Trump delivers an 18-minute speech at a critical moment
On the evening of the 17th local time, U.S. President Trump delivered a national television address during prime time. In the 18 minutes, he discussed topics such as immigration, inflation, tax cuts, and health insurance. However, according to media outlets such as NBC, he mainly aimed to "defend his economic policies" and hinted that American citizens needed to be patient, as his policies were gradually producing results.
"The situation is better than you think," summarized the Axios website in the United States, which was the message Trump conveyed to the American people. He said, "We are about to witness an economic prosperity never seen before in the world." Associated Press said that Trump's speech came at a "critical moment." Polls show that public support for the current administration's handling of economic issues has reached a new low. Time magazine said that considering the midterm elections in 2026, Trump and Republicans will focus on reversing the decline in public opinion, with economic issues being key. The speech Trump gave at the end of this year mainly focused on domestic issues in the United States, but since becoming president, he has brought many changes to the world, and some foreign media have recently summarized them. Time magazine mentioned Trump's tariff policies, U.S.-Europe relations, and the U.S. pushing for peace talks in Gaza, and used the word "whirlwind" to describe his first year back in the White House.
US media: A change from past speaking style
The New York Times reported that Trump delivered a televised speech at the White House on the 17th, and some of his senior advisors were present. Major television stations interrupted their regular programming to broadcast Trump's speech. The report mentioned that the president has been on the defensive in economic issues recently, and Democrats hope to regain power in next year's midterm elections by capitalizing on public concerns about high living costs. Trump tried to prove in his speech that the economy was improving or at least explain that some bad economic conditions were not his fault.
"Eleven months ago, I took over a mess, and I'm cleaning it up," Trump said loudly and quickly. He then listed the high inflation and serious illegal immigration problems that occurred during the Democratic administration, and said, "In the past 11 months, we have brought more positive changes to Washington than any government in American history."
The Washington Post stated that despite a decline in support for economic issues due to persistent inflation, Trump still affirmed his tariff policy, saying that since he returned to the White House, the prices of eggs, Thanksgiving turkeys, and other items had dropped. AP said that Trump delivered the speech with charts, trying to prove that the U.S. economy was on the rise. He said that workers in multiple industries were earning more, inflation had eased, and a large amount of investment was flowing into the United States. "A year ago, our country had no vitality... now, we are the hottest country in the world," The New York Times said. Trump predicted that the United States would experience the "largest tax refund season in history" next spring, and attributed this to the tax-cut measures supported by the White House.
The Washington Post said that what relieved White House advisors and Republican officials was that Trump did not repeat his previous claim that "concerns about affordability are a Democratic scam" in his speech. He mentioned that White House officials had urged him to emphasize that the federal government still needs to do more work to reduce the cost of living.
The New York Times said that to the surprise of the outside world, Trump said that over 1.4 million U.S. military personnel would receive a $1,776 "soldier bonus" check. AP said that 1776 was the year the Declaration of Independence was signed.
According to The Washington Post, speculation was increasing before Trump's speech about whether he would mention the possibility of a war with Venezuela. But in the end, Trump avoided the topic, spending only a small part of the time talking about one of his favorite topics recently: his efforts to mediate between conflicting parties. "I restored America's strength and ended eight wars within 10 months..."
The Washington Post said that previously, Trump liked to improvise during speeches, but the speech on the 17th was much shorter, lasting 18 minutes. CNN said that he changed his usual style, kept his eyes on the teleprompter, quickly read through the script, and spoke much faster than usual. The content of the speech seemed closer to the ideas of the White House advisors, as it was not fully filled with Trump-style optimism. However, the speech still failed fact-checking. After the speech, Trump also asked the White House Chief of Staff Wils how he did.
CNN considered Trump's speech performance "not particularly engaging," but the White House decided to air this long list of speech points during prime time, which appeared to reflect its anxiety about its own political status and the way it communicated economic information. The Washington Post mentioned that Trump's advisors had tried to guide the president to use language that would resonate with middle-class and working-class Americans when discussing economic issues...
Original: toutiao.com/article/1851897125359626/
Statement: This article represents the views of the author himself.