CNN Analyst Says Trump 'Seems to Believe' His Own Lies

Trump's Commencement Speech Draws Attention for Misleading Claims

During a lengthy commencement address at the University of Alabama on Thursday, May 1, President Donald Trump strayed from delivering life advice to the class of 2025, instead focusing heavily on his own political grievances. 
His speech, which resembled a campaign rally, included false claims about voter fraud in the 2020 election, inaccurate anecdotes about a deceased real estate developer and misleading statements regarding consumer prices, particularly gasoline.
As Trump addressed the crowd, he made a variety of claims that were quickly challenged. One of the most notable was his statement about the price of gasoline. "Gasoline prices just hit $1.88 a gallon in three states," Trump said. "Can you believe it? It was at $3.50. It was at $4. We're drilling, oh we're drilling. You know drill, baby, drill? Right? We're drill, baby, drill. We do that. We got it down. We have it going good."
This led a CNN analyst to chastise the president for his suggested misleading claims, and here's a rundown of everything that happened. 
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Fact-Check Reveals Gas Prices Are Not as Trump Claimed

On the Friday, May 2, edition of The Source on CNN, host Kaitlan Collins responded to Donald Trump's assertion by pointing out that the figures he cited were far from accurate. 
"Neither of those are accurate," Collins said, referring to Trump's claims. She continued, "Prices aren't close to $1.88 or $1.98 in any state, as drivers across the country are well aware of. 
Actually, we checked and according to AAA, the national average right now is about $3.18 a gallon. Mississippi has the lowest, but even there, drivers are still paying about $2.66."

Haberman Weighs in on Trump's Perception of Reality

CNN political analyst Maggie Haberman offered insight into how Donald Trump appears to handle factual inaccuracies, especially regarding the state of the economy. 
In response to a question from Kaitlan Collins about how Trump is coping with the economic consequences of his trade policies, Haberman commented, "No, I don't, but I think that that is the front that he is putting on."
She explained that while there was some positive news on the jobs front and stock market rebounds, Trump continues to make statements that do not align with reality. Haberman's assessment seemed to suggest that the president might be aware of the disconnect but chooses to present a more optimistic view to the public.

Pushback on Trump's Claims

Maggie Haberman also pointed out that even on Donald Trump's own social media platform, Truth Social, his gas price claims were being questioned by his supporters. 
"Some of the replies to the president have disputed his claims about gas prices by saying, 'Not where I live,'" she remarked. This suggests that even within his base, there is some skepticism about the accuracy of his statements.
Despite the pushback, Haberman concluded that Trump, at least for the moment, seems to believe the claims he is making. "But he right now seems to believe himself," she said, emphasizing that the president continues to present his version of events as though it aligns with reality, regardless of external critiques.

Social Media Response

Donald Trump's remarks about gas prices and other issues did not go unnoticed on social media. 
On X, users quickly criticized the inaccuracies. One user posted, "Trump's claims about gas prices are laughable. Has he even looked at the pump lately? #GasPrices #TruthSocialFail." 
Others responded sarcastically, saying, "Maybe in an alternate reality, Trump's gas prices are right. Not here in the real world. #WrongAgain."

In contrast, some of Trump's supporters on social media remained loyal to his message. One tweet read, "Trump's right, we need to drill more. Gas prices were better under his administration. #MAGA #AmericaFirst."