Fact-Checking Trump's RNC Speech: Crime, Inflation, and Tax Cuts
During the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, Donald Trump formally accepted the nomination as the party’s presidential candidate. His hour-and-a-half-long speech included numerous claims about his achievements as president compared to those of Joe Biden. BBC Verify has fact-checked several of these statements.
Are Crime Rates Increasing? Claim: “Our crime rate is going up, while crime statistics all over the world are going down.” Verdict: Violent crime in the US decreased last year. Trump did not specify which type of crime he meant. Violent crime dropped by 6% in 2023, with a notable 13% reduction in the murder rate, according to preliminary FBI data. While not all local police departments have submitted their figures yet, the official FBI numbers will be released in October. Early FBI data for 2024 indicates this downward trend continues, with violent crime falling by 15% and murders by over 26% in the first three months compared to the same period last year.
Is Inflation the Worst Ever? Claim: “We’ve had the worst inflation we’ve ever had under this person [Biden].” Verdict: Inflation under Biden peaked at around 9% before dropping to 3%, far from the historical high of 23.7% in 1920. Inflation surged during Biden’s first two years, peaking at 9.1% in June 2022. This rise was comparable to other Western nations, influenced by global supply chain issues from Covid and the war in Ukraine. Some economists attribute part of the rise to Biden’s $1.9 trillion spending plan in 2021. Inflation has since declined, with the latest figure at 3% as of June. Trump’s claim of “no inflation” under his administration is misleading; while inflation was low at 1.4% when Biden took office, prices were still increasing.
Did Trump Leave “a World at Peace”? Claim: “Our opponents inherited a world at peace.” Verdict: In 2020, there were 56 active conflicts globally. Trump’s statement contrasts his presidency with the current conflicts in Ukraine and Gaza, but he wrongly claimed to have left a peaceful world. The Peace Research Institute in Oslo reported 56 active conflicts in 2020, eight of which were classified as wars, including those in Syria, Afghanistan, and Yemen.
Are Democrats Banning Gas Vehicles? Claim: “If somebody wants to buy a gas-powered car or a hybrid they are going to be able to do it, and we’re going to make that change on day one.” Verdict: There is no current or planned ban on gas-powered vehicles in the US. In March, the Environmental Protection Agency proposed new emission standards for 2027-2032, suggesting that 56% of new vehicles could be electric by 2032 to meet these standards. However, this is not a ban, and petrol-powered vehicles will still be available beyond 2032.
Have All New Jobs Gone to ‘Illegal Aliens’ Under Biden? Claim: “The jobs that are created [under Biden] – 107% of those jobs are taken by illegal aliens.” Verdict: There is no evidence to support this claim; millions of new jobs have gone to US-born workers. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics tracks US-born and foreign-born workers but does not separate illegal immigrants. Since January 2021, US-born workers have increased by 7.8 million, and foreign-born workers by 5.5 million.
Did Trump Make the Biggest Tax Cuts Ever? Claim: “The biggest tax cuts ever.” Verdict: Trump’s tax cuts were significant but not the largest in history. Trump’s 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act introduced substantial tax reductions set to expire in 2025. The Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget ranks these cuts as the eighth-largest since 1918 as a percentage of GDP and the fourth-largest in dollar terms since 1940 when adjusted for inflation. However, Trump did pass the largest corporate tax cut, reducing the rate from 35% to 21%, surpassing Reagan’s 1980s cut from 46% to 34%.
