long-standing attacks on mail-in voting. Trump defended himself by saying he was in Washington fulfilling presidential duties and qualified for an absentee ballot exception.
Trump also mentioned he has taken a cognitive test three times at Walter Reed and “aced” it all three times, calling on all future presidential and vice-presidential candidates to take such a test. He said a doctor told him he was the first person in 20 years to get every question right.
He dismissed potential 2028 Democratic candidate Gavin Newsom as “actually a very stupid person” following what Trump called a disastrous interview in which Newsom disclosed a learning disability and made comments that led to accusations of racism.
Topic 14: European Parliament Deportation Plan
A reporter noted the European Parliament had passed a major deportation policy — 389 to 208 — allowing member states to deport rejected asylum seekers to third countries regardless of connection, with detention periods up to two years and offshore detention hubs. The reporter asked whether this might influence U.S. Democrats.
Trump: “I’d vote with them, yeah.” He added he doesn’t care about influencing Democrats, calling their party “in chaos” and clinging to policies like “men playing in women’s sports” and open borders. He said Democrats pursue open immigration “for votes” but that his 2024 Hispanic vote performance showed that strategy is failing.
Venezuela Update — Interior Secretary Burgum and Rubio
Doug Burgum (Interior) and Marco Rubio offered an update on Venezuela following the operation to capture former President Nicolás Maduro. Burgum said oil production is headed toward a 50 percent increase in just three months, with Venezuelan-American workers helping revive the industry from Houston. He compared Trump’s standing in Venezuela to Simón Bolívar, the 19th-century liberator.
Rubio said Venezuela “generated more revenue from oil sales in the first two months of this year than they had most of all of last year” but said the money is now held in a U.S. Treasury-blocked account, shielded from corruption, with funds flowing to hospitals and teachers.
Trump confirmed the U.S. took in 100 million barrels of Venezuelan oil in the first two weeks under what he described as a revenue-sharing arrangement, joking that he may run for president of Venezuela against acting leader Delcy Rodríguez.
“Remarks: Donald Trump Holds a Cabinet Meeting at the White House – March 26, 2026.” Factbase, FiscalNote / CQ and Roll Call, 26 Mar. 2026, factba.se.
FACT-CHECK: Trump Cabinet Meeting — March 26, 2026
Integrated fact-check of verifiable claims made during President Trump’s Cabinet meeting on March 26, 2026. Verdicts use the following icons: ✅ Accurate | ❌ False | ⚠️ Misleading | ℹ️ Unverifiable
Claim 1: Biden gave Ukraine “$350 billion”
Speaker: President Trump Quote: “Biden started and he gave $350 billion away, too much, way too much.”
⚠️ MISLEADING
The actual total of U.S. Ukraine-related assistance authorized by Congress since Russia’s 2022 invasion is approximately $175 billion, according to the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget (CRFB), which analyzed Congressional Budget Office data. Congress approved $175 billion of emergency support for Ukraine since 2022, of which $53.7 billion was sent in direct military aid through Presidential Drawdown Authority, Foreign Military Financing, and the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative. The $175 billion figure encompasses all categories — military, economic, and humanitarian — and includes funds appropriated to replenish U.S. stockpiles rather than delivered to Ukraine directly.
By the final days of the Biden administration, the Pentagon’s own running tally of security assistance committed stood at more than $65 billion in support since Russia’s full-scale invasion, according to the Defense Department.
Trump’s $350 billion figure is approximately double the documented congressional authorization and roughly five times the amount delivered in direct military aid. This is a recurring inflation of the Ukraine aid figure that Trump has used since his 2024 campaign.
Claim 2: Federal Reserve renovation costs “$4 billion” or “maybe $4 billion”
Speaker: President Trump (multiple references) Quote: “It won’t be like the Federal Reserve that’s costing $4 billion or something thereabouts.” / “I hear he’s going to be over $4 billion for a little building.”
⚠️ MISLEADING
The publicly documented cost of the Federal Reserve’s renovation of the Marriner S. Eccles Building and the adjacent 1951 Constitution Avenue Building is $2.5 billion. Initially estimated at $1.9 billion in 2021, the cost of overhauling the Fed’s historic Marriner S. Eccles Building and its adjacent Federal Reserve East Building has jumped by over 30%, drawing fire from President Donald Trump and his allies, and raising questions about fiscal oversight at the nation’s central bank.
The project cost has increased from $1.9 billion to $2.5 billion. The renovations aim to bring the aging buildings into compliance with modern safety and accessibility codes and add office space while preserving their historic architecture. Both buildings are listed in the D.C. Inventory of Historic Sites.
Trump’s $4 billion figure inflates the documented cost by 60 percent. The renovation has been politically contentious, but Powell responded to Republican senators’ accusations of lavish spending, stating: “There’s no [VIP] dining room. There’s no new marble. We took down the old marble, we’re putting it back up… There’s no special elevators. There’s just old elevators that have been there.”
A July 2025 House hearing saw Trump claim the cost had “ballooned to $3.1 billion,” which Powell also disputed; the approved figure has remained at $2.5 billion. Staff noted during a media tour that tariffs and higher costs for materials were big reasons for the cost overruns compared to estimates from 2018 and 2019.
The renovation involves two buildings — not one — and the Eccles Building alone covers 276,000 square feet, making Trump’s comparison to his Waldorf Astoria renovation inapt on scope.
Claim 3: 11,888 murders committed by illegal immigrants
Speaker: President Trump (repeated multiple times) Quote: “11,888 murders. Many of them, I will say, are gone now because of us.”
⚠️ MISLEADING
The figure Trump cites appears to derive from ICE data on noncitizens with murder convictions or charges who were on the agency’s non-detained docket — meaning individuals with pending immigration cases who were not held in ICE custody. As of July 21, 2024, there were 662,566 noncitizens with criminal histories on ICE’s national docket — 13,099 criminally convicted for murders, according to ICE data provided to Congress.
Trump’s 11,888 figure is lower than the ICE total of approximately 13,000, suggesting he may be using an earlier dataset or a subset. Regardless, the figure is significantly misleading in the way Trump presents it — as murders committed under Biden’s watch by people who entered illegally:
The DHS said the data “goes back decades” and that the numbers include people who entered the country over the past 40 years or more, the vast majority of whose custody determination was made long before the Biden administration. The data also includes individuals who are in the custody of federal, state, or local law enforcement.
Furthermore, the non-detained docket includes people who have pending immigration cases but are not free in the community — some are currently incarcerated for their crimes in state prisons. The data does not represent 11,888 active murderers walking free in American communities.
Separately, academic research consistently finds the opposite of what Trump implies. Undocumented immigrants had the lowest homicide arrest rates throughout the entire study period, averaging less than half the rate at which U.S.-born citizens were arrested for homicide, according to a study published in the Journal of Criminology using Texas data.
Claim 4: Iran possessed “460kg of 60% enriched uranium, enough to make 11 atomic bombs”
Speaker: Special Envoy Steve Witkoff Quote: “They possessed enough 60 percent enriched material, 460kg, to make 11 atomic bombs.”
ℹ️ UNVERIFIABLE (pre-operation figure consistent with prior IAEA reporting)
The 460kg figure cited by Witkoff as Iran’s stockpile going into negotiations aligns closely with IAEA monitoring data reported before Operation Epic Fury commenced. The IAEA had documented Iran’s 60%-enriched uranium stockpile growing to roughly that level in 2024 reporting. Whether that stockpile still exists — given the administration’s claims of destroying Iran’s nuclear facilities in Operation Midnight Hammer — cannot be independently verified from publicly available sources at time of publication.
The claim that 460kg of 60%-enriched uranium is sufficient for approximately 11 bombs is consistent with expert estimates: weapons-grade enrichment requires ~90% purity, but 60% material can be further enriched, and approximately 42kg of weapons-grade uranium is the standard estimate for one device. The math is plausible but depends on conversion assumptions that independent analysts cannot currently verify given wartime conditions.
Claim 5: U.S. has “twice the amount of oil as Saudi Arabia or Russia”
Speaker: President Trump Quote: “We don’t need it at all. We don’t — we have so much oil. Our country is not affected by this. We have more — we have twice the amount of oil as Saudi Arabia or Russia, and soon it will be three times the amount.”
⚠️ MISLEADING (on production; false on reserves)
It depends sharply on whether Trump means production or reserves.
On production: The U.S. was the world’s largest crude oil producer in 2025 at 13.58 million barrels per day, ahead of Russia (9.87) and Saudi Arabia (9.51). More recent March 2026 data shows U.S. production has climbed further: US oil production has reached 24 million barrels per day, exceeding the combined output of Saudi Arabia (10.9 million) and Russia (10.5 mn), according to EIA data. Energy Secretary Chris Wright confirmed the general claim, though those March 2026 figures reflect total oil and liquids rather than crude only.
On reserves: Trump’s “twice” framing does not hold for proven reserves. Venezuela holds the world’s largest proven reserves, followed by Saudi Arabia (~267 billion barrels). The U.S. has far smaller proven reserves than either Saudi Arabia or Russia. Trump appears to be conflating production dominance with reserve holdings.
The production claim is broadly supportable; the “twice” comparison applied to reserves is not.
Claim 6: Average tax refund is up “more than 10 percent”
Speaker: Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent Quote: “The average tax refund is up more than 10 percent for working Americans.”
✅ ACCURATE
The average tax refund is 10.6% higher so far this season, compared to about the same period in 2025, according to IRS filing data. As of Mar. 6, the average refund amount for individual filers was $3,676, up from $3,324 about one year ago.
Bessent’s figure is accurate as of the data available near the meeting date. The increase is largely attributable to the Trump administration’s “One, Big, Beautiful Bill” tax law changes, which took effect mid-2025, and the fact that IRS withholding tables were not immediately updated, leading many workers to overpay taxes for part of the year.
Claim 7: “44 percent of tax returns have claimed at least one of your signature policies”
Speaker: Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent Quote: “44 percent of tax returns have claimed at least one of your signature policies, no tax on tips, no tax on overtime, no tax on Social Security, deductibility of auto loans.”
✅ ACCURATE
As of Mar. 8, more than 27.5 million returns, which is nearly 45% of filings, claimed at least one of Trump’s new tax breaks on Schedule 1-A, the U.S. Department of the Treasury said in a news release. Schedule 1-A is a new form that includes Trump’s deductions for overtime pay, tip income, seniors and auto loan interest.
Bessent’s 44 percent figure is consistent with Treasury’s own release of approximately 45 percent. The minor discrepancy (44 vs. 45) likely reflects the date of the data cut used.
Claim 8: U.S. natural gas — “before your first term, we were the largest importer” / now “by far the largest exporter”
Speaker: Energy Secretary Chris Wright Quote: “Before your first term, we were the largest importer of natural gas in the world. Today, we’re just by far the largest [exporter].”
⚠️ MISLEADING (overstated, though directionally correct)
The U.S. was historically a significant natural gas importer, but it was not the world’s “largest importer” before Trump’s first term. The U.S. became a net natural gas exporter around 2017 and has grown steadily since. The U.S. is now the world’s leading LNG exporter. The U.S. remains the world’s leading producer of dry natural gas, a position it has held since around 2009. Since exporting its first LNG cargo in 2016, the US has become the world’s largest LNG exporter, with exports averaging 15–16 billion cubic feet per day.
Wright’s claim about being the largest importer before Trump is an exaggeration — the U.S. was a significant net importer but not the top importer globally (that designation typically goes to Japan or China). The pivot to dominant exporter is accurate.
Claim 9: Drug prices to fall “30, 40, 50, 60, 70 percent” under Most Favored Nations order
Speaker: President Trump Quote: “Drug prices going down. It’ll be going down 30, 40, 50, 60 percent, 70 percent. Favored Nations, called Most Favored Nations. We’re going to be paying the lowest price anywhere in the world.”
ℹ️ UNVERIFIABLE
Trump signed a Most Favored Nation (MFN) executive order on drug pricing in his second term, directing federal programs to pay no more for drugs than the lowest price paid by other developed countries. The projected savings range widely depending on which drugs are covered and how the order is implemented. Independent analysts have generally found the approach can reduce prices meaningfully, but the 30–70% range Trump cites is not uniformly achievable across all drug categories. Implementation is ongoing and legal challenges are possible, making the ultimate effect unverifiable at publication.
Summary Verdict Table
| # | Claim | Speaker | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Biden gave Ukraine “$350 billion” | Trump | ⚠️ Misleading — actual figure ~$175B authorized, ~$65B in security aid committed |
| 2 | Fed renovation costs “$4 billion” | Trump | ⚠️ Misleading — documented cost is $2.5 billion |
| 3 | 11,888 murders by illegal immigrants | Trump | ⚠️ Misleading — spans 40 years of data; many subjects incarcerated; immigrants commit crimes at lower rates than native-born |
| 4 | Iran had 460kg enriched uranium, enough for 11 bombs | Witkoff | ℹ️ Unverifiable — consistent with pre-war IAEA data but cannot be independently confirmed |
| 5 | U.S. has “twice the oil” of Saudi Arabia or Russia | Trump | ⚠️ Misleading — true for production; false for reserves |
| 6 | Average tax refund up “more than 10 percent” | Bessent | ✅ Accurate — IRS data confirms ~10.6% increase as of March 6 |
| 7 | “44 percent” of returns claimed Trump tax policies | Bessent | ✅ Accurate — Treasury confirmed ~45% as of March 8 |
| 8 | U.S. was “largest importer” of natural gas before Trump | C. Wright | ⚠️ Misleading — U.S. was a large importer but not the world’s largest |
| 9 | Drug prices to fall 30–70% under MFN order | Trump | ℹ️ Unverifiable — implementation ongoing |
Sources: Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget (CRFB); Congressional Budget Office; Fortune / Bloomberg / NBC News / Fox Business / CNN (Federal Reserve renovation); ABC News fact-check on ICE data; National Institute of Justice (immigration crime rates); U.S. Energy Information Administration via Visual Capitalist / WION News; IRS filing season statistics via CNBC; U.S. Treasury Department news release.