Fact-check: Trump’s Latest Claims on Jobs, Inflation and Crime

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by Ashley Cai and Linda Qiu

February 23, 2026

AI-Generated Deep Dive Summary

President Donald Trump has recently claimed a historic turnaround in key areas such as jobs, inflation, and crime during his first year back in office. However, an analysis of economic indicators and crime data reveals that these trends were already in motion before Trump returned to power and continued largely unchanged during his tenure. In terms of employment, while the labor market remained strong under President Joe Biden, there is no evidence of a sudden surge or dramatic shift in job creation that can be directly attributed to Trump's policies. Similarly, inflation has slowed under Trump, but not by the drastic margins he claims. Prices are still rising above the Federal Reserve’s target of 2 percent, indicating that the situation remains far from ideal. Crime statistics also show no significant reversal from "worst" to "best," as Trump often boasts. Violent crime rates were already declining before his presidency and continued on a similar trajectory during his first year in office. These trends suggest that the claims of a historic comeback are overstated, with little evidence to support such a dramatic transformation. This fact-check highlights the importance of understanding the true state of economic and social indicators when evaluating policy outcomes. Readers interested in news and informed decision-making will find value in this analysis, as it underscores the need for critical thinking when assessing claims made by political leaders.

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Originally published on NYT Homepage on 2/23/2026