- A viral video falsely claims President Trump raised the minimum wage to $25 an hour.
- Trump has not raised the minimum wage and actually revoked a Biden-era executive order that increased the minimum wage for federal contractors.
- The federal minimum wage remains $7.25 an hour, while some states have higher minimums.
A video on social media falsely claims President Trump is raising the minimum wage to $25 an hour.
“President Trump has just signed a groundbreaking law that will change the lives of millions,” a woman’s voice on the video says. “Starting the 15th of April, in a completely unexpected move, Trump approved the largest minimum wage in U.S. history.”
The video says that no American worker will be allowed to earn less than $25 an hour, but according to the Trump Administration, this is not true. Since 2009, the national minimum wage has remained at $7.25 an hour, though most states have higher limits, and there have been no moves by Trump to change this.
Here’s what to know about Trump and the minimum wage.
Did Trump increase the minimum wage?
According to the White House’s records of executive orders, Trump has not signed an order increasing the minimum wage. In 2024 he hinted at wanting to raise but has made no efforts so far in his presidency.
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When he was still president-elect in December, Trump said he would consider raising the federal minimum wage. But he has made no moves to do so, and his Treasury secretary flatly said no.
What is the minimum wage in Tennessee?
Technically, Tennessee has no state minimum wage and defaults to the federal minimum wage of $7.25.
There are 34 states, territories, and districts with minimum wages above the federal distinction. The other 20 states or territories have a minimum wage of $7.25.
In 2024, Rep. Gloria Johnson, D-Knoxville, proposed a bill to raise the minimum wage to $20 an hour in Tennessee, but the bill failed.
Two years prior, Sen. Sara Kyle, D-Memphis, proposed a bill to raise the minimum wage to $12 in 2023, $13 in 2024, $14 in 2025, and $15 in 2026. This bill also failed.
Trump cuts minimum wage for private sector workers
On March 14, Trump did the opposite of raising the minimum wage for private sector workers. On Monday, Trump signed an executive order revoking a Biden executive order that raised the minimum wage for federal contractors to $17.75 per hour on Jan. 1, 2025.
Due to an Obama order from 2014, federal contractors could now be paid a minimum of $13.30 an hour.
The federal government contracts work with private sector companies to provide goods and services for the public, the military, and the government. These jobs can range from building and maintaining federal offices to providing uniforms for military service members.
Trump and the 32 hour work week
There is also talk that Trump is issuing a 32 hour work week; while not true, this concept has more merit. Trump has made no plans or announcements to initiate a shorter work week for working-class Americans, but legislation has been created.
On March 1, Rep. Mark Takano, D-California, proposed a bill to shorten the standard workweek under federal law from 40 to 32 hours over three years. The act also requires overtime pay for workdays longer than 8 hours.
A bill similar to this was brought to the House in 2023 but ultimately failed.
