Fact checks, polls and partisan reaction after Trump State Of The Union

A fact-check published on February 25, 2026 at 10: 08 AM ET examined President Trump's 2026 address and the Democratic response, while commentators and polls quickly assessed its political impact. The trump state of the union touched on crime, immigration, the economy and tariffs — claims that have been scrutinized and quantified in recent briefings and surveys.

Crime and the disputed 'largest decline' claim

In the speech Mr. Trump said, "Last year, the murder rate saw its single largest decline in recorded history. This is the biggest decline, think of it, in recorded history — the lowest number in over 125 years. " That statement was flagged for review alongside other numerical claims in the address. The fact-check noted the claim about the murder rate directly as presented in the speech.

Jobs, employment figures and wage claims

Mr. Trump also said, "More Americans are working today than at any time in the history of our country.... And 100% of all jobs created under my administration have been in the private sector. " Preliminary data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics show roughly 158. 6 million people were employed in the U. S. as of January 2026, which the fact-check noted is more than at any other point on record. About 157 million people were employed when President Joe Biden left office in January 2025.

The review highlighted that economists compare labor-market strength using the share of people working: the labor force participation rate sat at 62. 5% in January, identical to the rate in December 2024. The unemployment rate has risen under the current administration to 4. 3% from 4. 1% in December 2024.

Border enforcement and the "zero illegal aliens" claim

Mr. Trump said, "In the past nine months, zero illegal aliens have been admitted to the United States. " The fact-check observed he was likely referring to the number of migrants released by Border Patrol after crossing the U. S. -Mexico border illegally. Over the past nine months, U. S. Customs and Border Protection has reported zero releases of migrants by Border Patrol along the U. S. southern border.

The review cautioned that that figure does not necessarily mean every migrant who entered the U. S. illegally has been deported. Some migrants initially arrested by Border Patrol and then transferred to the custody of Immigration and Customs Enforcement could be released by that agency, and the current administration has sought to bar those who entered the U. S. illegally from being eligible for bond. Border Patrol counts do not account for migrants who enter surreptitiously without being caught; it is unclear in the provided context how many so-called "got-aways" have been recorded under the second Trump administration.

Overall, illegal border crossings have plummeted under the second Trump administration, falling to the lowest level since 1970 in fiscal year 2025, the fact-check said. Still, thousands of migrants continue crossing unlawfully each month; in January, Border Patrol apprehended roughly 6, 000 migrants after they crossed the southern border unlawfully.

Spanberger's Democratic response and congressional dynamics

The fact-check assessed a claim made by Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger during her Democratic response to the address. Commentators noted that Democrats left the chamber during the speech, a move criticized by Eric Garcia, a member of the House of Representatives, who wrote that too many Democrats "ceded the argument by bailing on the State of the Union" and argued they should have stayed.

The commentary framed the address as the opening salvo for the 2026 midterm elections: the State of the Union is commonly viewed as the starting gun of the 2026 midterm cycle, where a president makes the case to voters that his party should keep or gain congressional majorities.

Staging, reactions and polling on immigration, tariffs and the economy

Observers described the address as theatrical: Mr. Trump brought surprise guests including the U. S. Men's National Hockey team, and a boisterous Republican crowd repeatedly shouted "U. S. A. " The president tied his fortunes to the nation's 250th anniversary, declaring, "Our nation is back, bigger, better, richer and stronger than ever before, " and adding, "And you’ve seen nothing yet. We are going to do better and better and better. This is the golden age of America. "

Public opinion presented a mixed picture in the aftermath. A survey showed 60 percent of Americans approved of the Supreme Court decision that struck down his tariff policy, while a separate poll found 61 percent of voters said Mr. Trump's policies would move the country in the wrong direction and 68 percent said he had not paid enough attention to the most important problems facing the country. Another set of figures showed 65 percent disapproved of how he handled inflation, 64 percent disapproved of how he handled tariffs on imported goods and 57 percent disapproved of how he has handled the economy.

U. S. Trade Representative Jameison Greer dismissed the bad polling numbers, saying, "I mean, some of them are like, opt-in polls where people who hate the president anyway want to go and make their point. Union members voted for him. These are his people, and he's delivering for them again. GDP was up last year. Wages are outpacing inflation. "

One survey also found Mr. Trump underwater on immigration at 58 percent and on border security at 50 percent. The commentary noted many Hispanic voters in Southwestern states had supported Mr. Trump because they believed the previous administration had lost control of the border. The opinion piece traced a line from earlier Democratic portrayals of the economy to the return of Mr. Trump and Republican Senate gains, and cautioned that rising costs could provoke voter backlash — a final sentence in that commentary is incomplete and is unclear in the provided context.

Big-ticket investment and a truncated gasoline claim

Mr. Trump said the previous administration got "less than $1 trillion in new investment in the United States" in four years, and that in 12 months he "secured commitments for more than $18 trillion, pouring in from all over the globe. " The address also included a claim about gasoline prices falling from peaks of over $6 a gallon to below $2. 30 in most states and as low as $1. 99 in some places, followed by an unfinished line about a visit to Iowa that is unclear in the provided context.