Trump touts accomplishments, future policies during primetime address

By Sarah Roderick-Fitch
The Center Square

In what is likely his final address to the nation of the year, President Donald Trump touted what he said were his accomplishments, and previewed some policies to come in the new year.

The president began his address by taking aim at the Biden administration and Democrats by saying he inherited “a mess” when he came into office, highlighting the inflation and border crisis, high crime and men playing in women’s sports.

“Now you have a president who fights for the law-abiding, hard-working people of our country, the ones who make this nation run, who make this nation work. And after just one year, we have achieved more than anyone could have imagined,” Trump said.

The president spent a significant amount of time in his 18-minute address discussing affordability, which has taken center stage in recent weeks as he and Vice President JD Vance have been highlighting the administration’s policies trying to bring down costs, one of the central themes of his campaign.

The president used graphics to highlight the differences in the economy between the Biden administration and his own, as evidence that his policies are bringing costs down across the country.

Noting that he is just beginning, he claimed that “wages are going up much faster than inflation,” saying that the wages of “the typical factory worker” have increased by $1,300, and $1,800 for miners.

The president also announced that military members will be receiving a “warrior dividend” ahead of the Christmas holiday, rewarding every service member with $1,776 in honor of the country’s 250th birthday, while touting a record number of enlistments in the military branches.

Trump also promised to overhaul the health care system and bring down costs, reiterating his plan to give money directly to Americans to purchase their own health care insurance. He also outlined his plan to reduce the cost of drugs and pharmaceuticals by as much as 600%, arguing that his threat of tariffs has helped bring down those costs.

He touted lower energy costs by eliminating Democrats’ environmental policies, which he claims caused energy prices to skyrocket.

The president also briefly touched on interest rates, promising that his pick to lead the Federal Reserve will “believe in lower interest rates by a lot, and mortgage payments will be coming down even further early in the new year.”

In addition, he announced that in the coming year, he will unveil “some of the most aggressive housing reform plans in American history,” saying that a significant factor in driving up housing costs was “the colossal border invasion” during the prior administration.

He then segued into the border crisis, reiterating that it contributed to rising costs, including for housing because of a flooding of the rental market, while taking away American jobs and overwhelming the health care industry.

He said that “for the first time in 50 years, we are now seeing reverse migration, as migrants go back home, leaving more housing and more jobs for Americans. And the year before my election, all net creation of jobs was going to foreign migrants. Since I took office, 100% of all net job creation has gone to American-born citizens.”

He wrapped up his address by looking toward 2026, highlighting the nation’s 250th birthday and massive events such as the World Cup and Olympics.

“There could be no more fitting tribute to this epic milestone than to complete the comeback of America that began just a year ago. When the world looks at us next year, let them see a nation that is loyal to its citizens, faithful to its worlds, confident to its identity, certain to its destiny and the envy of the entire globe. We are respected again, like we have never been respected before,” the president said before wishing Americans a Merry Christmas and happy new year.

The address comes less than a year ahead of the 2026 midterm elections, as Republicans hold a narrow majority in both chambers of Congress.