One of the most contentious points in Trump’s speech was his claim that foreign nations impose disproportionately high tariffs on US goods. He presented a chart alleging that the European Union levies tariffs as high as 39% on American products—figures that Krugman and other experts have called into question. “The EU, like the United States, has generally low tariffs; the average tariff it charges on US goods is less than 3%,” Krugman explained. “So where does this 39% number come from? I have no idea.”

Additionally, Trump reiterated a long-disputed claim that the US is subsidizing Canada by $200 billion annually. Economists have previously debunked this assertion, noting that Trump misinterprets trade surpluses as subsidies and inflates the actual figure. Despite repeated corrections, he has continued to promote the claim. “Many, many people have pointed out the error, but Trump is sticking with it,” Krugman noted, comparing the persistence of such misinformation to other widely disputed narratives.