Donald Trump delivered his longest speech ever to Congress, lasting 1 hour and 47 minutes, declaring to US lawmakers that "the country is winning again," while listing the achievements of his administration.
The US economy and affordability were the main themes of the speech - the longest in decades. Trump also made claims about illegal immigration and ending a series of wars around the world. BBC Verify analysed the statements.
Prices and inflation
Trump said: "Their policies created high prices. Our policies are rapidly ending them."
Prices continue to rise, but the rate of inflation has slowed since Trump took office early last year. Inflation was 2.4% in the 12 months through January 2026, down from 3% in the final year of Joe Biden's presidency.
During Biden's first two years, inflation peaked at 9.1% in June 2022, following Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, which contributed to global price increases.
Trump cited several food products, including beef, saying its price is “going down significantly.” Beef prices fell slightly last month, but overall they are up 15% in the 12 months through January 2026.
He noted that the price of eggs has fallen 34% over the past year. Overall, food prices rose 2.1% in the 12 months to January 2026.
Economists from Harvard University have estimated that the tariffs (taxes on imports) imposed by Trump in 2025 increased inflation by about 0.92 percentage points in January, compared to the level it would have been without them.
Gasoline price
Trump declared that gasoline "is under $2.30 a gallon in most states, even $1.99 in some places."
According to the American Automobile Association (AAA), the national average price was $2.95 per gallon on February 24. The state with the lowest price was Oklahoma at $2.37 per gallon.
During the speech, the website GasBuddy reported that gasoline under $2 per gallon was found at only four gas stations out of about 150,000 across the US.
eMPLOYMENT
Trump said: “More Americans are working today than ever before in the history of the country.”
According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), in January 2026, over 158 million people were employed – the highest figure ever.
However, the population is also at a record high, at over 342 million. The employment rate for people over 16 was 59.8% in January 2026, down slightly from 60.1% in January 2025, when Biden left office. Unemployment has risen slightly from 4.1% in December 2024 to 4.3% in January 2026.
Investments of 18 trillion dollars
Trump claimed to have secured commitments for over $18 trillion in investments from around the world.
There is no public evidence for such a high figure. According to the White House website, new investments in manufacturing, technology and infrastructure total $9.7 trillion – a large sum, but much lower than claimed.
Experts have warned that these include commitments that may not be fulfilled.
Electoral fraud
Trump said that "fraud is rampant in our elections" and called for stricter voter identification rules.
There is no evidence of widespread voter fraud. According to a database by the conservative Heritage Foundation, there have been 1,620 proven cases of voter fraud across the US since 1982.
Other studies show that cases of voting by non-citizens are very rare.
Illegal immigration
Trump declared that "in the last nine months, zero illegal immigrants have been admitted to the United States."
If it refers to migrants released after capture, that’s accurate, according to the Department of Homeland Security. However, the Border Patrol recorded 6,070 arrests on the southwest border in January 2026 — far fewer than the 124,215 in January 2024 under Biden.
"I have finished eight wars"
Trump said that in the first ten months he has ended eight wars, including the conflicts between Israel and Hamas, Pakistan and India, Armenia and Azerbaijan, Serbia and Kosovo, etc.
Although he may take credit for brokering a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, it is not accurate to say that he has ended eight wars. Some of the conflicts lasted only a few days, while in the case of Egypt and Ethiopia it was a dispute over a dam, not an armed conflict.
In some cases, the US role has been minimized by the parties involved themselves.
