With this article, I planned to report on President Trump’s policy proposals and vision for a better America in his address to Congress last night. That idea went off the tracks early. Oh, I expected the usual hyperbole and bellicose bragging he is known for. I also expected his regular truth challenges as he views the world and its events as he conjours them up in his mind. I won’t say that I was shocked by what transpired. The words sad and disappointed come to mind first.
I, for one, was not surprised by the dismantling of our government and the shakedown of allies that the Trump administration is perpetuating every day. I read the Project 2025 report, so I was pretty certain of the challenges that lay ahead for the U.S. and its allies over the next four years. But the sheer magnitude of the suspension of truth and outright deceit in the president’s address made me numb. Here are a few lowlights from the speech.
Social Security
Trump: ย 3.5 million people in the 140 to 149 age bracket still receive Social Security benefits.
Reality: False. People older than 100 who don’t have a date of death associated with their record are still in the database but no longer getting paid. Data from the Social Security Administration indicate that only about 89,000 people ages 99 and above are collecting benefits.
Government Fraud and Waste
Trump: DOGE (Department of Government Efficiency) has discovered hundreds of billions of dollars of fraud and waste in federal agencies.
Reality: False. DOGE’s “wall of receipts” that tracks savings from the agency cuts shows less than $20 billion in total savings. And in an epic miscalculation of possible savings, Elon Musk listed a line item savings from the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency of $8 billion. But on closer examination, the contract in question was, in fact, only a $8 million contract.
Musk has already lowered his savings estimates from $2 trillion to $1 trillion, and they will continue to go down as more examinations of possible cuts are revealed. Also, many of the cuts do not represent fraud and waste but rather projects that the Trump administration is ideologically opposed to, such as diversity, equity, and inclusion programs.
Aid to Ukraine
Trump: Theย United States had sent $350 billion in aid to Ukraine to help them in their war against Russia.
Reality: False. The actual amount is $174 billion, which includes direct support for Ukraine and aid to other countries affected by the conflict, as well as funds for stationing additional NATO troops. As of right now, Trump has paused all military aid to Ukraine. He must still be waiting for that thank-you from Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky.
Panama Canal
Trump: The United States must retake control of the Panama Canal from the Panamanian government. It is now controlled by China, and the condition of the canal zone is rapidly deteriorating.
Realty. False again. China retains two of the five ports in the canal zone. The Panama Canal is used not just for U.S. commerce but also for international trade. And the Panamanian government has modernized the zone area and opened the canal for two-way traffic. In addition, he could not even get the facts about the building of the canal correct. 38,000 people did not die building canal zone.
A far smaller number of people, 5,600, died during the construction phase. Most of the people who perished were not Americans but rather Black West Indian laborers who were imported in to work on the project. And of the 5,600 people that died during the construction of the canal. U.S. losses were only 350 during this phase.
Closing
I could go on and on. The list of lies from Mr. Trump last night in his speech came too fast to keep track of. We don’t have time to the discuss his false anti-immigrant narrative about Springfield, Ohio, and Aurora, Colorado. Nor do we have time to discuss his fantasy about tariffs bringing more money and businesses into the U.S. Those will have to wait for another day.
My last observation is my amazement at the coverage of the president’s speech. Reading through speech reviews today in the New York Times, the Washington Post, and The Hill, I heard barely a whisper about the number and frequency of the untruths Mr. Trrump spewed out last night. Perhaps his assault on the mainstream media in this country has finally neutered them.ย
