In Iraq, Trump told the troops 2 falsehoods about their pay

While speaking to U.S. service members at the al-Asad airbase in Iraq on Wednesday, President Trump spread two falsehoods about military pay.

First, Trump asked the gathered troops if anyone there was "willing to give up the big pay raise you just got," and declared that service members hadn't received a raise "in more than 10 years. And we got you a big one. I got you a big one." Trump also claimed he spoke with "plenty of people" who told him he could make the pay raise "smaller," at "3 percent," "2 percent," or "4 percent," but he said he told them, "No, make it 10 percent."

PolitiFact reports that since at least 1961, military service members have received a pay raise every year, with the only exception being 1983, and then only due to a technical glitch (they did get a raise during the fiscal year, just not the calendar year). This year's increase was 2.4 percent, the biggest since 2010 — but smaller than the raises in 2008, 2009, and 2010. Over the last eight years, the annual pay increases have ranged from 1 to 2.1 percent.

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up