Fact Check: Trump’s Pennsylvania Remarks On Inflation, Immigration And Other Claims

Donald Trump delivered remarks in Pennsylvania that were billed as an address on affordability but quickly shifted into a campaign-style speech that repeated multiple false or misleading claims. Below we fact-check the most significant assertions and summarize what the available data show.

Inflation And Prices

Trump claimed that “prices are way down.” In fact, official measures show consumer prices rose during his second term. The Consumer Price Index (CPI) indicates average prices were about 1.7% higher in September than in January. September saw a 0.3% month-over-month increase, driven largely by a 4.1% jump in gasoline costs. Reports also note prices were roughly 3% higher compared with September 2024.

Thanksgiving Food Costs

Trump said Thanksgiving turkey costs were down by 33% compared with the Biden era. Holiday food pricing is complex: the American Farm Bureau Federation reported frozen turkey prices were down about 16% this year, while wholesale prices for fresh turkey rose significantly. Independent price-tracking cited by the Los Angeles Times found that a basket of 11 Thanksgiving staples cost about 4.1% more than last year. These mixed measures do not support an across-the-board 33% decline.

Claims About Representative Ilhan Omar

Trump repeated baseless accusations about Representative Ilhan Omar, including that she is in the U.S. illegally and that she married her brother to enter the country.

These claims are false. Omar fled civil war as a child, arrived in the United States as a refugee, and became a U.S. citizen in 2000. The allegation that she married her brother to gain entry has been repeatedly debunked and lacks credible evidence. The rhetoric prompted xenophobic chants from the audience at the event.

Jobs And Immigration

Trump asserted that “100% of all new, net jobs” before he took office went to migrants and people who entered illegally. That sweeping claim is unsupported. While employment among foreign-born workers increased at a faster rate in some periods, independent fact-checks show there is no basis for the claim that every new job went to immigrants.

Caribbean Boat Strikes

Defending his administration’s boat strikes in the Caribbean, Trump claimed each strike “saves 25,000 American lives.” Officials have not publicly provided evidence supporting the specific life-saved estimates or tying individual vessels directly to such a large number of overdose deaths. There is no publicly available data to substantiate the 25,000 figure per strike.

Rhetoric On Transgender People And Black Voters

Trump repeated inflammatory claims about transgender people and described gender-affirming care as “mutilation,” a loaded characterization not grounded in medical consensus. He also said “Black people love Trump” and claimed he “got the biggest vote with Black people.” While he improved his share of Black voters in the last election cycle, exit polls and analyses show that Black voters overall continued to support his opponent by substantial margins.

Overall Takeaway

While the speech was presented as an affordability address, it contained numerous exaggerated, misleading, or unsupported claims across inflation, immigration, and social issues. Official data and independent fact-checks contradict many of the specific numerical and factual assertions made.