(CNN) 鈥 When President Donald Trump claimed to NBC Nightly News anchor Tom Llamas in鈥痶hat 鈥淚鈥檓 getting 鈥 starting to get great polls on the economy,鈥 Llamas quickly pushed back by noting that Trump鈥檚 is 鈥渘ot great.鈥
Trump immediately backed off his assertion, retreating to a claim that his economy-related polling 鈥should鈥 be great.鈥
That was a textbook moment in political interviewing 鈥 but it was one of the only times in the interview that Llamas challenged one of Trump鈥檚 false claims. Over and over, when the president repeated lies that were debunked months or years ago, Llamas 鈥 or didn鈥檛 acknowledge them at all.
Trump鈥檚 rapid-fire dishonesty is difficult for any interviewer to handle, especially given the limited time they are given by the White House, and it鈥檚 not uncommon for them to largely ignore the serial inaccuracy in order to get to the topics they鈥檝e planned to address. Llamas certainly asked the president various skeptical and important questions, including some sharp follow-ups. And NBC of some of the false claims in a Wednesday article on its website.
But Llamas鈥 hands-off approach to the president鈥檚 falsehoods left people watching the interview on television and through social media clips without immediate corrective information on a variety of pressing subjects. An exchange about inflation, for example, was littered with a bunch of inaccurate Trump figures and assertions that Llamas let pass by with the word 鈥渞ight.鈥 And in one case, when Trump claimed it鈥檚 only 鈥渧ery few鈥 product prices that have stubbornly refused to fall during this presidency, Llamas initially responded with a comment that made it sound like he was endorsing the false claim: 鈥淵eah, very few. I get it.鈥
Here is a CNN fact check of some of Trump鈥檚 remarks in the interview. An NBC spokesperson declined to comment.
Inflation and the economy
Prices during this presidency
Trump鈥檚 claim: Llamas told Trump, 鈥淭alking about the economy, you鈥檝e brought a lot of prices down, as we said. Some are still stubborn.鈥 Trump responded, 鈥淰ery few.鈥
Fact check: It鈥檚 not 鈥渧ery few鈥 prices that are stubbornly refusing to decline. Overall prices have increased during this presidency, 鈥 in December 2025, average consumer prices 鈥 and since Trump鈥檚 January 2025 inauguration than have gotten cheaper.
Llamas鈥 response to Trump鈥檚 claim: Llamas echoed Trump鈥檚 false claim, saying, 鈥淏ut 鈥 but when 鈥 yeah, very few. I get it.鈥 He then proceeded to ask Trump, 鈥淲hen you talk to Americans, though, do you have to get them to understand that the prices are not gonna come back down to your first term because we had a pandemic and we had record inflation?鈥
The inflation Trump inherited
Trump鈥檚 claim: Trump claimed, 鈥淚 inherited the worst inflation in the history of our country. It was through the roof. Now, you will say it wasn鈥檛 in history, it was 48 years. You know there鈥檚 a theory. There was 鈥 I say it was the worst. But whether it鈥檚 48 years or what, I inherited the worst inflation in the history of our country.鈥
Fact check: Trump didn鈥檛 inherit the worst inflation in US history. The year-over-year inflation rate in Biden鈥檚 last full month in office, December 2024, , and the rate in the month in which Trump took over partway through, January 2025, ; those figures are only slightly higher than the most recent rate, 2.7% in December 2025. The rate did hit a 40-year high, in June 2022, but that was not a 48-year high, and it was far from the , which was set in 1920. Regardless, the rate then fell sharply over Biden鈥檚 last two-and-a-half years in office.
Llamas鈥 response to Trump鈥檚 claim: He said 鈥渞ight鈥 twice during these Trump comments.
Inflation today
Trump鈥檚 claim: 鈥淎nd now we have almost no inflation. Think of it. You know what it was for the last three months? 1.2%.鈥 He repeated moments later, 鈥淔or the last three months it鈥檚 at 1.2%. You know that.鈥
Fact check: The most recent year-over-year inflation rate, , is not 鈥渁lmost no inflation鈥 by any reasonable definition of that vague phrase. And inflation wasn鈥檛 鈥1.2%鈥 for the last three months; the year-over-year rate was and . (The government couldn鈥檛 calculate the October rate because of data-collection issues caused by a government shutdown.)
Trump in a newspaper op-ed last week 鈥渁nnual core inflation for the past three months has dropped to just 1.4%,鈥 but: Trump used 鈥1.2%鈥 in the NBC interview; the math behind even the 1.4% figure is not clear (CNN got a result of 1.6% when using a ); the White House ignored CNN鈥檚 requests this week for a detailed explanation of the 1.4% figure; and Trump did not say in the interview that he was referring to 鈥渃ore鈥 inflation, which excludes food and energy prices, or using annualized data.
Llamas鈥 response to Trump鈥檚 claim: Llamas said 鈥渞ight鈥 when Trump claimed we now have almost no inflation. He did interject with the current inflation rate after Trump first made his 鈥1.2%鈥 claim; Llamas said, 鈥淚nflation is down 鈥 2.7 right now.鈥 But when Trump repeated the 鈥1.2%鈥 figure and insisted 鈥測ou know that,鈥 Llamas said, 鈥淵eah. But the last 鈥 okay.鈥 He then moved on to another subject.
Gas prices
Trump鈥檚 claim: Trump said, 鈥淵ou saw gasoline this last week at $1.99 a gallon. It used to be, it was $4-and-a-half, $5 a gallon 鈥 (now) $1.99 a gallon of gasoline.鈥
Fact check: The national average for a gallon of regular gasoline on Wednesday was about $2.89, per 鈥 down from about $3.12 on his inauguration day in January 2025 鈥 and the average was $2.86 or higher every day since the start of last week; a tiny number of stations were selling gas for $1.99 or less during that period. Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis for GasBuddy, told CNN that each day from January 26 through February 2, GasBuddy found just 18 to 34 gas stations around the country, out of about 150,000 stations GasBuddy tracks, offering gas for under $2 aside from special discounts.
鈥淎n average over those dates would be 28 stations over the course of the week, or 0.018% of all U.S. stations. I think I鈥檇 rather find the needle in the haystack at that point,鈥 De Haan said in a Thursday email.
Llamas鈥 response to Trump鈥檚 claim: None; he said 鈥測eah鈥 moments later.
Investment in the US
Trump鈥檚 claim: Trump claimed, 鈥淚 have $18 trillion being invested into the country.鈥
Fact check: The $18 trillion number is fiction. The White House鈥檚 鈥痵aid at the time of the interview that the figure for 鈥渕ajor investment announcements鈥 during this Trump term is $9.6 trillion, and even that is a major exaggeration; a鈥痩ast fall found the White House was counting trillions of dollars in vague investment pledges, pledges that were about 鈥渂ilateral trade鈥 or 鈥渆conomic exchange鈥 rather than investment in the US, and vague statements that didn鈥檛 even rise to the level of pledges.
Llamas鈥 response to Trump鈥檚 claim: Llamas asked a follow-up question that accepted Trump鈥檚 false premise: 鈥淏ut when can Americans expect to feel that?鈥
China and tariffs
Trump鈥檚 claim: Trump said of China: 鈥淲ell, they鈥檙e paying a lot of tariffs, as you know. China鈥檚 paying a lot of tariffs.鈥
Fact check: Tariff payments are made by importers in the US, not China and other foreign countries, and those importers often pass on some of their costs to consumers. While foreign exporters may sometimes drop their prices to try to keep their products competitive, that the overwhelming majority of the costs of the tariffs Trump imposed in 2025 are being covered by a combination of US businesses and US consumers.
Llamas鈥 response to Trump鈥檚 claim: None; he said 鈥測eah鈥 moments later.
Elections
The 2020 election
Trump鈥檚 claim: Trump lied twice about the 2020 election in rapid succession, saying, 鈥淚 won three times.鈥
Fact check: He won twice, in 2016 and 2024, and lost fair and square in 2020.
Llamas鈥 response to Trump鈥檚 claim: None; he continued to ask questions about the subject he was trying to get Trump to talk about, the possibility that Trump will have the federal government pay him billions in taxpayer money to settle a , not in his official capacity as president, over an unauthorized leak of his tax returns during his first presidency.
What Trump said about elections in another interview this week
Trump鈥檚 claim: Llamas asked, 鈥淵ou鈥檝e recently suggested nationalizing elections. What do you mean by that?鈥 Trump responded, 鈥淲hen 鈥 and I didn鈥檛 say national(ize) 鈥 I said there are some areas in our country that are extremely corrupt.鈥
Fact check: As Llamas initially told him, Trump did say he wanted to nationalize elections; it鈥檚 not true that Trump merely said some parts of the country are corrupt. Specifically, in an interview that aired Monday, Trump : 鈥淭he Republicans should say, we want to take over, we should take over the voting, the voting in at least many, 15 places. The Republicans ought to nationalize the voting.鈥
Llamas鈥 response to Trump鈥檚 claim: None; Trump quickly proceeded to make another false claim about elections.
Elections in Detroit, Philadelphia and Atlanta
Trump鈥檚 claim: Trump, talking about the interview that aired Monday, said this: 鈥淚 said there are some areas in our country that are extremely corrupt. They have very corrupt elections. Take a look at Detroit. Take a look at Philadelphia. Take a look at Atlanta.鈥
Fact check: There is no evidence that elections in any of these cities are 鈥渆xtremely corrupt.鈥 Trump has that Democratic-dominated urban areas are rife with corruption in presidential elections, but he has presented no proof.
Llamas鈥 response to Trump鈥檚 claim: Llamas said, 鈥淵eah.鈥
The 2020 election in Fulton County, Georgia
Trump鈥檚 claim: Llamas asked Trump what he is doing in the Georgia county in which most of Atlanta is located, Fulton 鈥 where FBI agents in late January . Trump responded, 鈥淚鈥檓 not doing anything, but the FBI went in because it鈥檚 been under 鈥 under 鈥 I guess review for years, the cheating that took place in Fulton County.鈥
Fact check: There is no evidence of elections cheating in Fulton County in 2020. Trump has for years made false claims about the county鈥檚 handling of the 2020 election, which have been repeatedly debunked 鈥 including in comments made directly to Trump, more than five years ago, and by a .
Llamas鈥 response to Trump鈥檚 claim: None. Instead, he asked Trump what the FBI agents are looking for.
Foreign affairs and immigration
Trump鈥檚 strikes on alleged drug boats
Trump鈥檚 claim: Touting his military strikes on alleged drug-trafficking boats in the and , Trump said, 鈥淓ach boat that we knock out we save 25,000 American lives.鈥
Fact check: This 鈥25,000鈥 number obviously does not make sense 鈥 even aside from the fact that the Trump administration has not presented public proof for his repeated claims that the boats carried fentanyl, the drug involved in the most overdose deaths. The鈥total number of US overdose deaths from all drugs in 2024 was about 82,000, according to provisional鈥. The president鈥檚 figure is 鈥渁bsurd,鈥 Carl Latkin, a professor at the Johns Hopkins University school of public health with a joint appointment at its medical school, said in October. You can read a longer fact check鈥.
Llamas鈥 response to Trump鈥檚 claim: None; Trump quickly pivoted to an anecdote about the president of China.
Foreign governments, jails and migration
Trump鈥檚 claim: Trump claimed, 鈥淵ou know, jails have been emptied into our country from all over the world.鈥 He then added, 鈥淏ut from Venezuela, from the Congo in Africa, from all over the world, jails, the jail population, was emptied into our country.鈥
Fact check: Trump has never proven these claims about Venezuela, 鈥渢he Congo,鈥 or countries 鈥渁ll over the world.鈥 Experts on Venezuela, the Democratic Republic of Congo and the neighboring Republic of Congo鈥痙uring the Biden administration that they had seen no basis for Trump鈥檚 stories, the governments of both of the Congo countries鈥, and an expert on the global鈥痯rison鈥痯opulation has that she has seen 鈥渁bsolutely no evidence鈥 of any country emptying jails to somehow release鈥痯risoners into the US during either the Biden administration or this Trump administration. (Trump was slightly vaguer than usual here, but he has generally claimed that foreign governments have deliberately emptied prisons and mental health facilities to somehow send undesirable citizens to the US as migrants.)
Llamas鈥 response to Trump鈥檚 claim: Llamas said 鈥渕mhmm,鈥 鈥渞ight鈥 and 鈥測eah鈥 during these Trump remarks.
Migration under Biden
Trump鈥檚 claim: Trump claimed that, under Biden, 鈥淲e allowed in our country, I say, 25 million people.鈥
Fact check: The 鈥25 million鈥 figure is false; even Trump鈥檚鈥痯revious鈥21 million鈥濃痜igure was a鈥. Through December鈥2024, the last full month under the Biden administration, the federal government had鈥痷nder 11 million nationwide 鈥渆ncounters鈥 with migrants during that administration, including millions who were rapidly expelled from the country. Even adding in the so-called鈥痝otaways鈥痺ho evaded detection,鈥痓y House Republicans as being鈥痳oughly 2.2鈥痬illion,鈥痶here鈥檚鈥痭o way the total was even close to what Trump has said.
Llamas鈥 response to Trump鈥檚 claim: None; he said 鈥測eah鈥 moments later after some more Trump comments about immigration.
Biden, migration and murderers
Trump鈥檚 claim: 鈥淲e have 11,888 murderers that Biden and his group let into our country. We鈥檝e captured a lot of them. We鈥檝e brought some of 鈥檈m back. A lot of 鈥檈m we don鈥檛 wanna bring back, because we don鈥檛 trust the country that they鈥檙e not sent back again.鈥 He repeated the 鈥11,888 murderers鈥 claim moments later.
Fact check: Trump was inaccurately describing federal data. The Department of Homeland Security and independent experts that the figure it appears Trump is referring to when he uses the 鈥11,888鈥 number is about non-citizens who entered the US not just under Biden but over the course of multiple decades, including during Trump鈥檚 own first administration. They were convicted of homicide at some point, usually in the US after their arrival, and are still in the US while being listed on Immigration and Customs Enforcement鈥檚 鈥渘on-detained docket鈥 鈥 which includes people who are currently serving their prison sentences, not roaming free as Trump has also claimed.
Llamas鈥 response to Trump鈥檚 claim: Llamas said 鈥測eah鈥 after both Trump鈥檚 first quote and second quote.
Russia and elections
Trump鈥檚 claim: Talking about foreign interference in US elections, Trump said, 鈥淎nd everybody knows that Russia 鈥 they talked about Russia, turned out to be a hoax. It was 鈥 Hunter Biden. It wasn鈥檛 Russia.鈥
Fact check:鈥Russian interference in the 2016 election did not turn out to be a hoax. It happened. An investigation led by special counsel Robert Mueller鈥痶hat 鈥渢he Russian government interfered in the 2016 presidential election in sweeping and systematic fashion鈥 and that it did so with the intention of helping Trump beat Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton.
鈥淔irst, a Russian entity carried out a social media campaign that favored presidential candidate Donald J. Trump and disparaged presidential candidate Hillary Clinton. Second, a Russian intelligence service conducted computer-intrusion operations against entities, employees, and volunteers working on the Clinton Campaign and then released stolen documents,鈥 the Mueller report said.
Trump has often seized on the fact that the Mueller report said the investigation 鈥渄id not establish that members of the Trump Campaign conspired or coordinated with the Russian government in its election interference activities鈥 to declare that claims about him or his campaign having colluded with Russia were a 鈥渉oax.鈥 But Mueller found evidence the Trump campaign felt it would benefit from those interference activities and that there were 鈥渘umerous links between individuals with ties to the Russian government and individuals associated with the Trump Campaign,鈥 though 鈥渢he evidence was not sufficient to support criminal charges.鈥
Regardless, the Russian interference itself was clearly real.
Trump鈥檚 confusing comment about Hunter Biden, son of former president Joe Biden, may have been a reference to how some social media companies briefly 鈥痑鈥痙amaging news story鈥痑bout the younger Biden late in the鈥2020鈥election campaign, in which Trump ran against the elder Biden. That has nothing to do with the fact of Russian interference in the 2016 campaign, in which Trump ran against Clinton.
Llamas鈥 response to Trump鈥檚 claim: He said 鈥測eah鈥 moments after Trump鈥檚 remark.
CNN鈥檚 Alicia Wallace and Marshall Cohen contributed to this article
The-CNN-Wire
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