Headline Roundup • March 5th, 2025
Fact Checking Trump's Address to Congress
Donald Trump,Congress,Facts And Fact Checking,Ukraine War,Foreign Aid,EU,European Union,Immigration,DOGE,Social Security,Economy And Jobs
Summary from the AllSides News Team
On Tuesday night, President Donald Trump addressed a joint session of Congress, speaking to them about immigration, Ukraine, the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), the economy and more.
Did Europe Spend More on Russian Oil and Gas Than Ukraine Aid? "Europe has sadly spent more money buying Russian oil and gas than they have spent on defending Ukraine by far," Trump said on Tuesday. This is true. Since the start of the Ukraine War in 2022, Russia has received 206 billion euros in energy revenue from the European Union (EU), according to government data compiled by BeyondFossilFuels.org. During the same timeframe, the EU has spent 132 billion euros on Ukraine aid.
Has the US Outspent the EU on Ukraine Aid? Although Trump also said on Tuesday that the U.S. has “perhaps spent $350 billion” defending Ukraine, the Kiel Institute puts the figure at $114 billion as of the end of 2024.
How The Media Covered It: Newsweek (Center bias) and Breitbart Fact Check (Right) called Trump's comment about EU spending true, honing in on the fact Europe did pay more to Russia than Ukraine. Conversely, multiple outlets on the left called his comment on the U.S. aid total false, noting that “European aid is larger than that from the U.S.” Newsweek did note Trump's inaccurate $350 billion number, while Breitbart did not. Outlets on the left fact check more often, covering many issues Trump brought up including DOGE, Social Security, immigration, and the economy. On the right, Breitbart only fact checked Europe's Ukraine aid. Outlets on the right did not fact-check any of Trump's falsehoods.
Featured Coverage of this Story
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(Michael A. McCoy/For The Washington Post)
President Donald Trump’s address to a joint session of Congress on Tuesday was vintage Trump: long, rambling and chock-full of stretched facts and dubious figures. Many of these claims have been fact-checked repeatedly, yet the president persists in using them. Here, in the order in which he made them, are 26 statements by the president that were untrue, misleading or lacked context.
As is our practice, we do not award Pinocchios in speech roundups.
CLAIM: President Donald Trump asserted on Tuesday that European countries have spent more money buying Russian oil and natural gas than they have on supporting Ukraine.
FACT CHECK: Probably True.
During his first joint address to Congress since his inauguration in January, President Trump emphasized his desire to see an end to Russia’s three-year-old invasion of Ukraine and highlighted his efforts to facilitate negotiations. In commenting on the situation in Ukraine, he condemned European Union countries for advocating for Ukraine verbally but financially supporting Russia.
Europe has spent more on purchasing Russia's oil and gas than it has on assistance for Ukraine in its war with the country, President Donald Trump has told U.S. Congress.
Trump made the comment during his address to lawmakers on Tuesday, in which he referred to what his administration might do to end the three-year-old conflict started by Moscow.
Trump compared the aid that the U.S. has provided Ukraine with what the war-torn country was receiving from its European allies, effectively casting doubt on the commitment of the continent's leaders who have raised...
