President Donald Trump’s address to the nation was a prime-time attempt to seize control of the narratives that suggest he’s lost voters’ trust on the economy.
 
Addressing this anxiety and more, Trump was blunt from the start of his speech about who to blame for the country’s woes.
 
"Eleven months ago, I inherited a mess — and I'm fixing it," he said, placing the blame squarely on his predecessor, President Joe Biden, and Democratic policies on border security, inflation and health care that he claimed his administration has been working to correct this year.
 
But the nation’s fortunes will change, Trump said. He touted a number of data points and metrics on falling prices and improved job numbers, among other topics, though it's not clear what sources he and the White House were referencing.
 
Trump also previewed some policy items on his to-do list in 2026, such as bonus checks for U.S. troops and a way to drive down drug prices.

As 2025 draws to a close, Trump is underwater. While he gave himself an "A+++++" on handling the economy, Americans graded him with new record-low marks in the latest PBS News/NPR/Marist poll. Affordability is top of voters’ mind as more signs emerge of a cooling labor market and tariffs raise prices. Trump’s mass deportation agenda is also growing unpopular and certain foreign policy actions, such as ratcheting U.S. pressure on Venezuela, have given lawmakers pause.