3. $17 Trillion in U.S. Investments
Trump’s claim that $17 trillion is being invested in the United States right now is an exaggeration without basis in reality. He stated that “more than $17 trillion” was being invested, but this number is far from accurate. According to the White House, the total investment in the U.S. during his administration amounted to $8.9 trillion, which is already a highly inflated figure. Further investigation into the numbers shows that much of this “investment” includes promises and pledges from foreign governments and companies, rather than actual capital flows into the U.S. economy. For instance, some of these investments are vague commitments related to bilateral trade or non-specific economic exchanges, rather than concrete financial commitments that can be directly measured. These inflated figures mislead the public into believing that the U.S.
is experiencing an unprecedented wave of economic growth when, in fact, the reality is more complicated. It’s important to critically assess such claims, as they can create false impressions of economic prosperity when, in reality, investment growth has been more modest and less impactful than what Trump suggests.