President Donald Trump’s Wednesday night primetime address was meant to showcase his achievements, but it ended up highlighting one major blunder—thanks to a White House graphic aired by Fox News.
Trump, speaking for 18 minutes, told viewers, “Gasoline is now under $2.50 a gallon in much of the country. In some states, by the way, it just hit $1.99 a gallon.”
The claim didn’t hold water. AAA data for that day put the national average at $2.91 per gallon. To make matters worse, Fox News aired a White House-provided graphic showing gas prices largely hovering around $3 per gallon throughout Trump’s second term. The network clearly labeled the graphic as supplied by the White House, inadvertently fact-checking the president in real time.
The graphic was one of seven visuals Fox broadcasted during the speech. Others included charts claiming improvements in “native-born employment” and falling costs for everyday food items. Several of these slides later reappeared during Hannity, including the gas price chart that contradicted Trump’s claim.
Social media users were quick to notice.
It wasn’t just gas prices that caused skepticism. Trump also claimed drug prices had fallen by 600 percent, a mathematical impossibility. He boasted about bringing in $18 trillion in investments, contradicting the White House’s own numbers of $9.6 trillion. And while he said more Americans are working than ever, November unemployment data showed a four-year high, with over 700,000 additional Americans unemployed since Trump’s inauguration.
NBC, CNN, ABC, and CBS all declined to air the White House graphics, citing unclear sourcing. Fox, in contrast, went ahead, giving the president’s own visuals the spotlight—but also giving viewers proof that one of his biggest claims was off by nearly a dollar per gallon.
Even Trump’s delivery stood out. He spoke faster than usual, raised his voice, and barely paused for breath during the 18-minute speech.
Food prices also became a point of contention. Trump claimed costs had dropped, but Department of Agriculture figures show a 3.2 percent rise since August 2024. Inflation, meanwhile, continues to outpace wages in many parts of the country.
Critics were quick to pounce. CNN’s Harry Enten and MSNBC’s Jen Psaki fact-checked the address immediately after it ended.
The speech ended with Trump wishing the nation well: “To each and every one of you, have a merry Christmas and a happy new year. God bless you all.”
Featured image via Youtube screengrab
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