Overview
- Speaking from the White House Diplomatic Reception Room, the president said roughly 1.45 million service members will receive $1,776 “warrior dividend” payments before Christmas funded by tariff revenue, declaring the checks are already on the way.
- He argued that prices are falling and promised an economic boom in 2026, while blaming Joe Biden and migrants for an inherited mess that he said made life unaffordable.
- Independent reporting and data challenge several assertions, noting inflation near 3%, unemployment at 4.6% in November, and economists’ assessments that expanded tariffs have pushed goods prices higher.
- He previewed “some of the most aggressive” housing reforms and new energy projects for 2026 without implementation details, including an unsubstantiated pledge to open 1,600 power plants within 12 months.
- The prime-time speech serves as a political reset on affordability heading into the 2026 midterms, with Republicans ramping up travel and Vice President JD Vance asking voters for patience.