In White House speech, Trump highlights victories amid sinking approval ratings
A new Reuters/Ipsos poll showed just 33 per cent of US adults approve of how Trump has handled the economy.
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WASHINGTON: In a rare evening address from the White House, United States President Donald Trump boasted on Wednesday (Dec 17) of his accomplishments and blamed his Democratic predecessor for soaring consumer prices as his party braces for a tough midterm election next year.
"Eleven months ago, I inherited a mess, and I'm fixing it," Trump said in a speech that lasted less than 20 minutes and was delivered at a jarringly rapid-fire pace.
The Republican president, who regularly complains that he does not get credit for his accomplishments, offered few new policy initiatives to address high costs.
The speech was instead delivered with a pronounced sense of grievance, with Trump complaining about migrant invasions, violent crime and transgender rights in the White House's Diplomatic Reception Room festooned with holiday decor.
He placed blame at the feet of former President Joe Biden, previous trade deals, immigrants and what he described as a corrupt system.
At the same time, Trump touted his administration's work this year on a range of issues from reducing border crossings to bringing down prices of some goods. And he promised the nation would be stronger next year.
Among the few policy initiatives, Trump announced his administration would send a "warrior dividend" of US$1,776 to 1.45 million US service members in the coming week.
He also backed a Republican proposal to send cash directly to the public to offset the cost of health insurance rather than provide subsidies through the Affordable Care Act, a proposal that has yet to receive enough support in Congress.
"I want the money to go directly to the people so you can buy your own healthcare," Trump said, the room behind him festooned with holiday decor. "The only losers will be the insurance companies."
Surprisingly, he spent little time addressing foreign affairs, a subject that occupied much of his first year back in office. He made a passing reference to the war in Gaza but made no mention of the war in Ukraine or the brewing conflict with Venezuela.
TRUMP GETS POOR MARKS ON ECONOMY
The address offered an opportunity for the president to address people's concerns about affordability, an issue that Trump, a Republican, has repeatedly referred to as a Democratic hoax.
While casting blame on Biden's presidency, Trump conceded that prices remain high while arguing that the nation was "poised" for an economic boom.
"I am bringing those high prices down and bringing them down very fast," he said.
He pledged conditions would improve in the coming year, citing his tax policies, tariffs and plans to replace the chairman of the Federal Reserve, Jerome Powell.
That timetable would come as welcome news to Trump's fellow Republicans, who are seeking to maintain control of the House of Representatives and Senate in November elections next year.
Nearly a year before elections, Democrats are already highlighting affordability concerns and differences over healthcare policy.
Trump campaigned on the economy, effectively leveraging the high inflation of Biden's presidency to beat former Vice President Kamala Harris in last year's election.
As president, Trump's tariff policies this year have created uncertainty and lifted prices in an economy that has now been overseen by his administration for nearly a year - and Trump, like Biden before him, has been struggling to persuade Americans that the economy is healthy.
A new Reuters/Ipsos poll on Tuesday showed just 33 per cent of US adults approve of how Trump has handled the economy.
After the speech, Democrats contended Trump had offered Americans few solutions to their concerns.
Senator Mark Warner of Virginia called the address "a sad attempt at distraction," while California Governor Gavin Newsom, a potential 2028 presidential contender, simply posted the word "Me" - referring to Trump - more than 700 times.
Trump also claimed that his policies were boosting take-home wages "at a historic pace" after years of decline.
"He was telling the American people that what they're feeling in their pocketbooks and at the grocery store is not real. He tells them they're getting higher wages and that's more than making up for inflation. But that's really not true," said political science professor Louis DeSipio from the University of California, Irvine.
"The polls and the economic evidence demonstrates that the American people are very frustrated, and just telling them that things are better isn't good enough."
DeSipio called the address a "stump speech" that will likely not do much to improve Trump's approval ratings or change people's opinions.
Nevertheless, he said Trump's announcement of a "warrior dividend" will earn him some support within the military and among Americans who support the country's troops.
"I think this is very skillful - to find a policy where he can have some immediate influence and reward people that are broadly supported in American society," he told CNA's Asia Now programme.
"HOTTEST COUNTRY ANYWHERE"
In his remarks, Trump said he had attracted US$18 trillion in investments that will create jobs and open factories. He credited his tariff policy as a leading factor: "One year ago our country was dead ... Now we're the hottest country anywhere in the world."
The speech came just a day before a closely watched update on inflation from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
After touching a four-year low of 2.3 per cent in April just three months into Trump's second term, annual inflation has since then been grinding higher.
Broadly, recent government data has shown that the economy’s growth has rebounded somewhat after it contracted during the first few months of the year.
Yet it also shows that job growth has slowed during Trump’s second term, unemployment has risen to its highest level in four years and consumer prices remain high.
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