The Iranian government released American hostages on the day of Ronald Reagan's inauguration.

Posted by The Michael Berry Show, Sep 23, 2026Checked Nov 2, 2026

Polygraph verdictTrue

Sources: 6 support2 context
Said: 1 time·
Confidence: 95%

The Michael Berry ShowSep 23, 2026

The hostages held in Iran were released on January 20, 1981, the day Ronald Reagan was inaugurated, as multiple primary and tier1 sources confirm. The claim is a faithful extraction of the passage's date claim; the post's causal story that Reagan's inauguration caused the release is contested by the sources, but the extracted claim does not assert causation.

What we found

Supports. The Reagan Library chronology lists 01/20/1981 as both Inauguration Day and the date American hostages in Iran were released.[4]

Supports. The New York Times reported the hostages left Tehran as Reagan was delivering his inaugural address, and Reagan announced the release at a congressional luncheon that afternoon.[5][6]

Supports. FactCheck.org states the 52 hostages were finally released on January 20, 1981, the day Reagan was inaugurated.[1]

Supports. AP and PolitiFact both confirm the release occurred on Jan. 20, 1981, the day Reagan was sworn in, though they dispute that Reagan's inauguration caused it.[2][3]

Context. Sources state the Carter administration negotiated the release via the Algiers Accords and that Tehran acted after Reagan's inauguration, so the post's implication that Reagan's presence prompted the release is not supported, though the claim as extracted only asserts the date.[3][7][8]