Just over a year into his second term, President Donald Trump delivered the State of the Union address on Tuesday, outlining his case for significant policy shifts and executive actions shaping America’s current landscape.
Key issues discussed included recent legal rulings on global tariffs, efforts to overhaul domestic immigration enforcement, and escalating tensions with Iran. The president addressed Congress at the Capitol amid intense scrutiny.
An ABC News, Washington Post, and Ipsos poll released Sunday revealed that Trump’s overall disapproval rating has reached 60%, a high for his current term. As midterm elections approach in November, with control of Congress at stake, Trump highlighted initiatives aimed at improving affordability and emphasized his administration’s achievements in bolstering the U.S. economy.
During the address, ABC News conducted live fact-checking on several of Trump’s statements, noting those that may have been exaggerated, lacked context, or were inaccurate.
Trump’s Claim: “In the past nine months, zero illegal aliens have been admitted to the United States.”
Fact Check: False, though illegal crossings are significantly down. While the Trump administration has implemented strict border policies resulting in a notable decline in illegal crossings, they have not entirely ceased. According to Customs and Border Protection data, in 2024—the final full year of President Biden’s term—there were over 1.5 million encounters with migrants attempting to cross illegally. In 2025, the first full year of Trump’s second term, that number fell to just under 28,000.
These numbers continue to be low in 2026 but have never reached zero, and it remains impossible to determine if any crossings occur unnoticed. The claim of zero illegal entries over nine months is therefore inaccurate.
