WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump used a rare prime-time address from the White House to promise an economic boom and blame Democratic predecessor Joe Biden for stubbornly high prices, even as fresh polling shows voters increasingly sour on his handling of the economy at the close of his first year back in power.
“Eleven months ago I inherited a mess, and I’m fixing it,” said Trump, 79, casting his stewardship as a course correction from the Biden era. He insisted that gas and grocery prices that have strained household budgets are “falling rapidly,” and predicted that in 2026 — as the United States co-hosts the FIFA World Cup with Canada and Mexico — “we are poised for an economic boom the likes of which the world has never seen.”
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Billed by the White House as a blueprint for the rest of Trump’s second term, the nationally televised speech leaned heavily on attack lines familiar from his rallies. He railed against Biden and Democrats and accused migrants of taking U.S. jobs, even as Republicans privately warn that voter anger over affordability could cost the party in the 2026 midterm elections.
Trump’s economic pitch lands amid sobering numbers. A PBS News/NPR/Marist poll published this week found 57% of Americans disapprove of his handling of the economy and cited concerns about the cost of living. A separate YouGov survey showed 52% believe the economy is getting worse under Trump. The dissatisfaction echoes the headwinds that dogged Biden after the COVID-19 pandemic; economists say prices have also been pushed up by tariffs Trump reimposed or expanded on trading partners.
The president’s speech capped a year defined by muscular executive action at home and abroad, including a crackdown on migration and efforts that targeted political rivals — steps that have energized his base and alarmed critics. He also framed foreign policy developments as evidence of strength, boasting of a Gaza ceasefire and U.S. actions against Iran’s nuclear program — claims that were not addressed in detail in the speech.
Separately, U.S. Southern Command said it carried out a “lethal kinetic strike” on a vessel in the Eastern Pacific engaged in “narco-trafficking operations,” killing four people it referred to as “narco-terrorists.” No U.S. forces were harmed, the command said on X. The administration has also tightened enforcement on sanctioned oil shipments; two crude tankers remained anchored on Lake Maracaibo, Venezuela, following Trump’s order of a “total and complete blockade” on sanctioned vessels.
The White House confirmed that U.S. and Russian officials will meet in Miami this weekend for new talks. The announcement followed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s remarks from Berlin that he saw progress in discussions with Trump’s envoys, while warning Russia was preparing for another year of war.
Despite touting international moves, Trump faces restive voters at home. Republicans suffered setbacks in November elections, losing heavily in high-profile races including the New York mayoralty and governorships in Virginia and New Jersey, while Democrats ran close in a previously safe Republican area in Tennessee.
Advisers say the president will intensify his travel to sell his economic message. In Pennsylvania last week, Trump vowed to “make America affordable again,” and he is set to headline a campaign-style rally in North Carolina on Friday. Vice President JD Vance — increasingly the administration’s point person on pocketbook issues as he eyes a 2028 bid — urged patience in a separate appearance, telling voters that relief is coming.
Trump’s challenge is to convince skeptical Americans that relief is already arriving. While he argues the worst inflation has passed and promises an “unmatched” boom, polls suggest voters remain unconvinced. With control of Congress at stake in 2026, the administration’s ability to translate headline claims into tangible relief at the supermarket and the pump may define the political year ahead as much as any foreign breakthrough or marquee sports spectacle.
For now, the White House hopes a relentless focus on prices — and a steadier message than the grievance-laden broadsides that dominated much of the address — can steady the president’s standing with the voters who will decide whether his economic promise is more than a prime-time pitch.
By Abdiwahab Ahmed
Axadle Times international–Monitoring.
