It’s true that during President Trump’s term, the federal deficit increased significantly. In fact, the deficit nearly doubled from $665.4 billion in fiscal year 2017 to $983.6 billion in fiscal year 2019. However, it’s also important to note that the federal debt held by the public was projected to increase over a 10-year period, rising from an estimated $17.85 trillion in fiscal year 2020 to $31.4 trillion in 2030. The Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget (CRFB) did find that Trump’s tariff policies would reduce the federal debt by $445 billion over a 10-year period. As for the origins of COVID-19, there is currently no credible evidence that the virus came from a lab. Papers published in July 2022 show that the earliest COVID-19 cases clustered around the market and genomic data suggests that the virus spilled over twice, which is unlikely if it came from a lab. There is also no evidence that the lab ever possessed a virus similar enough to SARS-CoV-2 to have created the virus. Regarding Trump’s claims about the border wall and energy independence, we found that his administration did build nearly 500 miles of border wall system, but there were already 654 miles of fencing before he took office. Additionally, while the U.S. produced more energy than it consumed during Trump’s term, the country still relied on foreign sources of energy, including oil. As for gasoline prices, they peaked at $5 in June 2022 but are currently at $3.07, according to the Energy Information Administration.
FactChecking Trump’s Iowa Town Hall
