Questions

Answer the five true/false questions below to test your knowledge of critical current events. To assist, I provide you with the common wisdom, which you are free to accept or reject.  Once you’ve completed the quiz, you can find the answers at the end of the post.

1. THE NATIONAL DEBT HAS BEEN CONSIDERABLY REDUCED SINCE TRUMP ENTERED OFFICE IN JANUARY 2025.

Common wisdom: Republicans, who control the White House and Congress, constantly work to cut spending and reduce the National Debt. Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) and the One Big Beautiful Bill are two examples of major efforts to reduce federal spending and the National Debt.  Plus, Trump’s tariffs are making the country rich, and tariff revenues can be used to pay down the National Debt.

2. FEDERAL SPENDING HAS BEEN SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCED SINCE TRUMP ENTERED OFFICE IN 2025.

Common wisdom:  Republicans always work to reduce federal spending and the size of federal government.  DOGE, the One Big Beautiful Bill, and other actions are key actions that achieved this objective.

3. CONSIDERABLY MORE JOBS WERE CREATED DURING TRUMP’S FIRST YEAR (2025) THAN BIDEN’S LAST YEAR IN OFFICE (2024). 

Common wisdom:  Trump announced a “Golden Age” for the economy in 2025 and repeatedly says the US has the hottest economy in the world.  Biden, on the other hand, “destroyed” the economy.

4. THE STOCK MARKET DID MUCH BETTER IN TRUMP’S FIRST YEAR (2025) THAN BIDEN’S LAST YEAR (2024).

Common wisdom:  The stock market hit 52 all-time highs during since the November 2024 election.  

5. MOST AMERICANS SUPPORT TRUMP’S MILITARY ACTION (WAR) AGAINST IRAN AND DON’T BELIEVE HE NEEDED TO SEEK CONGRESSIONAL APPROVAL BEFORE STRIKING.

Common wisdom:  Iran has been hostile towards America for decades (“death to America”) and has never relented on its quest to develop nuclear weapons. The American people see Iran as an “enemy.”

Answers

NATIONAL DEBT:  The National Debt has increased, rather than decreased, since Trump came into office. In fact, it increased from $36.218 trillion to $38.883 trillion during the period of January 21, 2025 to March 9, 2026.  This is a $2.664 trillion increase in the National Debt in just over one year. See for yourself at Fiscal Data, US Treasury.

SPENDING:  Federal spending hasn’t been significantly reduced since Trump came into office. In fact, spending has increased over the levels when Biden was in office.  See for yourself at Congressional Budget Office.  Also, see this graph I made using the chart wizard on USgovernmentspending.com

JOBS: Job growth during Trump’s first year (2025) was tiny compared with the job growth during Biden’s final year (2024).  Only 181,000 jobs were added in 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).  On the other hand, BLS reported that some 2.2 million jobs were added in 2025, an average of 186,000 per month. 

STOCK MARKET: The stock market in Trump’s first year (2025) did not outperform the stock market in 2024.  Both years produced good returns, 2024 was better than 2025. See for yourself at University of Wisconsin, Steven’s Point, and CNBC. See also this graph I made using the FRED stock market chart wizard:

IRAN WAR:  A majority Americans disapprove of Trump’s strike on Iran rather than approve of it.  A March 6-9 The Economist/YouGov poll shows 52% disapprove, while only 39% approve. In that same poll 56% of Americans say Trump should have first sought Congressional approval before striking Iran, and only 28% said he didn’t need to seek prior approval.

How did you do?

I’m betting that those of you who are Republican/MAGA said all five statements were TRUE; while those of you who are Democrats or Independents said all the statements were FALSE.  Sadly, this only goes to show that in hyper-partisan America, the facts and the truth don’t mean much.

How are we ever going to heal our divisions and get our country back on track if we aren’t even willing to accept what is true? It’s okay to disagree over policy and solutions to problems. But we can’t have a meaningful discussion over policy and solutions if we’re not willing to acknowledge what is true and false.