Donald Trump

CBP did report historically low illegal-crossing figures during Trump’s second term—for example, on April 1, 2025 it said March 2025 had the lowest southwest border crossings in history, and on July 15, 2025 it said June 2025 had the lowest monthly total encounters in CBP history. Those official statistics support a claim of very low recent crossings, but the broader superlative that the U.S. 'now has the strongest and most secure border in American history' is not a precise, independently defined metric and goes beyond what the underlying data can conclusively prove across all eras and dimensions of border security.

The claim that the border is the "strongest and most secure in American history" is an exaggeration, though data from early 2026 shows a significant decrease in illegal crossings. In January 2026, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) reported 34,626 total encounters nationwide, with 6,070 Border Patrol apprehensions on the southwest border, a 79% decrease from January 2025. Data for the first quarter of Fiscal Year 2026 (Oct-Dec 2025) showed the lowest number of southwest border apprehensions to start a fiscal year on record. DHS and CBP officials have characterized this as "the most secure border in American history." However, the phrase "strongest and most secure in American history" is difficult to prove definitively, as historical data collection methods vary and other metrics beyond apprehensions (like got-aways, drug seizures, and resourcing) contribute to overall security. While current enforcement has led to historically low encounter numbers, calling it the most secure ever is a subjective assessment.

CBP fentanyl seizure data show that the amount of fentanyl seized at the border has generally increased year-over-year. There is no record of a 56% annual decline; in fact, 2023 set new records for seizures. The claim of a record drop is contradicted by the data.

Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) data show that core inflation (CPI excluding food and energy) during the Trump administration did not fall to a five-year low within any 12-month period. Annual core inflation hovered between 2% and 2.4% throughout 2017–2020, never dropping below 1.7% (the lowest seen from 2015–2020). The data do not support the claim of core inflation hitting a multi-year low during Trump's administration.

Donald Trump took office in January 2017. Twelve months later, in January 2018, the 12-month core inflation rate was not at its lowest level in more than five years. According to data from the Bureau of Economic Analysis, the core Personal Consumption Expenditures (PCE) price index, the Federal Reserve's preferred measure, was 1.6% in January 2018. In the five years prior, the rate was frequently lower, hitting a low of 1.2% in 2013. Similarly, the core Consumer Price Index (CPI) from the Bureau of Labor Statistics stood at 1.8% in January 2018. This was also not a five-year low, as the rate was 1.6% for several months in 2014.

BLS data shows core inflation (CPI less food and energy) at 2.6% for the 12 months ending March 2026, which is not the lowest in more than five years; rates were lower in 2020 at around 1.2-1.4%, and within 12 months from an assumed administration start in January 2025, the rate did not drop below previous lows in the prior five years (2020-2024).

There is no available data for the last three months of 2025, as that period is in the future. As of mid-2024, core inflation (12-month change) reported by the BLS is above 3%. Thus, the claim that core inflation was 1.7% during that period is temporally impossible and factually unsupported.

Core inflation in the last three months of 2025 was not 1.7 percent. Data from the Bureau of Economic Analysis for the Core Personal Consumption Expenditures (PCE) price index, the Federal Reserve's preferred inflation gauge, shows monthly values of 126.95 for September 2025 and 127.89 for December 2025. Calculating the three-month change and annualizing it results in an inflation rate of approximately 3.0%. Data for the Core Consumer Price Index (CPI) from the Bureau of Labor Statistics for that period was affected by a government shutdown, but reports on the available data also show a higher figure; for instance, the year-over-year Core CPI in December 2025 was 2.6%. Neither measure supports the claim of 1.7%.

BLS data indicates that core inflation for the 12 months ending December 2025 was around 2.5-2.7%, not 1.7%; the three-month rate or annualized figure for October-December 2025 also does not align with 1.7%, as overall CPI changes were higher, and core followed similar trends around 2.6% into early 2026.

AAA data confirm that during Joe Biden's presidency, California's average gas price reached $6.43 per gallon on June 14, 2022, well above $6/gallon. The national average peaked at about $5.02 in mid-June 2022 (with weekly highs around $5.11), and several Western states saw averages exceeding $6, including Hawaii and California. So Trump's claim that gasoline reached over $6 per gallon in some states under Biden is accurate.

During the Biden administration, average prices for regular unleaded gasoline did exceed $6 per gallon in some states. Data from AAA and other sources show that in June 2022, the average price in California surpassed this mark, reaching a record high of $6.44.

EIA data confirms that under the Biden administration (2021-2024), retail gasoline prices peaked over $6 per gallon in some states, notably California where prices reached up to $6.44 in June 2022, amid national averages hitting $5.006, driven by high crude oil prices and regional factors.