President Donald Trump continued to spew false and misleading claims during his year-end national address as he faces slipping approval ratings ahead of the 2026 midterm elections, per Newsweek.

“I inherited a mess,” Trump said as he opened his roughly 18-minute speech on Wednesday (December 17).

During his address, Trump moved quickly through hot-button issues, including the economy, immigration, energy, health care, housing, and crime, presenting his first year back in office as a period of sweeping national revival. Trump said the country was “absolutely dead” before his return and is now “the hottest anywhere in the world.”

The president declined to offer detailed policy proposals to address voter concerns about inflation, slowing job growth, and affordability. Instead, Trump delivered declarative statements about prices, border security, jobs, and investment, many of which were exaggerated and outright false.

During Wednesday's speech, Trump said 25 million migrants entered the country under former President Joe Biden, calling it an “invasion.” However, U.S. Customs and Border Protection recorded fewer than 11 million encounters during the Biden administration, a total far below 25 million.

Trump also claimed that 11,888 “murderers” entered the country. That figure is based on misused ICE data, which includes roughly 13,000 noncitizens with homicide convictions accumulated over more than 40 years, many of whom are already imprisoned or deported.

On Wednesday, Trump told Americans that he had “stopped” inflation after inheriting “the worst” in U.S. history. Bureau of Labor Statistics data shows inflation rose 3 percent in the 12 months ending in September.

The president also touted that gas prices had fallen to $1.99 per gallon in “three or four states.” AAA data shows the national average was $2.94 in mid-December. While a few individual stations briefly dipped below $2, no state reported an average price near that level.

During the national address, Trump said his administration secured $18 trillion in new U.S. investment. White House figures show $9.6 trillion in announced investments through December 10. Economists note that even this amount includes early-stage pledges and proposals, not finalized capital inflows.

Trump also said he enacted the “largest tax cuts in American history,” a claim not supported by the record. The 2025 tax law is smaller than previous packages, including President Ronald Reagan’s 1981 tax cuts.

On Wednesday, Trump declared, “More Americans are working today than at any time in the history of our country.”

While technically true due to population growth, the employment-to-population ratio has slipped slightly, dipping from 60.1 percent in January to 59.7 percent in September, according to the BLS.

Trump declined to address Venezuela despite announcing a naval blockade the day before the speech. He also made no mention of the wars in Ukraine or U.S. relations with China and Russia.

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