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Fact-Check Carla Gericke’s Statements about New Hampshire from the Dr. Phil Show Transcript
The transcript appears to be from a discussion (likely featuring a guest from New Hampshire) speculating on what the state might look like as an independent country. I’ll break down the key factual claims one by one, verifying them against reliable data. Opinions (e.g., “prosperous” or “like a little Hong Kong”) are noted as such but not fact-checked, as they’re subjective. All data is current as of October 2025, drawing from U.S. Census estimates, World Population Review, and official state sources.
1. “New Hampshire… would be a prosperous Little Country geographically”
- Verdict: Subjective, but geographically accurate as a “little country.”
- New Hampshire is one of the smallest U.S. states by land area, ranking 46th out of 50 at approximately 8,953 square miles (23,187 km²) of land (total area including water: ~9,350 sq mi or 24,214 km²). This is comparable to small sovereign nations like Slovenia (~7,827 sq mi) or Kosovo (~4,203 sq mi), making it a “little country” in geographic terms.
- Prosperity is opinion-based but supported by NH’s high median household income (~$90,000 in 2023, 7th highest in the U.S.) and low poverty rate (~7%). As an independent nation, its economy (currently ~$86 billion GDP) could rank it among mid-tier small economies like Slovenia or Latvia.
2. “[We’d be] bigger than countries in Europe population wise”
- Verdict: True.
- New Hampshire’s population is estimated at ~1.41 million as of mid-2025.
- This exceeds the populations of at least 18 European countries, including:
- Iceland (~399,000)
- Luxembourg (~661,000)
- Malta (~535,000)
- Cyprus (~1.27 million)
- Latvia (~1.83 million, but close—NH edges it out in recent estimates)
- Smaller microstates like Liechtenstein (~39,000), San Marino (~34,000), Monaco (~39,000), Andorra (~80,000), and Vatican City (~800).
- For context, NH’s population is similar to that of Estonia (~1.37 million) or just below Lithuania (~2.86 million). It would rank around 150th globally by population, akin to small European nations.
3. “[We’d be] four times the size of Iceland”
- Verdict: Mostly true if referring to population; false if referring to land area.
- The phrasing is ambiguous (“size” after mentioning “population wise”), but context suggests population.
- Population: NH (~1.41 million) is about 3.5–3.6 times larger than Iceland’s (~399,000). Close enough to “four times” for casual speech.
- Land area: NH (~8,953 sq mi) is only ~23% the size of Iceland (~39,768 sq mi or 103,000 km²). Iceland is vastly larger geographically.
- Iceland is one of Europe’s sparsest countries (density: ~4 people/sq mi), so NH would indeed be “bigger” population-wise despite being much smaller in area.
4. “[We’d] be able to export energy [because] New Hampshire has a nuclear plant that no one talks about”
- Verdict: True on the nuclear plant; plausible (but hypothetical) on energy exports.
- New Hampshire has one operating nuclear power plant: Seabrook Station in Seabrook, NH (a 1,244-megawatt pressurized water reactor, operational since 1990). It generates ~55% of the state’s electricity and supplies carbon-free power across New England (e.g., to Massachusetts and Vermont utilities). It’s often under-discussed compared to larger plants, but it’s a key regional asset.
- As an independent country, NH could export energy via existing grid ties (e.g., to ISO New England). Currently, Seabrook saves New England consumers ~$500 million annually in emissions reductions and low-cost power. No other nuclear plants exist in NH, and it’s the state’s only major baseload power source beyond renewables/hydro.
5. “[We] have a deep sea port”
- Verdict: True.
- New Hampshire’s Port of Portsmouth (on the Piscataqua River) is the state’s only deep-water port, with a 45-foot (14-meter) channel depth suitable for large vessels (e.g., container ships up to 1,000+ feet). It handles ~4.8 million tons of cargo annually, including international freight, and supports the U.S. Navy’s Portsmouth Naval Shipyard.
- It’s strategically located ~40 miles north of Boston, serving as a gateway for northern New England trade. As a sovereign nation, it could function like a compact trade hub (e.g., similar to Estonia’s ports).
6. “[New Hampshire] could become like a little Hong Kong to the whole Eastern Seaboard where we’re more prosperous than we could be under [the U.S.]”
- Verdict: Speculative opinion, but plausible based on assets.
- This is hypothetical and not fact-checkable, but NH’s combo of a deep port, nuclear energy, educated workforce (highest high school graduation rate in the U.S.), and proximity to Boston/NYC (~1-hour drive) could position it as a trade/finance hub. Hong Kong (pop. ~7.5 million, area ~426 sq mi) thrives on its port and low taxes—NH already has no income/sales tax, which boosts prosperity. However, independence would introduce challenges like defense, currency, and trade barriers.
Overall Assessment
Most factual claims hold up well, with the Iceland “size” comparison being the only minor stretch (likely intentional hyperbole for population). The vision of NH as a prosperous mini-nation is optimistic but grounded in its real strengths: compact geography, energy independence potential, and trade access. If independent, it might resemble a scaled-down version of Singapore or Luxembourg—small, wealthy, and export-focused—rather than Hong Kong. For deeper dives, check U.S. Census data or NH state reports.