Donald Trump Repeating Old Lies on NBC Interview and Falsely Claims US is the Only Country with Birthright Citizenship
President-elect Donald Trump made several misleading and false statements during his recent interview on NBC’s Meet the Press. Among the most notable was his inaccurate claim that the United States is the only country with birthright citizenship. Trump’s remarks, many of which have been previously debunked, touched on topics ranging from crime to trade and inflation.
Misleading Claim: Birthright Citizenship
Trump falsely asserted that the U.S. is the world’s only country to grant automatic citizenship to individuals born within its borders, reiterating his plan to eliminate this right. In reality, around 30 countries, including Canada, Mexico, and most South American nations, provide birthright citizenship. This claim has been repeatedly fact-checked and disproven since Trump first made it in 2015.
Falsehoods About Crime
During the interview, Trump claimed, “Crime is at an all-time high.” However, FBI data shows a steady decline in both violent and property crimes since the 1990s, with rates far below historical highs. Crime rates continued to drop in 2023, making this statement demonstrably false.
Tariffs and Inflation: Debunking Economic Claims
Trump claimed that his tariffs on Chinese imports “cost Americans nothing.” This is inaccurate; studies, including one from the bipartisan U.S. International Trade Commission, found that American importers—and ultimately consumers—bore the cost of these tariffs.
He also claimed there was “no inflation” during his presidency. In reality, cumulative inflation under Trump was about 8%. Furthermore, Trump’s assertion that the Biden administration enjoyed two years without inflation due to his economic policies is untrue. Inflation rose by 14% during Biden’s first two years, peaking at 9.1% in June 2022.
Mischaracterizing the 2020 Election
Trump reiterated his baseless claim that he won the 2020 presidential election, calling his 2024 victory proof of his prior claims. This argument has been widely discredited, and no evidence has ever substantiated his allegations of widespread voter fraud in 2020.
Immigration and Crime
Trump falsely alleged that “13,099 murderers” were released into the U.S. over the last three years, blaming the Biden administration. This figure actually represents immigrants with homicide convictions in the U.S. over decades, including during Trump’s presidency. Additionally, Trump repeated an unverified claim that Venezuela has emptied its prisons to send criminals to the U.S., a narrative experts have found no evidence to support.
Trade with the European Union
Trump inaccurately stated that European countries “don’t take our cars, they don’t take our food products, they don’t take anything.” In truth, the U.S. exported $368 billion in goods to the EU in 2023, including $9 billion worth of vehicles. The EU is also one of the largest markets for U.S. agricultural products, ranking fifth in 2022.
Misleading on Obamacare
Trump claimed to have “saved Obamacare,” despite numerous attempts to repeal the Affordable Care Act during his presidency. While congressional Republicans failed to repeal the law in 2017, the Trump administration worked to undermine its provisions and refused to defend key parts of the law in court.
