Before You Start
Five rules for conversations that actually change minds
01
One fact, stated once, is enough. Piling on ten statistics makes people defensive. One clear number, delivered calmly, lands harder.
02
Name the source before the stat. “According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics…” is harder to dismiss than the same number without attribution.
03
Ask questions instead of making statements. “Where did you hear that?” or “What would change your mind?” opens more than “Actually, you're wrong.”
04
You are not trying to win. The goal is to plant a question, not declare victory. The best outcome is “I hadn't thought about it that way.”
05
Know when to stop. If someone is getting angry, de-escalate. “I think we just see this differently” is a complete sentence and sometimes the right one.
06
Everything here is sourced. If someone asks where your facts come from, every claim below links to government data, the nonpartisan Tax Foundation, BLS, or primary reporting. Say that.
The Claim
“I inherited the worst inflation in the history of our country.”
Tap to see the facts ↓
The Claim
“I inherited a stagnant economy. Now it’s roaring like never before.”
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The Claim
“We passed the largest tax cuts in American history.”
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The Claim
“They poured in by the millions and millions from prisons, from mental institutions. They were murderers.”
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The Claim
“We are only deporting the criminals. We’re getting the bad guys out.”
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The Claim
“There are 300,000 migrant children missing in this country. Nobody knows where they are.”
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The Claim
“We have record low crime. Nobody’s been able to say that for 125 years. I did that.”
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The Claim
“Foreign countries are paying the tariffs. They are paying billions and billions of dollars into our treasury.”
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The Claim
“The 2020 election was stolen from me. It was rigged.”
Tap to see the facts ↓
A Final Note
Facts alone do not change minds. But they are still worth knowing.
Research on persuasion consistently finds that people change their minds slowly, in private, and rarely in the moment of an argument. Your goal in these conversations is not to win. It is to be calm, accurate, and to ask good questions. One person who walks away thinking “I should look that up” is a better outcome than ten people who feel attacked and dig in. Know your facts. Stay calm. Plant seeds.
Sources: Bureau of Labor Statistics · CNN fact-check February 25, 2026 · NBC News fact-check February 25, 2026 · PBS NewsHour fact-check February 25, 2026 · The Trace fact-check February 2026 · Center for Migration Studies, Correcting the Record, February 2026 · Tax Foundation, November 2025 · Council on Criminal Justice, January 2026 · National Institute of Justice study, January 2024 · Federal Election Commission · DHS Inspector General report, August 2024 · KTEN / AP fact-check February 25, 2026. All statistics sourced to primary government data or nonpartisan research organizations. Updated March 2026.