NBC: Trump Made Numerous False Claims in TV Interview

Donald Trump made a series of untrue, misleading, or exaggerated statements during a 50-minute interview on NBC's "Meet the Press," according to the network's fact-checkers. The claims touched on Iran's nuclear ambitions, U.S. military actions, campaign promises, and economic forecasts.

Among the disputed assertions was Trump's claim that Iran was close to completing nuclear weapons when he withdrew the U.S. from the international nuclear deal in 2018. NBC countered this by citing U.S. intelligence assessments from March of the previous year, which concluded Iran did not have a nuclear weapons program and its leaders had not decided to develop such weapons. Trump also alleged that Iran would possess nuclear weapons today if the U.S. hadn't bombed Iranian nuclear facilities in the summer of 2025, a claim NBC found unsubstantiated.

Further inaccuracies were identified regarding Trump's statements about the "destruction" of Iran's navy, air force, and air defense systems. NBC noted that half of Iran's navy remains operational. The interview also covered Trump's denial of promising not to start new wars during his campaign, a promise he made in a 2024 campaign speech and a victory speech in November of the same year. Additionally, his assertion that U.S. gas prices would fall immediately upon an agreement with Iran was deemed unlikely by NBC, which cited experts and oil companies stating that a return to pre-war oil export levels would take months.

Trump also faced scrutiny over his decision to pardon those involved in the Jan. 6 Capitol riot, including individuals who admitted to attacking police officers. He suggested many were pressured by FBI agents, a claim for which NBC found no evidence. Finally, Trump repeated claims of election fraud, this time concerning recent Republican primary elections in California, responding to requests for evidence by saying, "All I need is to see and listen, I listen to people."