National Security

There’s a 92 Percent Chance Trump Is Making It Up

When riffing, the president exhibits an unusual tell.

First published in The Atlantic on December 20, 2025.

by Marie-Rose Sheinerman, The Atlantic

December 25, 2025 | reading time: 8 Min.

President Donald Trump likes to use a big number to anchor his point, especially when he wanders off on a tangent. Often it seems that a specific figure is on the tip of his tongue.