WASHINGTON (AP) — The President donald trump He gave a politically charged speech Wednesday, broadcast live on prime time network television, calling for: blaming economic challenges He criticized Democrats while announcing that he would send $1,776 bonus checks to U.S. troops on Christmas.
The remarks came as the nation calmly prepared to celebrate the holiday, but President Trump focused more on divisions in the country than on unity. His speech was a rehash of his previous recent messages. Unable to quell public anxiety For the cost of food, housing, utilities, and other basic items.
President Trump has promised economic growth, but inflation remains high and the job market is deteriorating sharply due to import taxes. President Trump suggested that the tariffs, which have contributed to higher consumer prices, would fund a new “warrior’s dividend” for 1.45 million military members, easing some of the financial burden on many households. The $1,776 amount was in commemoration of next year’s 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.
“Testing has already begun,” he said.
Presidential addresses to the nation, which are broadcast on network television, are traditionally less partisan than rallies, but Trump delivered a condensed version of his usual political rhetoric.
In the White House’s Diplomatic Reception Room, surrounded by two Christmas trees with a portrait of George Washington in the background, Trump tried to blame any concerns about the economy on his predecessor, Joe Biden.
“Eleven months ago, I inherited a mess, and I’m fixing it,” Trump said. “We are poised for an economic boom the likes of which the world has never seen.”
President Trump aims to halt slumping approval ratings
His vacation wish came true at a critical time when he was trying to rebuild his life. steadily declining in popularity. According to polls, most U.S. adults I am dissatisfied with the way he is handling the economy. His tariff hikes raised prices and slowed employment, which accelerated inflation.
In 2026, Trump and his party will face referendum on their leadership The country heads into midterm elections that will decide control of the House and Senate.
The remarks from the White House were an opportunity for Trump to try to regain momentum after Republican losses in this year’s elections cast doubt on the durability of the coalition. He was openly political, even though television networks had previously been reluctant to broadcast presidential speeches laden with campaign-style rhetoric.
For example, in September 2022, the networks refused to give President Biden a prime-time programming slot. Speech given by the then president about democracy Because it was considered too political.
President Trump made rapid-fire statements, sometimes in a tone that bordered on anger. He responded to public dissatisfaction with this year’s economy by making bolder promises about next year’s growth, saying mortgage rates would fall and “unveiling some of the most aggressive housing reform plans in American history.”
President Trump brought graphs to make the case that the economy is on an upward trajectory. He said foreign leaders had assured him that “we are the hottest country in the world,” a statement he frequently repeated in public, touting rising incomes, easing inflation and bringing investment capital into the country.
If this argument sounds familiar, it’s because it echoes Biden’s largely unsuccessful arguments about the U.S. economy. He, too, noted that he envied the United States’ economic growth rate compared to other countries in the face of inflation.
People’s views on the economy are different from President Trump’s
The difficult mathematics that the public has internalized paints a more complex picture of the economy, which has some stability but little reason to significantly increase public confidence.
Stock markets are rising, gas prices are falling, and technology companies are betting big on developing artificial intelligence.
But inflation, which had been declining since surging to a 40-year high in 2022 under the Biden administration, accelerated again after President Trump announced tariffs in April.
The consumer price index is rising at an annual rate of 3%, up from 2.3% in April.
The pressure on housing prices also stems from a softening job market. Since April’s “Emancipation Day,” when President Trump announced the import tax, monthly job growth has averaged only 17,000, before suspending it and readjusting it a few months later.
The unemployment rate rose to 4.6% from 4% in January.
President Trump said investment commitments in new factories will increase manufacturing jobs, and increased tax refunds next year will dramatically improve consumer activity.
While he focuses on the economy, he also faces challenges on other policy fronts.
Trump’s mass deportation of immigrants Despite being viewed favorably for halting crossings along the U.S.-Mexico border, it has proven unpopular. The general public is unimpressed by his globe-trotting efforts. end the conflict and his Attack on suspected drug smuggler Near Venezuela.
President Trump tried to blame Democrats for potentially increasing health insurance premiums as subsidies related to the 2010 Affordable Care Act expire. Democrats and some Republicans have tried to address the issue, but President Trump has pushed back, proposing that payments should go directly to health insurance buyers rather than companies. The president has not yet addressed any specific legal amendments.
After the speech ended and the video broadcast ended, President Trump turned to his assembled aides and asked them how they thought his address to the nation went. Aides assured him it was great.
President Trump then suggested that his chief of staff, Susie Wiles, told him he needed to address the nation. After some back and forth, he asked Wiles how it was.
“I said 20 minutes, and you were on schedule for 20 minutes,” Wiles said.
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