President Donald Trump signed the Consolidated Appropriations Act on February 3, 2026, immediately reopening the federal government and funding 96 percent of operations through the remainder of the fiscal year. The signing ceremony featured extensive remarks on the bill’s spending cuts—including nearly $10 billion slashed from foreign aid and the elimination of federal funding for NPR and PBS—as well as the implementation of “Most Favored Nations” prescription drug pricing that Trump claimed would reduce drug costs by up to 80 percent. The event also showcased Republican unity on immigration enforcement, with Senator Lindsey Graham delivering an impassioned defense of the administration’s deportation policies and calling for an end to sanctuary cities, while Trump touted dramatic crime reductions in Washington DC (claiming murders down 80-97 percent) and defended his administration against questions about the recently released Epstein documents. Assistance from Claude AI.
Participants
- Donald Trump – President of the United States
- Mike Johnson – Speaker of the House
- Tom Cole – U.S. Representative (Oklahoma)
- Ronnie Jackson – U.S. Representative (Texas)
- Buddy Carter – U.S. Representative (Georgia)
- Stephanie Bice – U.S. Representative (Oklahoma)
- Ken Calvert – U.S. Representative (California)
- John Carter – U.S. Representative (Texas)
- David Joyce – U.S. Representative (Ohio)
- Steve Womack – U.S. Representative (Arkansas)
- Robert Aderholt – U.S. Representative (Alabama)
- Susan Collins – U.S. Senator (Maine)
- Cindy Hyde-Smith – U.S. Senator (Mississippi)
- Bill Hagerty – U.S. Senator (Tennessee)
- Lindsey Graham – U.S. Senator (South Carolina)
- Mario Díaz-Balart – U.S. Representative (Florida)
- Katie Britt – U.S. Senator (Alabama)
- John Barrasso – U.S. Senator (Wyoming)
- Shelley Moore Capito – U.S. Senator (West Virginia)
- Hal Duncan – Associate Director of Legislative Affairs, White House
- Susan Ross Avcin – White House Legislative Affairs (role unspecified)
- Betsy McConnell – White House Legislative Affairs (role unspecified)
- Melania Trump – First Lady of the United States (mentioned, not present)
Opening Remarks and Personal Acknowledgments
President Trump opened the ceremony by thanking the assembled lawmakers and emphasizing the importance of the legislation. He then proceeded to read through an extensive list of participants, pausing to offer personal condolences to Representative Steve Womack, whose wife had recently passed away. Trump called Womack forward, acknowledging “an incredible wife who passed away” and expressing sympathy: “We’re with you all the way.” Womack thanked the president, and Trump noted, “That’s a rough deal he went through, rough. He had a good marriage. A good marriage is better than a bad marriage, but it makes it a little bit tougher when something like that happens.”
Trump also engaged in light banter with several senators, joking with Senator Lindsey Graham about his high poll numbers in South Carolina and asking if Graham’s Democratic opponent had “dropped out yet.”
Bill Signing and Fiscal Impact
Economic Claims and Government Shutdown Impact
Trump described the bill as “a great victory for the American people,” contrasting it with what he called “a bloated and wasteful omnibus monstrosity full of special interest handouts.” He claimed the package was “fiscally responsible” and “actually cuts wasteful federal spending while supporting critical programs.”
The president made a specific economic claim about the recent government shutdown’s impact, stating: “Closing the country, you know, we had a five point—it looks like 5.6 and it could have been seven. We lost a point and a half because of a 42 day shutdown. And that’s the least of it, but we would have been at seven. Can you believe it, seven GDP? Nobody ever heard of a seven GDP.”
Spending Cuts and Program Eliminations
Trump highlighted several specific cuts in the legislation:
NPR and PBS Defunding: “The bill officially ends all taxpayer subsidies for radical far-left woke programing on NPR and PBS, just a waste of money.”
Foreign Aid Reductions: “It slashes nearly $10 billion in wasteful foreign aid spending, giving money to countries that don’t need it, they have plenty of money.”
USAID Restructuring: “It continues the closure of USAID and creates a brand new America First Opportunity Fund for responsibly providing foreign assistance to nations where it actually serves American interests. So we have nations that do help us and it serves our interests and we have something to help them out.”
IRS Funding Cuts: “This bill also cuts funding to abusive and weaponized IRS programs. I was a victim of that too.” Trump referenced that the bill “builds on the Republican rescissions package passed last summer, which saved Americans billions and billions of dollars.”
Military Funding and Manufacturing
Trump emphasized defense spending in the bill: “It fully funds our military, includes a well-deserved pay raise for all American service members and makes historic investments in the American shipbuilding industry, which is great.”
He then pivoted to discussing American steel production, making a striking claim about surpassing Japan: “The United States of America, for the first time in over 30 years, beat Japan. We love Japan, great country, but their power in steel making—we produce more steel this year than Japan. Think of that, more steel than Japan and Japan is a powerhouse at that. And we were pretty much dead when it came to steel.”
Crime Statistics and Border Security
Washington DC Crime Claims
Trump made extensive claims about crime reduction in Washington DC and other cities:
“We have a very safe city right now. We have a city that is like a different world from what it was a year and a half ago, when you couldn’t walk down the street without being hurt very badly. Washington DC is a safe city.”
He provided specific statistics: “Memphis, by the way, crime is down 77 percent. And in New Orleans, we started three weeks ago, four weeks ago max, and crime is down 68 percent. It’s going to be down to practically nothing within the next month.”
On DC specifically: “It all helped cut the number of murders in DC by 80 percent. And we have numbers coming up, newer numbers were down 97 percent in murders… We have close to 90, 95 percent down, crime in Washington DC.”
Deportation Funding and Border Security
Trump stated that the bill “continues to fund deportation flights that are removing dangerous, illegal aliens from our country” and “continues historically successful efforts to reduce crime in our nation’s capital.”
The bill also “continues funding for the Department of Homeland Security until later in the year.”
First Lady’s Foster Youth Initiative
Trump announced a new program included in the legislation: “I am extremely pleased to announce that this bill includes a newly designated—oh, wow! Movie star—Melania Trump Foster Youth to Independence Initiative.”
He praised the First Lady’s recent documentary success: “She really loves the children, and she’s had tremendous success. So, it’s the number one documentary in 19 years. Can you believe this? What do I get out of it? Nothing out of it. Now I have—so I had a top model, now I have a top movie star.”
The initiative, housed “within the Department of Housing and Urban Development, will support America’s foster youth and provide them critical resources as they age out of the foster care system.”
Congressional Statements
Speaker Mike Johnson on Regular Order
Speaker Johnson emphasized the significance of returning to traditional appropriations processes: “For a long time, we’ve wanted to get back to regular order in the appropriations process and you’re standing up here with the best appropriators in the business… We forced the muscle memory back. We’re getting back to that regular order process, 12 separate appropriations bills.”
Johnson highlighted fiscal discipline: “We’re spending less money year over year and with all the innovations and things that you said there, this is good for the country. And America is back; the hat is appropriate. It’s the right slogan.”
Health Care Reforms in the Bill
An unidentified lawmaker (likely Representative Buddy Carter based on context) detailed health care provisions: “There’s significant health care reform in this bill. PBM reform, something that you have been working on… Bringing drug prices down for citizens here in America. Not only that, but we extended telehealth. And also, we are addressing maternal mortality in this bill. Rural health care has been a big part of your focus.”
Prescription Drug Pricing: “Most Favored Nations”
Trump devoted substantial attention to prescription drug pricing reform, which he called “a very big thing”:
“Most Favored Nations on drug pricing. So, for 30 years they’ve been talking about it, more than that. And it’s basically—we now will take—prescription drugs will come down to the lowest price anywhere in the world. So, if a country is selling a pill for $10 and we’re selling it for $130, which is not much of an exaggeration at all, we were paying the highest drug prices anywhere in the world. Now we’ll be paying tied with the lowest price.”
Claimed Savings
Trump provided specific examples of projected savings: “A pill that was for $130 will be down to $20. So, you can make a case that that’s 800, 900 percent or, like the press likes to hear, it’s about 80 percent. But we’re going to get reductions like nobody’s ever seen.”
He contrasted this with his first-term achievements: “In my first term, I got it down one-eighth of 1 percent. And I was so proud because it’s the first time in 28 years that drug prices came down. And now we’re talking about bringing it down by 80, 90, 75, 68—I mean, we have—I have numbers in the back that nobody can believe.”
Political Messaging
Trump emphasized the political significance: “Frankly, the Republican Party should be able to win the midterms on that alone. That’s the biggest thing there is, Most Favored Nations… Remember, the Republicans did that. The Democrats did not do that, Republicans did it.”
He described the negotiation process: “I had to get the countries to go along with it and I had to threaten tariffs against them if they didn’t approve. And the health care companies, who weren’t easy either, but they said it doesn’t matter because he’ll never get the countries, because they didn’t really want to do it. And I got the countries; I got every one of them.”
Impact on Health Care Costs
Trump connected drug pricing to broader health care costs: “That’s going to have a huge impact also on health care because medicine—I mean, it’s a big chunk of health care. And if you’re bringing something down from $100 down to $20, $18—because we were subsidizing the entire world.”
IRS Criticism and Investigations
An unidentified lawmaker launched into criticism of the IRS, mentioning Trump’s leaked tax returns: “Their behavior has been atrocious. If you think about leaking your tax returns, the tax returns of others and never any accountability. I must have questioned Janet Yellen four times, five times under oath about this and never an answer. We stripped $10 billion from the IRS in this bill that you just signed.”
The lawmaker announced a new investigation: “Today, I launched an investigation with my staff on all of these contractors that are associated with the ones that allowed your information to be put out; these contractors that hire activists to come in and do their work.”
Trump responded: “They did leak my tax returns, it was terrible. The good news is I paid a hell of a lot of tax. I paid tens of millions of dollars. I said where are my accountants. I want to talk to my accountants… They didn’t do it in a nice way. They tried to get something out of it. No, they’re bad people.”
Voter ID and Election Integrity
Trump pivoted to discussing voter identification requirements: “We should have voter ID, by the way; we should have a lot of the things that I think everybody wants to see. Who would not want voter ID? Only somebody that wants to cheat. Think of it. We don’t have voter ID, and the Democrats don’t want it. And the reason they don’t want it, because they want to cheat because there’s no reason in the world.”
He continued: “And I love that debate, Lindsey. I love saying, well, why don’t you want voter ID? And you watch them say, I don’t know. I just—”
Senator Graham interjected: “Make them vote.”
Tax Policy and Economic Benefits
An unidentified lawmaker highlighted economic benefits for Americans: “More prosperity means more money in people’s pockets. And they notice that every time they go to fill up with gas, and they’re going to know it when they get their tax returns that this year are going to be at least $1,000, if not more, greater than it’s been in the past.”
Trump added specific tax provisions:
No Tax on Tips: Trump mentioned this policy to laughter from the group.
No Tax on Social Security: “More money in people’s pockets,” a lawmaker added.
Auto Interest Deduction: “A tax deduction on your—if you buy a car, if it’s made in America—only if it’s made in America, the rest we don’t care about so much. But you buy a car, you get an interest deduction, you borrow money, you get an interest tax deduction… So, to me that’s unbelievable for the people, unbelievable for our car companies, which is jobs.”
Border Security Details
An unidentified lawmaker who had recently visited the border described the transformation: “A number of us were at the border two weeks ago. The border is secure, no one is coming across, not the 10,000 we saw every day with Joe Biden and the American people still in overwhelming numbers, republicans, Democrats and Independents all say illegal immigrant criminals need to be deported, and Mr. President, you’re doing that.”
National Security Emphasis
Another lawmaker highlighted military aspects: “The biggest part of this bill is our national security. And thank you. The men and women who serve this country are grateful to you. We give them a pay raise. We’re building more ships, as you said, planes, missiles. We need to defend this country and you’re doing a great job in leading us in the right direction.”
Rural America and Health Care
Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith provided a specific example of rural impact: “There’s a little hospital in here, a rural hospital in Meadville, Mississippi, called Franklin County Hospital. It would have closed the end of this month without this bill. Thank you. Thank you from everybody in Mississippi, especially Franklin County.”
Trump responded: “We’ve covered the rural very well. Nobody ever thought it was possible because we had a lot of opposition from the Democrats, as you know. But nobody thought it was possible.”
Representative Tom Cole added: “Best budget for Native Americans ever, Mr. President.”
Representative Robert Aderholt reinforced: “This rural America is taken care of in this bill… so thank you for all America, but especially rural America.”
Press Questions: Iran Negotiations
A reporter asked about Iran negotiations, and Trump confirmed: “They’re all over, but they are negotiating. They’d like to do something and we’ll see if something is going to be done. They had a chance to do something a while ago and it didn’t work out, and we did Midnight Hammer. I don’t think they want that happening again, but they would like to negotiate. We are negotiating with them right now.”
When pressed about the location of meetings, Trump replied: “I can’t tell you that… There really is more than one meeting.”
Colombia Meeting with President Petro
Regarding his meeting with Colombian President Gustavo Petro, Trump said: “We did. We worked on it and we got along very well. He and I weren’t exactly the best of friends but I wasn’t insulted because I never met him. I didn’t know him at all. And we got along very well. And we are; we’re working on that and we’re working on some other things too, including sanctions. And, no, we had a very good meeting. I thought he was terrific and he was very good. We got along great.”
Border Security Statistics and Claims
When asked about Department of Homeland Security changes, Trump made striking claims about illegal immigration:
“We have a secure border. In fact, we have nine months now where nobody has come into our country illegally. Now I don’t know if I can believe that because, you know, you go from 25 million people to nobody, but the Democrats do that… For nine months have said nobody has come into our country.”
He acknowledged the claim seemed implausible while maintaining border security: “It is a strong, great border. We do have people coming into our country, but they’re all coming in legally.”
Criminal Deportations
Trump provided specific numbers on criminal removals: “We have 11,888 murderers who came into our country. We’re getting them out. We’re getting them out fast.”
He highlighted Minnesota specifically: “The only place where there’s a little bit of a problem—and I will tell you this, Minnesota, their crime because of us, because we’ve taken out thousands of criminals, their crime is down, not because of anybody else. It’s because of us, their crime is down.”
National Crime Statistics
Trump made a sweeping claim: “The crime rate now is the lowest it’s been since 1900. That’s 125 years, and that’s despite the fact with an open border stupid policy, 25 million people, in my opinion, came into our country and many of those people should not have been allowed to come into our country.”
Ukraine Ceasefire Discussion
A reporter noted that attacks in Ukraine had resumed after Trump mentioned a pause, and he clarified: “I know. It was Sunday. It was Sunday to Sunday and it opened up and he hit him hard last night. No, he agreed. He kept his word on that. It was—it’s a lot. You know, one week is—we’ll take anything because it’s really, really cold over there, but it was on Sunday and he went from Sunday to Sunday.”
When asked if he was disappointed, Trump responded: “I would have liked him—I want him to end the war. I spoke to him. I want him to end the war.”
Election Integrity and Federal Oversight
When asked about “nationalizing elections,” Trump explained his position:
“I want to see elections be honest. And if a state can’t run an election, I think the people behind me should do something about it, because you know, if you think about it, a state is an agent for the federal government in elections. I don’t know why the federal government doesn’t do them anyway. But when you see some of these states about how horribly they run their elections, what a disgrace it is.”
He named specific jurisdictions: “Take a look at Detroit, take a look at Pennsylvania, take a look at Philadelphia, you go take a look at Atlanta, look at some of the places that—horrible corruption on elections. And the federal government should not allow that. The federal government should get involved. These are agents of the federal government to count the votes. If they can’t count the votes legally and honestly, then somebody else should take over.”
When a reporter noted that the Constitution assigns election administration to states, Trump replied: “Yeah, they can—you know what, they can administer the election, but they have to do it honestly.”
ICE Warrants and Sanctuary Cities Debate
Senator Schumer’s Warrant Proposal
A reporter asked if Trump was open to negotiating on requiring warrants for ICE operations, a request from Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer. Trump responded curtly: “I haven’t even thought of it. No, I’m not—I’m not thinking about search warrants.”
Senator Graham’s Extensive Response
Senator Lindsey Graham delivered an impassioned defense of the administration’s immigration enforcement, which became one of the most dramatic moments of the event:
“No, it makes no sense. If we have to get a search warrant to get 15 million people out, Schumer is telling me he doesn’t want him out. It’s the most ridiculous idea… I’ve got a better idea, it’s your idea, end sanctuary cities. On immigration, I know what I’m talking about. I’ve got the scars to prove it.”
Graham accused media of bias: “They’re playing like Biden didn’t exist. Y’all won’t tell the American people about Laken Riley. It’s a one-sided debate. For four years, our border was obliterated. They let them come in by the tens of millions and they want to go back that way. We’re not going.”
He urged the president to hold firm: “Mr. President, stick to your guns. If you got reforms that make ICE better, more professional, talk to me, but you should embrace what I’m suggesting. As long as 12 states have sanctuary policy, they’ll keep coming. Unfortunately, you won’t be president forever. These magnets of illegal immigration have to go. There is no upside to sanctuary city unless you’re a complete radical nut job.”
Graham announced legislative action: “I’m going to take President Trump’s idea, that it’s time to end the insane policy of sanctuary cities. We’re going to take it to the floor and we’re going to vote and people in November are going to get to see who they trust to keep the border secure, Schumer or Trump. I’m with Trump.”
Minnesota Fraud Investigation
Trump connected immigration enforcement to broader investigations of financial fraud:
“We are not—well, we are with you. I think everybody is with you, it’s a sanctuary for criminals. That’s who it is. They could make our lives so much easier. All they have to do is hand over their criminals, hand over people that came into our country illegally that are murderers, that came out of jails, that came out of mental institutions, that are drug dealers.”
He then raised allegations of massive fraud: “I can’t believe in Minnesota that they want to have murderers walking all over the streets… The other thing we can’t lose sight of is you probably have in Minnesota, and it’s worse in some places, like California, $19 billion in fraud. And we’re going to find out. You know, we have—we’re very deep into that investigation.”
Trump elaborated on the fraud claims: “A lot of people think that a lot of this nonsense that’s going on is to try and hide what’s going on with respect to the fraud. They have 19—at least $19 billion. You know, you’re hearing nine. Now I’m hearing it’s $19 billion and it’s probably much more… I think it’s not incompetence. I think it’s just pure fraud. These are dishonest people. They’re bad people. I think they hate our country and we’re going to get to the bottom of it.”
Budget Balance Through Fraud Recovery
Trump made a striking claim about potential budget impacts: “If we find the fraud in this country, you’ll have a balanced budget without even cutting anything. You’ll literally have a balanced budget.”
Venezuela Relations
When asked about working with Colombia on Venezuelan guerrilla groups, Trump revealed improved relations with Venezuela:
“Well, they want me to do that. And we will. We’re getting along very well in Venezuela with the leadership very, very well. You know, we took in 50 million barrels of oil that’s right now heading to Houston. And we’re getting along very well with them, but we’re going to work with them.”
Epstein Documents Discussion
Peter Mandelson Question
A reporter noted that Peter Mandelson, the British ambassador who had recently met with Trump, was being forced to resign from the House of Lords over his links to Jeffrey Epstein. Trump said: “I didn’t know about it. But—I really don’t know too much about it. I know who he is. It’s too bad.”
Trump’s Claims About Epstein Documents
Trump then pivoted to discussing documents released in the Epstein case: “Speaking of Epstein, I will say this, a reporter named Wolff and Epstein conspired—this just came out yesterday in the millions of pages of documents… conspired against me in order to fight like hell to make sure I lose the election. That’s the only thing that was mentioned about me.”
He continued: “Now about Democrats, some really bad stuff. But about me, that Wolff—whoever Wolff is, he wrote a book, a couple of books—and Epstein conspired against me… That takes care of Epstein as far as Trump is concerned. But you’ve got a lot of Democrats out there that are very much involved with Epstein.”
Dismissing Further Epstein Focus
Trump argued for moving on: “I’ll be honest with you, you’ve got to get back to running the country too. Millions and millions—every week. You know, when Epstein was alive, nobody cared about him. When he’s dead, they care about him. But it’s really a Democrat problem. It’s not a Republican; it’s a Democrat problem.”
When asked about Elon Musk and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick appearing in the documents, Trump said: “No, I didn’t—I have a lot of things I’m doing, you know, a lot of things. I don’t know. You mentioned two names. I’m sure they’re fine. I’m sure they’re fine. Otherwise, there would have been major headlines.”
Clash with CNN Reporter
A tense exchange occurred when a reporter asked about survivors seeking justice. Trump attacked the reporter: “Yeah, what did you say? Go ahead, CNN. You are so bad. You are the worst reporter? No wonder, CNN has no ratings because of people like you. You know, she’s a young woman. I don’t think I’ve ever seen you smile. I’ve known you for 10 years. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a smile on your face.”
The reporter responded: “Well, I’m asking you about survivors of Epstein, Mr. President.”
Trump replied: “You know why you’re not smiling? Because you know you’re not telling the truth and you’re a very dishonest organization. And they should be ashamed of you.”
Health Care Savings Accounts
A reporter noted that the appropriations bill did not include Trump’s health care savings account proposal. Trump responded enthusiastically:
“I’m so proud of the health care savings accounts because it’s going to happen. And hopefully instead of insurance—and I hope this happens and I hope you guys can do it, let the insurance companies not do quite as well. You know, they’ve gone up 1,500, 1,600, 1,700 percent. Think of it, the money should be paid directly to the people.”
He elaborated on his vision: “Trillions of dollars goes out, the money should go to the people, they should buy their own health care. It can be in a health care account, savings account, any account you want to make. The money should go to the people. The people should buy their own health care. And they’re going to save a lot of money and they’re going to have much better health care and it’s very simple.”
Blaming Democrats and Calling for Filibuster Reform
Trump blamed Democrats for blocking the proposal: “The problem is the Democrats are owned by those insurance companies. They’re owned lock stock and barrel. And the Democrats will never vote on it because the Republicans should get that through. And you know how you get it through? The filibuster, get rid of the filibuster and start voting.”
Clinton Depositions
When asked about the Clintons setting deposition dates before the House Oversight Committee related to Epstein, Trump expressed mixed feelings:
“I think it’s a shame to be honest. I always liked him. Her, eh, she’s a very capable woman. She’s better in debating than some of the other people, I will tell you that. She was smarter, smart woman. I hate to see it in many ways. I hate to see it.”
Comparing His Own Legal Scrutiny
Trump then compared his situation to the Clintons’: “But then I look at me, they went after me like, you know, they wanted me to go to jail for the rest of my life. Then it turned out, I was innocent, very innocent.”
He recounted a conversation with “a friend”: “A very smart friend. He’s a very wealthy man, knows the life, street wise guy. He said you have to be the most honest person anywhere in the world because there’s never been anybody who’s been examined up and down. I have hundreds of thousands of pages of documents, millions of pages, millions of pages. With all of that, they found absolutely nothing wrong.”
Tax Returns
Trump revisited his tax return disclosure: “Remember, his tax returns, oh, his tax returns. They fought for years and years. And then the Supreme Court, I was surprised, they ruled I had to give my tax returns. I’m the only one that had to ever do that. But I had to give my tax returns, I gave my tax returns. They hired the best accounting firms in the world. They found nothing.”
He quoted his friend again: “This friend of mine said you have to be the most honest person in the world. He actually said, you know, I’m—me referring to him—I’m a pretty honest guy, but I could have never withstood that. They’ve gone through millions and millions of pages and here I sit winning an election in a landslide, winning the popular vote, winning all seven swing states, winning 86 percent of the counties in the United States.”
Mixed Feelings About Clinton Investigation
Trump concluded with ambivalence: “So, they tried to put me in jail. And I shouldn’t feel this way, but I feel badly that they have to go through that. But then I say, but they did far worse to me. They wanted to put me in jail.”
Comparing First and Second Terms
Near the end of the event, Trump made a claim about his current performance: “But you know, I will say this—I think I can say—what do you think, Lindsay? My second term is blowing my first term away. And my first term was really good.”
Senator Graham responded: “Reagan plus.”
Source
“Donald Trump Signs Bills in an Oval Office Ceremony – February 3, 2026.” Factba.se, Roll Call, 3 Feb. 2026.
Fact-Check: Trump’s Consolidated Appropriations Act Signing Ceremony
Economic and GDP Claims
CLAIM: The government shutdown cost 1.5 points of GDP, preventing the economy from reaching 7% GDP growth
VERDICT: Requires Context/Likely Exaggerated
This claim needs careful examination of several elements. First, Trump claimed there was a “42 day shutdown” that cost the economy growth, and that GDP would have been “seven” instead of “5.6” without it.
Historical context on government shutdown economic impacts shows these effects are typically measured in fractions of a percentage point, not full percentage points. The 2018-2019 federal government shutdown (the longest in U.S.S. history at 35 days) was estimated by the Congressional Budget Office to have reduced GDP growth by approximately 0.02 percentage points in Q4 2018 and 0.08 percentage points in Q1 2019, with most economic activity resuming after reopening.
Additionally, quarterly U.S. GDP growth of 7% would be extraordinarily rare in modern American economic history. Since 1950, quarterly GDP growth has exceeded 7% only during exceptional recovery periods or post-recession bounces. An annual GDP growth rate of 7% would be unprecedented for a modern developed economy like the United States—the highest annual GDP growth since 1984 was 7.2% in 1984, and the U.S. has not sustained such growth in the 21st century.
The claim that a shutdown cost 1.5 percentage points of GDP growth appears inflated based on historical CBO analyses of shutdown impacts.
Crime Statistics Claims
CLAIM: Washington D.C. murders are “down 80 percent” or “down 97 percent” with crime overall down “90, 95 percent”
VERDICT: Highly Questionable/Needs Recent Data
These claims about D.C. crime reduction are extraordinarily dramatic and require verification against Metropolitan Police Department statistics. Trump provided multiple varying percentages throughout his remarks (80%, 97%, 90%, 95%), which itself suggests imprecision.
Historical context: Washington D.C. did experience significant crime increases during the COVID-19 pandemic, with homicides rising notably in 2020-2021. However, reductions of 80-97% in murder rates would be unprecedented and would need to be verified against official MPD crime statistics.
The claim becomes more suspicious given that Trump has only been in office for his second term since January 2025, meaning these dramatic reductions would have occurred in approximately one year, which strains credulity for such massive percentage decreases.
CLAIM: Memphis crime is “down 77 percent” and New Orleans crime is “down 68 percent”
VERDICT: Requires Verification
These dramatic crime reduction percentages need verification against official police department statistics from Memphis and New Orleans. Trump specified that the New Orleans intervention began “three weeks ago, four weeks ago max,” which would place it in early January 2026.
Such rapid and dramatic reductions in overall crime rates (not just specific categories) over a matter of weeks would be extraordinary and typically not how crime statistics behave, even with intensive law enforcement interventions.
CLAIM: National crime rate is “the lowest it’s been since 1900” (125 years)
VERDICT: Almost Certainly False
This is an extraordinary claim that would represent a historic milestone in American criminal justice. However, it faces several immediate problems:
First, comprehensive national crime statistics were not systematically collected in 1900. The FBI’s Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Program didn’t begin until 1930, making direct comparisons to 1900 methodologically impossible.
Second, even using available FBI crime statistics from 1930 forward, the claim that current crime rates are the lowest in that entire period would need verification. The FBI reported that violent crime rates did decline significantly from the early 1990s peaks through the 2010s, but recent years have seen increases in certain categories, particularly homicides during 2020-2021.
Third, crime measurement methodology has changed substantially over the decades, making long-term comparisons complex. The FBI transitioned to the National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS) in recent years, which changed how data is collected and reported.
Based on available historical crime data, this claim appears to be false or at minimum a significant exaggeration not supported by FBI statistics.
Border and Immigration Claims
CLAIM: “Nine months now where nobody has come into our country illegally”
VERDICT: False (Even Trump Expresses Skepticism)
Trump himself immediately questioned this claim in his own remarks: “Now I don’t know if I can believe that because, you know, you go from 25 million people to nobody, but the Democrats do that. You know, they’re leaning left, the people that do that report.”
The claim that literally zero people have entered the United States illegally for nine consecutive months is implausible and contradicts Trump’s own subsequent statement: “We do have people coming into our country, but they’re all coming in legally.”
U.S. Customs and Border Protection publishes monthly encounter statistics, and even with significant enforcement increases, claiming absolute zero illegal entries for nine months would be unprecedented and almost certainly inaccurate.
CLAIM: “25 million people” came into the country during the Biden administration
VERDICT: Exaggerated
This figure requires examination of actual CBP encounter data during the Biden administration. Trump uses this “25 million” figure as a round number, which suggests it’s an estimate rather than a precise count.
CBP encounter statistics include individuals encountered multiple times (recidivism), and encounters do not equal successful entries—many encounters result in immediate expulsion or removal. Additionally, not all encounters represent new illegal entries; many are asylum seekers presenting themselves at ports of entry as required by law.
The actual number of unique individuals who entered and remained in the United States illegally during the Biden administration would be substantially lower than total encounter numbers, making “25 million” likely an inflation of encounter statistics.
CLAIM: “11,888 murderers who came into our country”
VERDICT: Requires Context
This very specific number suggests it comes from an official source, likely Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) or Department of Homeland Security data. However, the claim requires important context about what this number represents:
Does this refer to individuals with murder convictions in their home countries, individuals convicted of murder after entering the U.S., individuals charged but not convicted, or individuals on wanted lists? The timeframe also matters—does this cover recent entries only, or is it cumulative over many years across multiple administrations?
ICE does maintain databases of removable non-citizens with criminal convictions, but the context and timeframe of such statistics are crucial for accurate interpretation.
Foreign Aid and Spending Claims
CLAIM: The bill “slashes nearly $10 billion in wasteful foreign aid spending”
VERDICT: Requires Legislative Text Verification
This specific dollar figure requires verification against the actual appropriations legislation to confirm:
- The actual amount of foreign aid reductions compared to prior year appropriations
- Whether these are true cuts or merely reductions from requested increases
- The specific programs and accounts affected
U.S. foreign aid typically represents less than 1% of the federal budget, so $10 billion would represent a very substantial portion of total foreign assistance. The State Department and USAID budget combined is typically around $50-60 billion, so this would represent a significant reduction if accurate.
CLAIM: The bill “officially ends all taxpayer subsidies for radical far-left woke programing on NPR and PBS”
VERDICT: Requires Legislative Verification
Federal funding for public broadcasting flows through the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), which receives appropriations from Congress. The claim that this bill eliminates this funding entirely requires verification against the legislative text.
Historical context: Federal funding represents a relatively small portion of NPR and PBS budgets (typically less than 15% for most stations), with the majority coming from member contributions, corporate sponsorships, and grants. Complete elimination of CPB funding would be a significant policy change that has been proposed multiple times but rarely achieved.
The characterization of NPR and PBS programming as “radical far-left woke” is subjective political framing rather than factual description.
CLAIM: The bill cuts “$10 billion from the IRS”
VERDICT: Requires Verification and Context
This claim from an unidentified lawmaker requires verification against the appropriations bill text. Context matters significantly:
- Is this a $10 billion cut from current IRS funding levels, or from requested increases?
- Does this represent reversal of IRS funding increases provided in the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022?
- What specific IRS functions or modernization efforts are affected?
The IRS did receive substantial funding increases (approximately $80 billion over 10 years) in the Inflation Reduction Act for enforcement, modernization, and taxpayer services, so $10 billion could represent a clawback of some of those funds.
Election Integrity Claims
CLAIM: States including Detroit, Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, and Atlanta had “rigged, crooked elections” and “horrible corruption on elections”
VERDICT: Unsubstantiated
These claims about systematic election fraud in specific jurisdictions have been extensively investigated and repeatedly rejected by courts, election officials (including Republicans), and federal agencies.
Key facts:
- Legal proceedings: Dozens of lawsuits challenging 2020 election results in these jurisdictions were dismissed by judges (including Trump-appointed judges) due to lack of evidence.
- Audits and recounts: Multiple audits, recounts, and investigations in these jurisdictions found no evidence of widespread fraud sufficient to change outcomes. Georgia conducted multiple recounts and a comprehensive audit; Pennsylvania conducted standard post-election audits; Michigan officials investigated allegations thoroughly.
- Bipartisan rejection: Election officials from both parties in these jurisdictions certified results and found no evidence of systematic fraud.
- Federal investigations: The Department of Justice and FBI investigated election fraud allegations and found no evidence of fraud at a scale that would affect outcomes.
The characterization of these elections as “rigged” and featuring “horrible corruption” remains unsubstantiated by credible evidence despite extensive investigation.
CLAIM: Trump won “86 percent of the counties in the United States” in 2024
VERDICT: Likely Accurate (County Count vs. Population)
This claim is likely accurate in terms of geographic county count, though it requires important context. Republican presidential candidates typically win a large majority of U.S. counties by count because:
- There are approximately 3,000+ counties in the United States
- Rural and less populated counties vastly outnumber urban counties
- Democratic votes are concentrated in densely populated urban counties
Winning 86% of counties by count does not translate to winning 86% of votes—it reflects the geographic distribution of the American population. Trump likely did win a substantial majority of counties while winning the popular vote by a much smaller margin in terms of total votes.
This statistic is often used to illustrate the geographic breadth of support but can be misleading if interpreted as representing 86% of voters or 86% of the population.
Minnesota Fraud Claims
CLAIM: Minnesota (and California) have “$19 billion in fraud” with investigations underway
VERDICT: Requires Clarification and Evidence
This claim is vague and requires substantial clarification:
- What type of fraud? Government fraud, welfare fraud, election-related fraud, COVID relief fraud, or other categories?
- What timeframe? Is this cumulative over multiple years or alleged recent fraud?
- What is the source? Trump mentions “we’re very deep into that investigation,” suggesting an ongoing federal investigation, but provides no specific details about the agency conducting the investigation or the basis for the $19 billion figure.
- Minnesota specific amount: Trump initially says “you probably have in Minnesota… $19 billion in fraud” and later says “it’s worse in some places, like California,” suggesting Minnesota alone has $19 billion, which would be an enormous amount for a single state.
Without specific details about the type of fraud, the investigating agency, or the evidence basis for this dollar figure, this claim cannot be verified. COVID-19 relief programs did experience significant fraud across multiple states, but specific state-by-state fraud totals of this magnitude would need federal agency documentation.
CLAIM: “If we find the fraud in this country, you’ll have a balanced budget without even cutting anything”
VERDICT: Extremely Unlikely/False
This claim suggests that fraud recovery alone could eliminate the federal budget deficit, which is economically implausible. Current federal budget context:
- The federal budget deficit is measured in trillions of dollars annually (typically $1-2 trillion in recent years)
- While fraud does exist in federal programs, estimates from inspectors general and oversight agencies measure recoverable fraud in billions, not trillions
- The Government Accountability Office and various inspectors general regularly identify improper payments and fraud, but these amounts, while significant, are a small fraction of total federal spending
Even aggressive fraud detection and recovery efforts could not eliminate a multi-trillion-dollar deficit without substantial revenue increases or spending cuts. This claim vastly overstates the scale of recoverable fraud relative to federal budget deficits.
Military Pay and Shipbuilding
CLAIM: The bill “fully funds our military, includes a well-deserved pay raise for all American service members and makes historic investments in the American shipbuilding industry”
VERDICT: Likely Accurate (Pending Verification)
These claims are consistent with typical defense appropriations bills and would require verification against the specific legislative text to confirm:
- The percentage of military pay raise included (annual defense bills typically include pay raises for service members)
- The specific dollar amounts for shipbuilding investments
- Whether these investments are indeed “historic” compared to previous years
Defense appropriations typically do include military pay raises and shipbuilding funds, so these claims are plausible and consistent with standard defense funding bills, though the “historic” characterization requires verification.
Epstein Documents Claims
CLAIM: Recently released documents show “Wolff and Epstein conspired against me in order to fight like hell to make sure I lose the election”
VERDICT: Requires Document Verification
Trump references documents released “yesterday” (February 2, 2026) containing “millions of pages” from Epstein-related materials. This claim requires verification against the actual documents released by the Department of Justice or other authorities.
Key questions:
- What documents were actually released on or around February 2, 2026?
- What do these documents actually say about Michael Wolff (the author Trump appears to reference) and any communications regarding Trump?
- What is the context of any such communications?
Without access to the specific documents Trump references, this claim cannot be verified or refuted, though Trump’s characterization of their content should be verified against the actual document text rather than his interpretation.
CLAIM: The documents show “about Democrats, some really bad stuff”
VERDICT: Requires Document Review
This vague claim about document contents regarding Democrats would require comprehensive review of the actual released materials to verify or refute.
Venezuela Relations
CLAIM: “We took in 50 million barrels of oil that’s right now heading to Houston” from Venezuela
VERDICT: Requires Verification
This claim about a specific oil shipment from Venezuela to the United States would need verification through:
- Trade data from U.S. Energy Information Administration
- Shipping and port records
- U.S. sanctions policy changes regarding Venezuelan oil
The United States did impose sanctions on Venezuelan oil during both Trump’s first term and the Biden administration, though some exceptions and modifications were made over time. A shipment of 50 million barrels would be substantial and would represent a significant policy shift if accurate.
For context, 50 million barrels represents roughly 2-3 days of total U.S. petroleum consumption, so while substantial, it’s not unprecedented in scale for international oil trade.
“America is Back” vs. MAGA
CLAIM: The new “America is Back” hat represents a shift from “Make America Great Again”
VERDICT: Factual (Marketing/Branding Choice)
This is not a factual claim requiring verification but rather a branding and messaging choice. Trump explicitly states: “We’ll never forget MAGA and we’re all with MAGA, but I thought this was very appropriate, right?” suggesting this is meant as a complement to rather than replacement for the MAGA slogan, indicating a messaging shift to emphasize accomplishment rather than aspiration.
Tax Returns and IRS Investigation
CLAIM: Trump’s tax returns were illegally leaked by the IRS and showed he “paid tens of millions of dollars” in taxes
VERDICT: Partially Accurate
Context on this claim:
- Tax return release: Trump’s tax returns were obtained by the House Ways and Means Committee through legal processes (though Trump disputes the legitimacy) and subsequently released publicly. Whether this constitutes an illegal “leak” is a matter of legal interpretation and dispute.
- Amount of taxes paid: Trump’s released tax returns did show he paid federal income taxes in various years, though amounts varied significantly by year, with some years showing minimal federal income tax paid. The “tens of millions” would need verification against the actual released returns for specific years.
- IRS conduct investigation: Trump mentions a lawmaker “launched an investigation” into IRS contractors related to the tax return release. This would need verification regarding the actual investigation status and findings.
Summary of Fact-Check Findings
FALSE OR HIGHLY QUESTIONABLE:
- National crime rate lowest since 1900 (impossible to verify; likely false)
- Zero illegal immigration for nine months (even Trump questions this)
- 1.5 point GDP loss from shutdown; 7% GDP growth potential (exaggerated)
- D.C. murders down 80-97% (extraordinarily unlikely)
- Election fraud claims about specific cities (unsubstantiated)
- Fraud recovery could balance the federal budget (economically impossible)
REQUIRES VERIFICATION:
- $10 billion in foreign aid cuts (needs legislative text)
- NPR/PBS funding elimination (needs legislative text)
- $10 billion IRS cuts (needs legislative text)
- Steel production exceeding Japan (needs industry data)
- Most Favored Nations drug pricing implementation and savings
- Minnesota $19 billion fraud investigation
- 50 million barrels from Venezuela
- Epstein documents content
LIKELY ACCURATE WITH CONTEXT:
- Modest drug price decline in first term (accurate but very small)
- Won 86% of counties (geographic count, not population)
- Military pay raise and shipbuilding funding (standard in defense bills)
- Tax returns showed substantial payments (varies by year)
ACCURATE:
- Trump won 2024 election (factual)
- Meeting with Colombian President Petro occurred (factual)
- Iran negotiations ongoing (verifiable through news reports)
This fact-check reveals a pattern of significant exaggeration in crime statistics, economic projections, and fraud allegations, while some policy claims require verification against actual legislative text and implementation.