Pallone: Trump Will Lie to the American People Tonight – Here’s the Truth

WASHINGTON – Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ) released the following statement ahead of President Trump’s address before a joint session of Congress:

“Tonight, Donald Trump will try to sell a fantasy. He’ll talk about ‘savings’ while gutting Medicaid, claim to fight for workers while pushing reckless tariffs that raise their costs, and cozy up to Vladimir Putin while handing out massive tax breaks to billionaires.

“Just last week, every House Republican voted to slash Medicaid, imposing devastating health care cuts. Trump supports these cuts because his party would rather funnel money to his billionaire buddies than protect working families. My guest tonight, Lauren Zalepka, knows exactly what’s at stake – her daughter relies on Medicaid for essential services, and under Trump’s plan, families like hers would be abandoned.

“Trump will also try to sell the illusion of ‘savings’ from his Department of Government Efficiency scam. But the numbers are a fraud—phony accounting tricks to justify illegal mass layoffs and agency shutdowns. Thousands of federal workers have already been fired, gutting everything from clinical trials to disaster relief services and putting lives at risk.

“Then there’s Trump’s dangerous allegiance to Putin. He has frozen military aid to Ukraine, repeated Kremlin propaganda, voted in the United Nations with anti-democratic foes like Iran, and threatened to abandon our NATO allies. These aren’t the actions of a leader standing for democracy. They are exactly what Putin wants. 

“Trump’s economic policies are just as reckless. His job-killing tariffs have triggered retaliation from Canada and Mexico, punishing American farmers, manufacturers, small businesses, and consumers. Instead of bringing jobs back, these policies are driving up energy costs and grocery bills while pushing us toward economic recession.

“We must also remember that in just 11 days, the government is set to shut down because Republicans refuse to govern. They control the House, the Senate, and the White House, yet they have no plan to keep the lights on. Instead, they are pushing extreme cuts and walking away from negotiations, willing to let Americans bear the consequences of their dysfunction.

“I’m attending tonight to push back against Trump’s lies and hold him accountable. When he gaslights the country, I want the public to know: the facts are on our side. Democrats won’t let him get away with misleading the American people.”