The remarks were delivered by Trump as the country heads toward the November elections, amid projections of a challenging political landscape for the GOP.
WASHINGTON, DC: As political tensions build ahead of the midterm elections, President Donald Trump asserted that the poverty rate in the United States has reached an unprecedented historic low. This declaration quickly sparked a wave of varied responses online, with many supporters accepting the statistic while critics voiced skepticism, prompting a closer look at the data.
Claim: Poverty rate is at an all-time low in the United States
The discussion began after social media users started circulating footage of Trump declaring that the US is experiencing “the best poverty numbers ever in the history of our country.”
The official White House YouTube channel also published the clip, capturing the president’s remarks: “We have the best, I guess you could say, poverty; they talk poverty. We have the best poverty numbers ever in the history of our country. In other words, there’s less poverty now than at any time in the history of our country.”
The video has since gained millions of views across multiple platforms. While supporters praised the administration for the milestone, detractors labeled the statement false, and others called for an independent verification of the figures.
Fact Check: President Trump’s assertion holds true
Verification data confirms that Trump’s statement is accurate based on the official poverty measure—one of the two primary metrics published annually by the Census Bureau.
A representative from the White House Press Office clarified that the president was referencing a government report released on September 16. The report indicated that the official poverty rate for 2025 dropped to 10.2%, marking the lowest figure recorded since tracking began in 1959.
The official poverty rate is determined by measuring a household’s total income against established poverty thresholds adjusted for family size.
For instance, a household consisting of four people, including two children under 18, falls below the poverty threshold if their pre-tax earnings are under $32,649 annually.
Trump announces $5,000 dividend proposal ahead of midterms
The claims were made as the nation prepares for the November elections, where Republicans currently face tough projections. In addition to highlighting economic milestones, Trump unveiled a proposal to distribute a $5,000 payout to adult Americans if the GOP maintains control of Congress, framing it as a shared dividend of the nation’s financial growth.
“Here is my promise: If the Republicans win the House of Representatives and the United States Senate, both of them, because of our tremendous economic success, I will issue a dividend to every adult citizen in the United States of America for $5,000,” Trump stated.