President Donald Trump delivered a wide-ranging and often misleading set of remarks during a Cabinet meeting at the White House on October 9, 2025. Over the course of the meeting, Trump returned to familiar talking points, repeated already debunked claims, and introduced a stream of new inaccuracies—many of which targeted vaccines, public health, foreign policy, and even basic math. The meeting lasted more than an hour and touched on subjects from drug trafficking to autism, but was characterized largely by false statements that have been disproven repeatedly by medical experts, government agencies, and independent analysts.

Trump began by criticizing vaccine practices in the United States, a subject he has repeatedly used to cast doubt on medical institutions. At one point, he asserted that infants are injected with “82 vaccines all at once”—a claim not supported by any medical guideline or immunization program in the country. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) confirms that infants receive a series of fewer than 20 different vaccines total in early childhood, administered across multiple visits, not simultaneously. Not one vaccine schedule involves 82 different doses in a single appointment, and certainly not in a single syringe.

The former president then shifted to claims about vaccine dosage sizes, dramatically stating that children are given vaccine shots “the size of two glasses of water.” He pointed to a glass in front of him to illustrate his claim, implying that infants receive dangerously large injections. This assertion has no scientific basis—typical vaccines measure 0.5 milliliters, about one-tenth of a teaspoon. No pediatric vaccine exceeds even a fraction of a teaspoon. There is also no evidence connecting vaccines to autism, a claim that has been studied for decades and conclusively disproven by dozens of large-scale studies.

Trump then turned his attention to the Amish community, saying they “don’t take vaccines or pills” and that they “have no autism.” Neither statement is true. While vaccination rates are often lower within some Amish groups due to cultural choices and limited access to healthcare, many Amish families do vaccinate their children. Additionally, autism does exist in Amish communities. Researchers note that while rates of diagnosis are believed to be lower, this may be due to differences in medical access and diagnosis practices rather than actual absence of the condition. Dr. Braxton Mitchell, a longtime researcher working within Amish communities, emphasized that the Amish do not reject all modern medicine and that many use medications like Tylenol routinely. His expertise directly contradicts Trump’s statement.

Another vaccine-related claim Trump repeated was his demand to separate the measles component from the MMR (measles, mumps, rubella) vaccine. He insisted during the meeting that “the measles shot is already separate” and available in the United States. This is false. There is no standalone measles vaccine currently distributed in the U.S., and only the combined MMR shot is approved and in use. Although Trump has pressured vaccine manufacturers to develop three separate shots, none currently exist in the American market.

False Claims Beyond Vaccines

Trump extended his series of misleading remarks beyond public health.

He again claimed that each Venezuelan drug boat smuggling narcotics into the U.S. causes the deaths of 25,000 Americans. He offered no evidence for this number, which has been widely dismissed by experts. According to federal data, the total number of U.S. drug overdose deaths in 2024 was around 82,000. Trump’s claim would imply that just four boats alone could be responsible for more deaths than occur nationwide in an entire year, a mathematical impossibility.

He also revived his boast that his administration has achieved drug price cuts of 200–500% through executive action. Such claims are mathematically impossible, as prices cannot drop more than 100%. Even reducing the price of prescription drugs to zero would be a 100% reduction, not 500%.

On foreign policy, Trump continued promoting his narrative that he has “settled seven wars” during his presidency, now claiming a recent ceasefire deal in Gaza is his “eighth.” However, several of these alleged “wars” were actually diplomatic disputes, temporary pauses in conflict, or negotiations that did not end ongoing violence. For example:

• A conflict Trump took credit for ending between Egypt and Ethiopia was not a war but a dispute over a hydroelectric dam, and it remains unresolved.

• He claimed credit for ending conflict between Serbia and Kosovo, though hostility between the two territories never erupted into a full-scale war.

• Trump also claimed responsibility for ending conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo, despite violence continuing and peace agreements not being fully signed or honored.

Repeating Election Lies and Policy Misinformation

Trump once again repeated the debunked lie that he won the 2020 election, calling it “rigged” and insisting “the wrong guy got in there.” Courts, election officials, and bipartisan audits have repeatedly confirmed that Joe Biden won the election fairly.

Finally, Trump misleadingly claimed that a major domestic policy bill he signed this year eliminated taxes on Social Security benefits. In reality, while the legislation introduced a temporary tax deduction for seniors, millions of Americans still pay taxes on Social Security. The deduction is limited, expires in 2028, and does not apply to recipients under 65. Even the White House has acknowledged that the law does not remove Social Security taxes entirely.