President Donald Trump during his speech during after taking oath as the President of US. (Photo: AP)
President Trump Inauguration Day Speech: From declaring plans to “take back” the Panama Canal to blaming US inflation on government overspending, Donald Trump’s speech after being sworn in as the 47th President of US was a blitzkrieg of claims and announcements.
In a speech packed with eye-catching assertions, he also claimed that China now controls the Panama Canal, that America’s emergency response system is broken, and that immigrants from prisons and mental institutions abroad are being granted sanctuary in the US.
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Here’s a breakdown of Trump’s recent claims and how they stack up against facts.
Claim 1: Trump pledged to take back the Panama Canal and claimed 38,000 Americans died building it.
What Trump Said:
“A short time from now, we are going to be… taking back the Panama Canal. The U.S. spent more money on the project than ever before and lost 38,000 lives. China is now operating the canal, and American ships are being severely overcharged.”
The Facts:
The actual number of deaths from the American construction effort for the Panama Canal stands at around 5,600, not 38,000, according to The Guardian. Most of those who died were workers from the Caribbean, including Antigua, Barbados, and Jamaica. Additionally, the claim that China controls the canal is false. While a Hong Kong consortium won a port operations bid in 1997, US and Taiwanese companies operate other ports along the canal.
Claim 2: Trump blamed record inflation on ‘massive overspending’ and energy prices.
What Trump said:
“The inflation crisis was caused by massive overspending and escalating energy prices. I will direct my cabinet to defeat this record inflation.”
The Facts:
Inflation peaked at a four-decade high of 9.1% in the summer of 2022, but this was not the highest in US history. Inflation reached 23.7% in June 1920. As of December 2024, inflation had fallen to 2.9%, contradicting claims of ongoing “record inflation.”
Claim 3: The US protects dangerous criminals who entered illegally from prisons and mental institutions abroad.
What Trump Said:
“Our government fails to protect law-abiding citizens but gives sanctuary to dangerous criminals, many of whom came from prisons and mental institutions and entered the US illegally.”
The Facts:
There is no evidence to support this claim. Research shows that immigrants, including those seeking asylum or with work permits, are less likely to commit crimes than US-born citizens. Multiple studies, including from the conservative Cato Institute, show that immigrants are not driving crime rates in the U.S., contrary to Trump’s assertion.
