If you’ve spent any time online or watching the news lately, you’ve probably heard people arguing about Donald Trump's relationship with the truth. It's a huge topic. Some folks say he’s a straight shooter who tells it like it is, while others point to a mountain of fact-checks that suggest otherwise. Honestly, keeping track of it all is a full-time job.
Since he first stepped onto the political stage, fact-checkers have been working overtime. The Washington Post famously tracked over 30,000 "false or misleading claims" during his first four-year term alone. That’s an average of about 21 claims a day. Whether you call it "truthful hyperbole" or something else, the sheer volume is unprecedented in American history. Now that we’re into 2026, the list has only grown longer with his second term in full swing.
Basically, the things he says tend to fall into a few big buckets: the economy, immigration, the 2020 election, and his own personal history.
The Economy and the "Best Ever" Claims
One of the big things that has Trump lied about is the state of the U.S. economy—both when he’s in charge and when he’s not. He often claims he built the "greatest economy in the history of the world."
Is that true? Well, not exactly.
While the economy was definitely strong before the 2020 pandemic, it wasn't the best ever by most objective measures. GDP growth, for example, was higher under presidents like Lyndon B. Johnson and Bill Clinton. Unemployment did hit 50-year lows, which is great, but it didn't break all-time records.
Lately, in his 2025-2026 speeches, he’s been saying inflation was "the worst in history" when he took office for his second term. In reality, while inflation was high in 2022, it had actually cooled significantly by the time 2025 rolled around. Just recently, in late 2025, he claimed egg prices were down 82% and gas was under $2.00 in most of the country. If you’ve been to a grocery store or a gas station lately, you know that’s just not the case for most Americans.
The Border and "21 Million" People
Immigration is another area where the numbers get really fuzzy. Trump frequently talks about an "invasion."
He’s recently used the number 21 million or even 25 million when describing how many people have entered the U.S. illegally since 2021.
Customs and Border Protection (CBP) data tells a different story. From January 2021 through the end of 2024, there were about 10.8 million "encounters." Here’s the catch: "encounters" aren’t the same as individual people. Because of certain policies, many people were caught and sent back multiple times, so the same person might be counted three or four times in those stats. Using 21 million is a massive stretch that doesn't align with any official government data.
He also claimed he built "hundreds of miles" of a brand-new wall. Most of the construction during his first term was actually replacing old, existing fencing. Only a tiny fraction was built in places where there was nothing before.
The "Stolen" 2020 Election
We can’t talk about what has Trump lied about without mentioning the 2020 election. This is probably his most famous and persistent claim. He still says it was "rigged" and "stolen."
Dozens of courts, including judges he appointed, looked at the evidence and found nothing that would change the result. His own former Attorney General, William Barr, said the Justice Department found no evidence of widespread fraud.
Even now, in 2026, he’s still repeating these claims at rallies. He’s also started casting doubt on the 2024 results, suggesting that the only way he could lose is if the other side cheats. This kind of talk has a real impact on how people trust the voting system, regardless of whether there's any proof to back it up.
Personal History and "The Art of the Deal"
Sometimes the lies are just... weirdly personal. Like where his father was born.
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Trump has claimed multiple times that his father, Fred Trump, was born in a "very wonderful place in Germany."
He wasn't. Fred Trump was born in the Bronx.
His grandfather was the one who came from Germany. It's a small detail, but it's part of a pattern of "truthful hyperbole"—a term coined by his ghostwriter, Tony Schwartz. Schwartz has said he regrets helping Trump create that image, calling the phrase an "artful euphemism" for lying.
He’s also been caught exaggerating his wealth for decades. He once called a Forbes reporter while pretending to be a spokesman named "John Barron" just to lie about his assets so he could get a higher spot on the Forbes 400 list. A New York court recently convicted him on 34 felony counts of falsifying business records, which essentially boils down to lying on official documents to hide hush-money payments.
Recent 2025 and 2026 Claims
Since moving back into the White House, the pace hasn't slowed down.
- Venezuela: In early 2026, he claimed the U.S. would "run" Venezuela because they "stole our oil" years ago. He also claimed a single boat strike off the coast saves 25,000 lives by stopping drugs. Experts say those numbers are physically impossible based on the amount of drugs those boats can actually carry.
- Pardons: He’s described the January 6th rioters as "peaceful protesters" who were "treated like the worst criminals in history." Video evidence and court records show hundreds of police officers were assaulted with everything from flagpoles to chemical sprays.
- FEMA: After Hurricane Helene, he claimed the government stopped helping survivors in North Carolina. FEMA had to put out official statements clarifying that their housing programs were still very much active.
Why Does This Matter?
It's easy to get "outrage fatigue." When someone says something untrue every single day, you eventually stop being surprised.
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But there’s a strategy here. Some experts call it "flooding the zone." If you put out so much misinformation so fast, the public and the press can't keep up. People get confused, give up on finding the truth, and just stick with whatever "side" they already like.
When there’s no agreement on basic facts—like how many people are at the border or what the price of eggs is—it’s almost impossible to have a real debate about how to fix those problems.
How to Fact-Check for Yourself
You don't have to take anyone's word for it. Here are a few ways to stay informed:
- Go to the Source: If you hear a claim about immigration, check the actual CBP.gov website. They publish monthly reports.
- Check Non-Partisan Sites: Groups like FactCheck.org and PolitiFact are dedicated to digging into the details and providing context.
- Watch for Superlatives: Be skeptical of words like "the most ever," "the worst in history," or "everyone says." These are often red flags for exaggeration.
- Follow the Money: Court records and SEC filings are public. If a claim involves business or personal wealth, those documents are the "gold standard" for truth.
The most important thing is to stay curious and keep asking questions. Understanding what has Trump lied about isn't just about politics—it's about making sure we’re all living in the same reality.
Next Steps for Staying Informed:
- Bookmark the CBP Newsroom and the Bureau of Labor Statistics to see raw data on the border and the economy for yourself.
- Compare a transcript of a recent speech with a side-by-side analysis from a site like The Washington Post Fact Checker to see how context changes the meaning of the numbers.