President Donald Trump was showered with praise from GOP lawmakers and MAGA allies as he insisted the economy is stronger than most Americans feel in a primetime speech from the White House.
During an 18-minute address, Trump attacked his predecessor, former President Joe Biden, and touted his record on issues of immigration, tariffs and culture, arguing that the “Golden Age” he proposed on the campaign trail is building momentum. He also announced that his administration will send a $1,776 bonus, which he called “warrior dividends,” to nearly 1.5 million US service members before Christmas.
“I inherited a mess, and I’m fixing it,” Trump said Wednesday night.
The speech came as Trump oscillated on his messaging about the economy, boasting of being the “best” who has repeatedly labeled affordability a “hoax” – all while polls show voters need convincing.
An NPR/PBS News/Marist poll released hours before he spoke found the president’s economic approval hit a new low of 36%. A new Fox News poll found similar, with most voters believing the economy is in bad shape.
But while his address was mercilessly rejected by Democrats, his supporters were singing an entirely different tune.
“He said very clearly to the American people, ‘I’ll see you,’ and look at the things we’ve done,” Sen. Katie Britt (R-Ala.) said on Fox News. “What he’s accomplished just in these first 10, 11 months is remarkable, but I think there’s more to come.”
Former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich called Trump’s address “worthy of Ronald Reagan.”
“That was a good speech. It was an important speech,” Gingrich said on Fox News. “Someday, people will say it was one of the most important speeches of his career because it set the table for the whole debate over the next year.”
In a post on X, Rep. Andy Biggs (R-Ariz.) supported the president’s attacks against the Affordable Care Act, as the subsidies are set to expire at the end of the month.
“The Republicans will fix what the Democrats broke!” he wrote.
Senator Lindsey Graham (RS.C.) also weighed in on X: “High energy, great delivery, grand slam, home run on the case that the best is yet to come.”
A popular MAGA account posted that Trump “only shows up and performs under pressure.”
“We have never seen anything like this in our lives,” the user wrote. “I couldn’t feel safer with him steering the ship.”
In the background, the economy remains one of the main concerns of voters heading into the 2026 midterm elections, which could be seen as a litmus test for Trump and the GOP as they seek to retain control of the House and Senate.
After the Democrats scored big victories in November, Trump has since increased his focus on the main issue.
“I have no higher priority than making America affordable again,” Trump said at a campaign-style rally in Pennsylvania last week. “They caused the high prices and we are reducing them.”
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