Have any fact-checkers verified or debunked claims that Trump called nurses "not professional professionals"?

1. What fact-checkers and news outlets actually verified

Multiple fact-checkers and mainstream outlets documented that the Education Department moved to exclude nursing and related programs from its regulatory list of “professional degrees” as part of implementing the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, and they explained the practical effect: lower graduate loan limits for many nursing students ^{[1] [3] [4]}. PolitiFact, Snopes and major newspapers framed the controversy around rules and loan caps, not a reported insult from the president ^{[1] [5] [4]}.

2. The disputed quote: not found in reporting

Searchable reporting and the fact-check pages provided do not record any instance of President Trump saying nurses are “not professional professionals.” The available sources repeatedly address a policy reclassification by the Department of Education and the department’s own “Myth vs. Fact” rebuttal, but they do not cite or fact-check a presidential utterance using that wording (available sources do not mention Trump saying “not professional professionals”) ^{[2] [1]}.

3. What the policy change actually says and why it matters

The change centers on which graduate programs count as “professional degree” programs for purposes of higher borrowing limits under the 2025 law; nursing graduate programs (MSN, DNP) and many allied-health and education programs were placed outside that definition, exposing students to tighter annual and lifetime borrowing caps ^{[5] [1] [3]}. The department and several outlets emphasize the adjustment is about loan eligibility and administrative definitions, not a statement about the value of the occupations ^{[2] [1]}.

4. Department of Education response and the “myth” framing

The Education Department published a fact sheet saying it is a myth that excluding programs from the regulatory “professional degree” list means the administration does not view nurses as professionals; the department frames the move as a technical classification used to set loan limits and notes its historical definitions and data showing most nursing students borrow below the caps ^{[2] [1]}. The department’s spokespersons defended the language as consistent with precedent and tied to cost-control aims ^[1].

5. Why confusion and outraged social posts spread

News coverage noting the exclusion of nursing from the “professional” list sparked viral social posts and claims that nurses were being “demoted” or insulted; fact-checkers and outlets like Newsweek, LA Times and WPR documented the policy and the ensuing outrage, which likely fueled shorthand or exaggerated summaries on social platforms that could be misread as a verbal slight from the president himself ^{[6] [7] [3]}.

6. Competing interpretations in the record

Pro-administration commentary argued the change simply aligns loan policy to program cost realities and could pressure programs with high tuition to lower prices ^[8]. Nursing groups, educators and several news outlets warned the change could worsen faculty shortages and hamper access to advanced nursing education, making an implicit policy trade-off clear in the reporting ^{[6] [3] [7]}.

7. What fact-checkers did not (and cannot) verify

Because the cited fact-checks and reporting focus on a regulatory redefinition and on official DOE statements, they do not substantiate any claim that President Trump uttered the phrase “not professional professionals.” If you have a link, video clip or timestamped source of that exact quote, provide it; absent such material, the verified record is about policy changes and agency messaging, not a presidential insult (available sources do not mention Trump saying “not professional professionals”) ^{[2] [1]}.

8. Bottom line and recommended next steps

Bottom line: fact-checks and news outlets confirm a controversial DOE reclassification affecting nursing graduate loans, but they do not corroborate that Trump called nurses “not professional professionals” ^{[1] [2] [3]}. If your concern is policy impact, consult the DOE rulemaking materials and reporting cited here; if your concern is a quoted presidential remark, supply the primary clip or link so journalists and fact-checkers can assess it against the existing record ^{[2] [1]}.