At a recent press briefing in Florida, the incoming President Donald Trump made several inaccurate statements, covering areas such as international relations and global trade. The following is an examination of some of these declarations.
Trump voiced an old disproven sentiment that all participants of the Capitol melee on January 6, 2021, were gunless. He espoused that even if the disorder was pegged as an insurrection, it would be the sole one in history where insurgents were sans firearms. He further suggested that those involved own plenty of weapons in their homes for hunting, shooting and leisure. However, not one gun was discovered at the scene, he alleged.
Contrary to the President-elect’s assertion, several intruders breaching the Capitol premises on January 6th were indeed armed. Additionally, a variety of other types of weaponry were present. Implication of concealed firearms held by the rioters may never be fully disclosed, as the majority were able to exit the premises without detainment or search. Regardless, court records reveal that at the least, some trespassers were armed.
Concerning trade with the European Union, Trump rehashed an unfounded argument that Europe refuses American cars and other goods. He declared a glaring $350 billion trade deficit with the EU, suggesting they seldom import United States products.
This statement is flawed on several fronts. The European Union does accept a range of goods from the US and the claimed trade deficit figure is an overestimate. The notion of European markets rejecting US cars is inaccurate, though American vehicles have had a mixed success. The idea they rebuff US agricultural assets is also faulty; in fact, the EU features among the top 2022 importers of US agri-related goods, coming fifth after China, Canada, Mexico, and Japan.
Trump reiterated his belief that the US has been more generous in providing aid to Ukraine than European nations. However, this notion is not in accordance with reality.
As per data from Germany’s Kiel Institute for the World Economy, European countries had pledged and furnished more aid to Ukraine than the US, counting the period leading up to and during the early stages of the Russian incursion in 2022.
Trump continued to voice his dissatisfaction with Canadian trade policies by advocating the existence of a $200 billion trade shortfall with Canada. This claim does not stand up to factual scrutiny.
In relation to NATO, the President-elect stated that a majority of the alliance’s members were remiss in their defense spending obligations prior to his tenure. He alleged that Germany, in particular, committed less than 1% towards defense in contrast to the 2% GDP target set by NATO.
These claims demonstrate a misunderstanding. All NATO members, including Germany, had invested in their defense infrastructure before the President-elect took office.
Trump portrayed his term as a period of calm, devoid of any wars, with a claim of having defeated ISIS. He contrasted this with a world ‘on fire’ due to conflicts like the Russia-Ukraine and the Israel-Palestine issue, among others. He further asserted that the US was not engaged in any wars during his term.
This depiction is not consistent with the facts. When Trump finished his tenure in early 2021, there were multiple unresolved wars and armed conflicts, including American military involvement in places like Afghanistan and Iraq.
Discussing migration, Trump shared a recurring narrative that foreign nations essentially deport their criminals and mentally ill citizens to the US. There is no substantiated evidence to support this claim.
Additionally, the President-elect boasted about a construction achievement during his term, asserting that 571 miles of a wall were erected at the southern border. However, this figure doesn’t reflect reality. The documented number of miles under his administration stands at 458, which includes newly constructed stretches along with those replacing former barriers.
Trump aired a standard objection about inflation, asserting that it’s unprecedented in American history. The rates, he believes, have never surged as they have recently.
The inflation claim by Trump is incorrect. While it is true that the inflation rate hit 9.1% in June 2022, marking the highest since 1981, it is not the highest ever. Moreover, by the time of his speech in November 2024, the inflation rate had already dropped to 2.7%.
Lastly, Trump created controversy over the authenticity of American elections. He alleged that the Biden administration had manipulated the 2020 vote and raised nebulous accusations of attempts to ‘rig’ the 2024 elections. These allegations lack factual basis. Both elections where Trump competed were fair; he lost to Biden in 2020 and won against Vice President Kamala Harris in 2024.