In a recent address to Congress that lasted over an hour and a half, President Donald Trump made several claims regarding the state of the United States under his predecessor, Joe Biden, and highlighted the achievements of his early weeks in office. Trump revisited key themes from his campaign, including illegal immigration, rising prices, and what he described as appalling waste in government spending. The BBC Verify team has scrutinized the facts behind some of his most significant assertions.
Trump asserted that he inherited an economic catastrophe from Biden, a statement that is misleading. Statistics reveal that the US economy was growing at an annual rate of 2.3% in the final quarter of 2024 under the previous administration. Overall, the economy expanded by 2.8% throughout 2024, according to official US figures. Furthermore, the International Monetary Fund reported that the US growth rate in 2024 was faster than any other nation in the G7.
On the subject of inflation, Trump claimed that the US suffered the worst inflation in 48 years, possibly in its history. While it is true that inflation under Biden peaked at 9.1% in June 2022—the highest level since 1981—this peak was not as historically unprecedented as Trump suggested. The inflation surge was part of a global trend following the Covid pandemic and a worldwide energy crisis. By the time Trump took office, the inflation rate had dropped to 3%. Additionally, inflation rates have exceeded 9% during other historical periods, notably in the 1940s and 1920s.
Trump also placed the blame for high egg prices squarely on Biden, stating that he let prices spiral out of control. While egg prices did rise under Biden, this increase is largely attributed to a significant bird flu outbreak in the US. In January, the average price for a dozen eggs exceeded $5, which is 53% higher than the average price throughout 2024, as reported by the US Department of Agriculture (USDA). The USDA confirmed that the bird flu outbreak has led to the culling of millions of chickens, resulting in egg shortages. To address this issue, the Biden administration allocated over $800 million last year to combat the outbreak, which began in February 2022.
Interestingly, the Trump administration had recently dismissed several USDA officials involved in the bird flu response as part of a cost-cutting initiative by the newly formed Department of Government Efficiency (Doge). Reports suggest that the administration is now looking to rehire some of those officials.
Trump praised Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency (Doge), claiming it had uncovered hundreds of billions of dollars in fraud within federal government spending. However, no evidence has been provided to support this claim. According to Doge's official website, the department estimates it has saved around $105 billion through various methods including fraud detection and contract cancellations. However, this figure has not been independently verified, as Doge has only disclosed receipts totaling approximately $18.6 billion for contract and grant cancellations. The White House has been asked to provide evidence for the remaining $86 billion in claimed savings.
In his address, Trump made a statement regarding illegal border crossings, asserting that the number of crossings last month was the lowest ever recorded. This claim is accurate; in February 2025, US border patrol recorded only 8,326 encounters at the southwest border with Mexico, marking the lowest level since records began in 2000. In stark contrast, there were approximately 140,000 encounters reported in February of the previous year under Biden, with numbers declining to 96,000 by the end of 2024.
Continuing with the topic of illegal immigration, Trump claimed that over the past four years, 21 million people entered the United States. However, there is no evidence to support such a high figure. Encounters with migrants at the borders reached around 10 million during Biden's term, but this does not necessarily indicate that this many individuals have remained in the US. Estimates suggest that the actual number of illegal immigrants residing in the United States is likely around half of what Trump stated. A report by the Office of Homeland Security noted that as of January 2022, approximately 11 million illegal immigrants were living in the US, with most having arrived before 2010.
Lastly, the BBC Verify team is currently examining additional claims made in Trump's speech, including allegations regarding US spending on Ukraine. Further reporting on this topic is underway.
