Fact Check: Did manufacturing construction spending decline under Trump?
WASHINGTON, DC: President Donald Trump has repeatedly claimed that factory construction in the country has surged under his administration. The POTUS even claimed that it’s up around 41%. The claim raises questions about how these numbers are presented. Let us take a closer look at the official figures and fact-check the president’s claim.
Claim: Trump claims factory construction rose under his leadership
On January 20, Trump cited 41% statistics in a White House press conference, calling it a 'record' increase and suggesting that other presidents cannot compare to this 'record.'
“Investment in American factories is up 41%. That’s a record. Nobody goes 41% up. You go 2% up, 1% up. You go down by 3%. If Kamala [Harris] got elected, the 41% up would be 41% down,” Trump said at the press conference.
A day later at the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting in Davos, Switzerland, he repeated the claim, saying, “Factory construction is up by 41%, and that number is really going to skyrocket right now, because that’s during a process that they’re putting in to get their approvals and we’ve given very, very quick, fast approvals.”
Fact Check: Manufacturing construction fell after Trump took office
However, according to the US Census Bureau data, spending to build, expand, and rehabilitate manufacturing sites in the country has declined since Trump took office.
According to the Census Bureau’s annual average estimates, under President Joe Biden, who served from Jan. 20, 2021, to Jan. 20, 2025, there was a significant increase in manufacturing construction spending in all four years.
The data shows that after declining 6.9% in 2020, the last year of Trump’s first term, manufacturing construction spending started to rise in 2021.
The bureau's quarterly data show that under Trump, measuring from the last quarter in 2024 through the third quarter in 2025, spending declined 6.7%.
According to the most recent survey of construction economists, which is conducted twice a year by the American Institute of Architects, the decline is expected to continue in 2026 and 2027.
The Wall Street Journal article published in January wrote that Trump’s tariffs 'haven’t worked, so far.'
The article said tariffs have increased manufacturers’ costs for foreign parts, adding that the “White House’s stop-and-start” tariff policy announcements have also led to what many executives view as a lost year for investment.
What happens in the coming months and years is uncertain. However, available data shows that factory construction has declined under Trump. The 41% increase he mentioned comes from a rise in spending that took place during Biden’s presidency.
