FACT FOCUS: Trump says tariffs have brought more US auto factories. His numbers are off.

President Donald Trump has been touring the U.S. to rally support for Republican candidates, and he’s repeatedly credited GOP-backed tariffs with a manufacturing comeback—claiming they’ve led to more vehicle plants being built. At a Baltimore shipyard, Trump said the U.S. “didn’t build a car plant for 44 years” and that it now builds more plants than ever. The fact-check says both statements are inaccurate: U.S. vehicle factories have been built regularly for decades, and the country is not currently seeing more plant openings than in any previous period. It acknowledges some progress in Trump’s second term, including Rivian’s new Georgia factory and Hyundai’s Metaplant America, while noting broader trends predate his presidency.