At a rally in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin, the president reached for a number that should be easy to check: "African American unemployment is now doing better than it's ever done." [1] Moments later he did something unusual, admitting from the stage that he did not actually know where the statistic came from. [1] He was right to doubt it. The government keeps this number, and it says the opposite.
THE CLAIM
- "African American unemployment is now doing better than it's ever done" [1]
- He admitted on stage he did not know where the stat came from [1]
- The rate is actually higher now than when he took office
What the record shows
The Black unemployment rate was 6.6 percent in May 2026. [3] When the president took office in January 2025, he inherited a rate of 6.2 percent, so it has gone up, not down. [2] The actual record low is 4.8 percent, set in April 2023, two years before he returned to office. [2] Earlier this year, in April 2026, the rate hit 7.3 percent. [2] "The best it's ever been" describes a number that is nearly two points above the real record and higher than the day he started.
Data
| Record low (Apr 2023) | 4.8% |
|---|---|
| Inherited (Jan 2025) | 6.2% |
| Now (May 2026) | 6.6% |
THE RECEIPTS
- May 2026: 6.6 percent, up from the 6.2 percent inherited in January 2025 [2][3]
- Actual record low: 4.8 percent, April 2023 [2]
- April 2026 reached 7.3 percent [2]
The tell
The most honest moment in the claim was the president undercutting it himself, conceding he did not know where the figure came from. [1] That is the right instinct. A leader who wants credit for the economy should be able to name the source of the number he is taking credit for, and when he cannot, it is usually because the number is not there.
THE BOTTOM LINE
- "Doing better than it's ever done": False [1]
- Black unemployment rose from 6.2 percent to 6.6 percent under this administration [2][3]
- The real record low, 4.8 percent, was set in April 2023 [2]
Black workers, like everyone else, deserve an honest scoreboard. The real one shows a rate that went up, not a record that was broken. Repeating a number you have already admitted you cannot source is not a record. It is a guess wearing a victory lap. I'm Marcus, and this is Pixel Politics.
