Trump touts ‘economic boom’ and blames Biden for prices in prime-time address
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump promised Americans “an economic boom” and said prices are “falling rapidly” in a nationally televised address from the White House, casting blame for high costs on his Democratic predecessor, Joe Biden, even as new polls show persistent voter anxiety over affordability.
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“Good evening America. Eleven months ago I inherited a mess, and I’m fixing it,” Trump, 79, said in the live speech at the end of his first year back in office. He insisted gas and grocery prices are coming down, adding, “it’s not done yet,” and pledged that the United States is “poised for an economic boom the likes of which the world has never seen” in 2026, when the country co-hosts the FIFA World Cup with Canada and Mexico.
The White House billed the address as a roadmap for the rest of Trump’s second term, but much of the speech focused on familiar targets. He renewed attacks on Biden and Democrats and accused migrants of having “stolen American jobs.” Trump has made a sweeping migration crackdown central to his agenda and has taken aim at political opponents in a year marked by aggressive executive action.
Polls suggest the president’s biggest vulnerability remains the cost of living. A PBS News/NPR/Marist poll released this week found 57% of Americans disapprove of Trump’s handling of the economy, citing price pressures. A separate YouGov survey said 52% of respondents believe the economy is getting worse under Trump. Economists and trade experts say prices have been partly fuelled by tariffs the administration has imposed on trading partners.
Affordability fears threaten to overshadow Trump’s pitch ahead of the 2026 midterm elections, when control of Congress is at stake. Republicans have been alarmed by recent losses in key contests and tighter-than-expected races in typically safe territory, prompting the White House to sharpen its focus on household economics. Trump has begun ramping up domestic travel, vowing in Pennsylvania last week to “make America affordable again,” and plans a campaign-style rally in North Carolina on Friday.
Vice President JD Vance, emerging as one of the administration’s chief economic messengers as he weighs a potential 2028 presidential run, urged voters to show patience in remarks on Thursday.
Trump’s address also touched on foreign policy flashpoints he argues bolster U.S. security and prosperity. He hailed what he called a Gaza ceasefire and U.S. strikes on Iran’s nuclear program, and cited a stepped-up campaign against drug traffickers. The U.S. Southern Command said on X that American forces “conducted a lethal kinetic strike” on a vessel in the eastern Pacific Ocean allegedly operated by a designated terrorist organization engaged in narco-trafficking. Four “male narco-terrorists” were killed, and no U.S. forces were harmed, the command said.
The president has faced criticism from some in his Make America Great Again base for prioritizing overseas negotiations, including talks on Ukraine and tensions with Venezuela, over kitchen-table concerns. A White House official said U.S. and Russian envoys will meet in Miami this weekend for new talks. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky this week welcomed progress after meetings in Berlin with Trump’s envoys but warned that Russia was preparing for “a new year of war.” Trump has also ordered what he called a “total and complete blockade” of sanctioned oil tankers tied to Venezuela, part of a broader pressure campaign.
Inflation also dogged Biden’s tenure as he sought to steer the economy out of the pandemic downturn, and his administration struggled to convince voters that better times lay ahead. Trump’s challenge now is similar: translate macroeconomic promises into relief that Americans can feel at the pump and the checkout line — and soon enough to matter in November 2026.
By Abdiwahab Ahmed
Axadle Times international–Monitoring.
