Polygraph

The US reached the lowest poverty rate in the history of that data being recorded during the 119th Congress.

Posted by Speaker Mike Johnson, Checked

Polygraph verdictTrue
Sources
6 support
Said
1 time·
Confidence
85%
Speaker Mike Johnson@SpeakerJohnsonNov 11, 2026
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20 claimsThe check →

The Census Bureau's September 2026 report put the official U.S. poverty rate for 2025 at 10.2%, the lowest since records began in 1959, and multiple tier1 outlets confirm it. The 2025 data year falls within the 119th Congress, though the supplemental poverty measure (13.1%) was not a record low, so the claim holds only on the official measure.

What was said

… We brought in, you know, we brought back peace through strength and American energy dominance. We secured the border tight, all the big issues in 2024. We checked the boxes. We added 1 million private sector jobs in the economy. We Brought about the lowest poverty rate in the history of that data being recorded. We have the safest American streets, the lowest violent crime rate we've had in 126 years. The most secure border in I think a half century. We have Trump accounts for newborns. We have reassuring of manufacturing for the US Made in the USA is a thing again. …
Speaker Mike Johnson@SpeakerJohnson · · from the transcriptPost →

What we found

Supports. The Census Bureau reported the official poverty rate fell to 10.2% in 2025, the lowest rate on record since tracking began in 1959.[1][5][6]

Supports. Snopes, FactCheck.org, and AP each rate Trump's record-low poverty claim as accurate on the official measure.[2][3][4]

Context. The supplemental poverty measure was 13.1% in 2025, not statistically different from 2024 and not a record low, so the claim does not hold under that alternative measure.[3][4][5]

Context. The 2025 calendar-year figure falls within the 119th Congress (2025–2027), and the report was released in September 2026, so the timing matches the claim.[6]

Sources

6 sources: 4 fact-checkers, 2 primary

  1. 1US poverty rate dips to lowest on record, Census Bureau saysreuters.com · fact-checker · cited for: supports
  2. 2Is official US poverty rate at all-time historical low, as ...snopes.com · fact-checker · cited for: supports
  3. 3FactChecking Claims from Trump’s Midterm Ralliesfactcheck.org · fact-checker · cited for: supports, context
  4. 4Trump claims US poverty is its lowest in history, missing ...apnews.com · fact-checker · cited for: supports, context
  5. 5Poverty in the United States: 2025 - https: // www2 . census . gov.www2.census.gov · primary source · cited for: supports, context
  6. 6Poverty in 2025 - Congress.govcongress.gov · primary source · cited for: supports, context

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