I have an important update for you this evening. Over the past 72 hours, President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance have made a series of false and misleading claims that demand serious attention. These statements are not minor gaffes or misunderstandings. They are deliberate distortions of fact from the highest office in the nation.
When an administration repeatedly misleads the public, it becomes the responsibility of independent journalists and citizens alike to push back with verified truth. The Trump White House has made it clear that it wants to control the narrative, not engage with reality. But the facts still matter. When the government tries to obscure them, it is our duty to expose the truth clearly, calmly, and completely.
I want to emphasize something crucial. The administration has made attacks on the free press a political strategy. I will never stop, even as the attacks ramp up, because I report to you, not anyone else. Subscribe to support my work and keep this going.
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Below are four major falsehoods that have circulated from the administration this week, each one demonstrably untrue, each one designed to deceive, and each one important to set straight.
Falsehood 1: “Over $17 Trillion Has Been Invested in the U.S.”
On Tuesday, President Trump told reporters that “over 17 trillion dollars” had been invested in the United States since he took office on January 20. By Friday, he claimed the number had “just cracked 18 trillion.”
At first glance, such a claim might sound impressive, a sign of booming confidence in the U.S. economy. But upon minimal scrutiny, the statement falls apart. The White House’s own website lists only around $8 trillion in total investments. Even that number is inflated because it includes previous commitments from Trump’s first term and several unfulfilled promises. Many of the supposed investments are pledges, not finalized projects. Others were initiated years ago or were already in motion long before Trump returned to office.
Independent analysts at CNN and MeidasTouch have reviewed these claims and found no credible data to support them. The actual amount of new, confirmed investment under the Trump–Vance administration appears to be much lower than what the president has claimed. Check this out from CNN:
This is not a harmless exaggeration. It is part of a larger pattern in which the administration manipulates data to create the illusion of economic success even as the stock market remains volatile, foreign investment slows, and the federal deficit continues to grow. When presidents distort economic data, they are not simply playing politics. They are misleading investors, taxpayers, and workers who rely on accurate information to make decisions about their futures.
Falsehood 2: “274 FBI Agents Were Part of the January 6 Rioters”
President Trump has revived one of his most dangerous conspiracy theories, that the January 6 insurrection was orchestrated by federal agents. This week, he repeated the claim that “274 FBI agents” were among the rioters at the U.S. Capitol, calling it an “inside job” by what he referred to as the “Biden FBI.”
That statement is false on its face. On January 6, 2021, Donald Trump was still president. The FBI director, Christopher Wray, was his appointee. The Justice Department was led by Trump’s own administration. There was no “Biden FBI.”
Ten months ago, the Department of Justice’s inspector general released a detailed report finding that “hundreds” of FBI agents went to the Capitol not to join rioters, but to assist the overwhelmed Capitol Police and to respond to explosive devices found near both major party headquarters. The report clearly concluded there was “no evidence” that undercover FBI agents participated in the riot or helped incite violence.
Despite this, the president continues to repeat the lie, using it to discredit investigations and to rewrite the history of a day when his supporters violently attempted to overturn an election. This is not a casual misstatement. It is an attempt to erase responsibility and redirect blame toward the institutions charged with protecting democracy.
By continuing to spread falsehoods about January 6, the administration fuels distrust in law enforcement, undermines accountability, and keeps the country divided over events that are already well-documented by bipartisan congressional reports and court testimony.
Falsehood 3: “Portland is a War Zone”
On Wednesday, President Trump told reporters that “Portland looks like a post-apocalyptic movie.” He claimed there were “fires all over the place,” that retailers had abandoned the city, that “they don’t even have sewers anymore,” and that “most of the stores are boarded up.”
None of that is true.
Local reporting and live footage from Portland directly contradict the president’s description. Businesses are open, infrastructure is functioning, and the city continues to recover from the same economic challenges faced by other major urban areas.
What makes this claim alarming is that the president’s rhetoric has real-world consequences. His exaggerated and inflammatory language is used to justify federal crackdowns that local leaders say make the situation worse.
Last Saturday, U.S. District Judge Karin Immergut, who was appointed by Trump, blocked the administration’s attempt to deploy National Guard troops to Portland. In her ruling, she described the president’s statements as “untethered to the facts.” That is a rare public rebuke from a judge appointed by the same administration making the claim.
This kind of language is not just misleading. It is dangerous. Calling American cities “war zones” paints ordinary citizens as enemies and creates justification for federal overreach. It also sends a signal to supporters that violence is an acceptable response to perceived chaos.
Falsehood 4: “Chicago is a War Zone”
The president and vice president have repeatedly described Chicago in similar terms, portraying it as a city in collapse. Yet again, those claims do not match reality.
Trump and Vance have cited “rampant lawlessness” as the reason for deploying federal resources to the city, including units from Immigration and Customs Enforcement equipped with military-grade vehicles. Local courts and officials have pushed back strongly.
Judge Perry, in a federal ruling, wrote that the administration’s “perception of events in Chicago is simply unreliable.” She noted that there was “no credible evidence of rebellion” in Illinois, nor any reason to believe that the state was unable to enforce federal law on its own. Her decision made clear that the administration’s narrative of a “city under siege” was based more on politics than on facts.
Once again, this fits a broader pattern. The Trump administration has used exaggerated language about urban violence to justify politically motivated interventions, often in Democratic-led cities. These tactics serve not to solve real problems but to rally a political base through fear.
The Bigger Picture
These four examples are only the most recent in a long series of falsehoods that have come out of this administration. The Trump–Vance White House operates on a communications strategy that treats truth as negotiable and public trust as expendable.
Every false statement chips away at the credibility of institutions, from the Justice Department to the courts to the press. When the public cannot trust official data, verified reports, or the words of elected leaders, democracy itself weakens.
The responsibility to confront this does not belong to one party or ideology. It belongs to everyone who believes that facts still matter. Whether the falsehood comes from a Republican administration or a Democratic one, the standard should be the same: leaders must be held accountable for telling the truth.
I do not write this as an act of partisanship. I write it as an act of citizenship. The facts do not care about political affiliation. They are either true or they are not. When those in power lie, it is the duty of journalists, analysts, and everyday Americans to speak up and correct the record.
As misinformation spreads faster than ever, it is essential to support independent reporting. The truth is not self-sustaining. It takes time, resources, and courage to challenge a government that prefers to operate in the shadows.
The Trump–Vance administration may want to shape reality through repetition, but the truth remains stubborn. Facts can be verified, lies can be exposed, and democracy can endure if we remain vigilant enough to defend it.
Please share this report widely. Talk about it. Question what you hear. Remember, no matter who sits in the Oval Office, a lie is still a lie, and telling the truth is still an act of public service.
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