With costs a growing worry for Americans, Trump seeks to defend his economic record

President Trump opened a primetime address to the nation on Wednesday with a message intended to reassure Americans. 

"Eleven months ago, I inherited a mess, and I am fixing it," he said at the start of his speech.

However, in his roughly 20-minute address from the Diplomatic Reception Room, Trump broke little new ground, restating messages his White House has been pushing for months: that current economic problems can still be blamed on former President Joe Biden, and that Trump's second term in office has thus far been a massive success.

Indeed, Trump took a familiar, hyperbolic tone in describing his term.

"Over the past 11 months, we have brought more positive change to Washington than any administration in American history," he said.

The address had the feel of a Trump rally speech, without the rally. Unlike the often sedate primetime addresses of past presidents, Trump spoke loudly throughout his speech, at times seeming to shout.

The president did announce one new policy, saying that nearly 1.5 million military service members will be receiving a "special warrior dividend" of $1,776, a reference to the nation's founding in 1776. Trump said the money will arrive "before Christmas" and that "the checks are already on the way."

Trump spoke as his approval rating on the economy has hit a new low of 36%, according to the latest NPR/PBS News/Marist Poll. The poll found that the cost of living in particular is weighing on Americans. Fully 45% said prices are their top economic concern right now, far ahead of the next-highest category — housing prices — at 18%.

In addition, the poll found that two-thirds of Americans are "very" or "somewhat concerned" about the impact of tariffs on their personal finances.

Nevertheless, in his address, Trump continued to tout tariffs as a major cause of the economic accomplishments he sought to highlight. That's despite the fact that the various tariffs President Trump has unilaterally imposed are driving prices higher, as Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell reported last week. He told reporters that inflation growth is happening entirely in goods (as opposed to services), and that the growth is "entirely in sectors where there are tariffs."

Though the president highlighted few new policies, he did tease that in the new year he would announce "some of the most aggressive housing reform plans in American history."

Trump also told Americans that better economic times are ahead, stressing that Americans will receive tax refunds from his "big, beautiful bill" next year.

Though he's recently mocked Democrats' focus on affordability, their focus on pocketbook issues is seen as why they swept key off-year elections in November. And the president has tried to address the issue, recently hitting the road to make his economic case. He pitched supporters in Pennsylvania last week by promising bigger tax returns in April thanks to his policies, as well as promoting "Trump accounts" for children born between 2025-2028.

Trump will have another opportunity to talk directly to voters on Friday, when he will deliver a speech in Rocky Mount, North Carolina.
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