Trump gives a partisan prime-time address insisting the economy is
stronger than many voters feel
[December 18, 2025]
By JOSH BOAK
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump delivered a politically charged
speech Wednesday carried live in prime time on network television,
seeking to pin the blame for economic challenges on Democrats while
announcing he is sending a $1,776 bonus check to U.S. troops for
Christmas.
The remarks came as the nation is preparing to settle down to celebrate
the holidays, yet Trump was focused more on divisions within the country
than a sense of unity. His speech was a rehash of his recent messaging
that has so far been unable to calm public anxiety about the cost of
groceries, housing, utilities and other basic goods.
Trump has promised an economic boom, yet inflation has stayed elevated
and the job market has weakened sharply in the wake of his import taxes.
Trump suggested that his tariffs — which are partly responsible for
boosting consumer prices — would fund a new “warrior dividend” for 1.45
million military members, a payment that could ease some of the
financial strains for many households. The amount of $1,776 was a
reference to next year's 250th anniversary of the signing of the
Declaration of Independence.
“The checks are already on the way,” he said of the expenditure, which
would total roughly $2.6 billion.
Presidential addresses to the nation carried on network television are
traditionally less partisan than rally speeches, but Trump gave a
condensed version of his usual political remarks.
Flanked by two Christmas trees with a portrait of George Washington
behind him in the White House’s Diplomatic Reception Room, Trump sought
to pin any worries about the economy on his predecessor, Joe Biden.
“Eleven months ago, I inherited a mess, and I’m fixing it,” Trump said.
“We’re poised for an economic boom, the likes of which the world has
never seen.”
Trump seeking to stop the slump in his approval ratings
His holiday wishes came at a crucial time as he tries to rebuild his
steadily eroding popularity. Public polling shows most U.S. adults are
frustrated with his handling of the economy as inflation picked up after
his tariffs raised prices and hiring slowed.
In 2026, Trump and his party face a referendum on their leadership as
the nation heads into the midterm elections that will decide control of
the House and the Senate.
The White House remarks were a chance for Trump to try to regain some
momentum after Republican losses in this year’s elections raised
questions about the durability of his coalition. He openly leaned into
the politics despite television networks' past reluctance to broadcast
presidential addresses loaded with campaign-style rhetoric.
For example, in September 2022, networks declined to give the Biden
White House a prime-time slot for a speech the then-president gave about
democracy because it was viewed as too political.
Trump spoke at a rapid-fire clip with a tone that bordered at times on
anger. He responded to the public frustration this year over the economy
by making even bolder promises on growth next year, saying that mortgage
rates would be coming down and that he “would announce some of the most
aggressive housing reform plans in American history.”
Trump brought charts with him to make the case that the economy is on an
upward trajectory. He made claims about incomes growing, inflation
easing and investment dollars pouring into the country as foreign
leaders, he claimed, have assured him that “we’re the hottest country
anywhere in the world,” a statement he has frequently repeated at public
events.
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President Donald Trump speaks during an address to the nation from
the Diplomatic Reception Room at the White House, Wednesday, Dec.
17, 2025, in Washington. (Doug Mills/The New York Times via AP,
Pool)
If the argument seemed familiar, that's because it has echoes of the
case that Biden made about the U.S. economy with little success. He,
too, in the face of inflation pointed to the enviable rate of U.S.
economic growth compared to other nations.
The public sees the economy differently from Trump
The hard math internalized by the public paints a more complicated
picture of an economy that has some stability but few reasons to
inspire much public confidence.
The stock market is up, gasoline prices are down and tech companies
are placing large bets on the development of artificial
intelligence.
But inflation that had been descending after spiking to a
four-decade high in 2022 under Biden has reaccelerated after Trump
announced his tariffs in April.
The consumer price index is increasing at an annual rate of 3%, up
from 2.3% in April.
The affordability squeeze is also coming from a softening job
market. Monthly job gains have averaged a paltry 17,000 since
April’s “Liberation Day,” when Trump announced import taxes that he
later suspended and then readjusted several months later.
The unemployment rate has climbed from 4% in January to 4.6%.
Trump said that investment commitments for new factories will boost
manufacturing jobs and that consumer activity will improve
dramatically as people receive increased tax refunds next year.
While emphasizing the economy, he also faces challenges on other
policy fronts.
Trump’s mass deportations of immigrants have proved unpopular even
as he is viewed favorably for halting crossings along the U.S.
border with Mexico. The public has generally been unmoved by his
globe-trotting efforts to end conflicts and his attacks on suspected
drug boats near Venezuela.
Trump sought to blame Democrats for the likely increase in health
insurance premiums as the subsidies tied to the 2010 Affordable Care
Act are expiring. Democratic lawmakers and some Republicans have
sought to address that issue, but Trump has pushed back and
suggested instead that payments should go directly to the buyers of
health insurance instead of the companies. The president has yet to
commit to a specific legislative fix.
After his speech ended and the video was no longer being broadcast,
Trump turned to his gathered aides and asked them how his address to
the nation went. The aides assured him it was great.
Trump then indicated that White House chief of staff Susie Wiles had
told him he needed to address the nation. After some back and forth,
he asked Wiles how he had done.
“I told you 20 minutes and you were 20 minutes on the dot," Wiles
said.
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