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Thanedar fact checks Trump's Detroit Economic Club speech
His X thread challenged Trump's claims on economics, inflation, and tariffs.
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Anushka Pathak - Thu, 15, Jan 2026
- 12:55 EST
- 19
Congressman Shri Thanedar / Courtesy: File Photo
Congressman Shri Thanedar disputed several claims made by President Donald Trump during his address at the Detroit Economic Club.
In a real-time fact-checking thread on X, the Michigan Democrat addressed claims related to the economy, jobs, inflation, and trade as the speech unfolded on Jan. 13.
“We'll be fact checking President Trump's lies at the Detroit Economic Club, stick around to get the truth's about Trump's lies,” he wrote, introducing a series of replies labeled “Trump fact check.”
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President Trump’s address at the Detroit Economic Club on Jan. 13 focused on claims of an economic rebound, including assertions that inflation had been brought under control, consumer prices were declining, and tariff policies were fueling manufacturing investment and job creation.
Thanedar’s fact-checking thread, posted alongside the address, directly challenged several of these claims, citing recent economic indicators such as the December Consumer Price Index report, which showed inflation running at 2.7 percent year over year, above the Federal Reserve’s 2 percent target.
We'll be fact checking President Trump's lies at the Detroit Economic Club, stick around to get the truth's about Trump's lies
— Congressman Shri Thanedar (@RepShriThanedar) January 13, 2026
Economic performance and job growth
On employment and growth, Thanedar challenged claims of a strong recovery, writing that companies were not “roaring back” and arguing that the most recent year showed the weakest job growth since the pandemic period.
He also disputed Michigan-specific claims, stating, “Since Trump took office, Michigan has LOST auto jobs,” directly countering assertions of manufacturing gains.
Inflation and consumer prices
Inflation was a central focus of the thread. Thanedar rejected claims that inflation had been defeated, saying it remained “WAY above the target rate.” He also challenged statements that grocery prices were falling, writing that prices had risen in recent months and increased by more than 3 percent since Trump took office.
To support these points, Thanedar referenced the December Consumer Price Index report, which showed inflation at 2.7 percent year over year, above the Federal Reserve’s 2 percent target.
Tariffs and trade policy
Thanedar also pushed back on trade policy claims, writing that tariffs are “NOT a tax on foreign companies” but instead fall on Americans. He cited historical precedent to argue that tariffs worsened economic conditions during the Great Depression and referenced public opinion data to suggest limited support for such policies.
Fiscal policy, other claims
Additional posts addressed fiscal and policy issues. Thanedar disputed claims of budget discipline, stating that Trump “has NEVER balanced the budget” and added more to the deficit than any president during a single term.
Other posts touched on healthcare costs, immigration enforcement, and digressions during the speech, including one remark stating, “He's now ranting about muscular men playing flag football with women, I don't even know what he's talking about, but it's clearly not the economy.”
The exchange underscored ongoing partisan divisions over economic conditions in Michigan, a key swing state with a significant auto industry presence.
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