Trump says the US secured at least $18 trillion worth of investments this year. That's wrong - Poynter

"On his second day in office, Jan. 21, Trump said the U.S. had "already secured nearly $3 trillion of new investments." By May 8, that figure rose to "close to $10 trillion." It eventually peaked Oct. 29 during a meeting with South Korean Prime Minister Kim Min-seok: "I think by the end of my first term, we should have $21 or $22 trillion dollars invested in the United States from other people and countries," Trump said."

"Sometimes Trump has phrased the commitments as approaching a dollar figure; other times, he's said they've already hit that number. In May, when Trump said, "We have now close to $10 trillion" in investments, we rated that False. The White House had documented at least $4.9 trillion less than what Trump claimed. That $10 trillion number has about doubled in the seven months since, according to Trump, but it's unsubstantiated."

"On the higher end, $22 trillion would be equal to about three-quarters of the United States' entire 2024 annual gross domestic product, an extraordinary total for the richest country in the history of the world. The White House website documents $9.6 trillion, and not everything cited on the website was newly pledged during Trump's second term. Experts say there's no guarantee the full amounts promised will come to fruition, and some of this investment would have occurred regardless of who was president."

Claims of new foreign investments in the United States varied over time, with figures stated at nearly $3 trillion, close to $10 trillion, and as high as $21–$22 trillion. White House documentation lists $9.6 trillion but includes items not newly pledged during the administration's second term. External verification falls short of the highest claimed totals; one earlier $10 trillion claim exceeded documented commitments by about $4.9 trillion. Experts warn that pledged amounts may not materialize and that some investments would have occurred regardless of presidential actions. The White House did not respond to inquiries.

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