With Costs A Growing Worry For Americans Trump Seeks To Defend His

Bonisiwe Shabane

-Dec 27, 2025, 7:30 PM

with costs a growing worry for americans trump seeks to defend his

Updated December 18, 2025 at 12:45 PM ET President Trump opened a primetime address to the nation on Wednesday with a message intended to reassure Americans. "Eleven months ago, I inherited a mess, and I am fixing it," he said at the start of his speech. However, in his roughly 20-minute address from the Diplomatic Reception Room, Trump broke little new ground, restating messages his White House has been pushing for months: that current economic problems can still be blamed... Indeed, Trump took a familiar, hyperbolic tone in describing his term. President Donald J.

Trump took office on a promise to defeat inflation and bring down costs — and 11 months later, he has made substantial progress in reversing the inflation and cost-of-living disaster he inherited. Inflation has been cut by more than half, gas prices have fallen sharply, real wages are growing again, and key household expenses are finally heading in the right direction. Democrats caused it. Under Biden, inflation averaged nearly 5% and hit 9.1% amid the worst inflation crisis in decades — fueled by the Radical Left’s obsession with spending. President Trump is fixing it. In President Trump’s second term, inflation has dropped to an average of just 2.7% — the critical first step in reversing Democrats’ cost-of-living disaster.

In fact, under President Trump, Americans have even seen the first overall price decline since 2020. Core inflation — often called the best measure of inflation — is now lower than it was at any time during the last three years of the Biden Administration. Democrats caused it. Under Biden, prices rose across the board; for example, car prices rose 22%, gas prices rose 30%, hotel rates rose 37%, and airfares rose 31%. President Trump is fixing it. Under President Trump, prices for eggs, butter, ice cream, fresh fruit, cereal, fish, seafood, rice, pasta, and ham have all seen declines — while the price of a Thanksgiving turkey this year was down...

Other everyday essentials, like toothpaste, shampoo, toilet paper, laundry detergent, and diapers, have all substantially decreased in price over the past year. President Trump delivers remarks during an event at Mount Airy Casino Resort on Tuesday in Mount Pocono, Pa. Trump discussed his administration's economic agenda and its efforts to lower the cost of living. Alex Wong/Getty Images hide caption President Trump spent the week making a bold case about a booming U.S. economy with even better times ahead, as his economic policies kick in.

The problem for Trump is that polls show a wide swath of Americans aren't feeling that optimism yet — and in his initial attempts at addressing the cost of living, he called the affordability... Hoping to tackle the messaging disconnect, the White House rolled out a $12 billion farmer aid package and sent Trump to Pennsylvania this week to make his case. Trump has frequently shown himself a strong economic messenger — winning reelection in 2024 by lambasting Joe Biden's economy. But one year into his presidency, Trump is struggling to convince Americans that the economic pain they see in their cost-of-living expenses isn't real. In part, the president's whiplash messaging could stem from his struggle to portray his own economy as less than perfect. Amid slumping approval ratings, President Donald Trump used a prime-time speech Wednesday to deride his predecessor, assert that his economic plan is working and suggest that Americans need to be patient as his policies...

Trump, in an 18-minute address from the White House, rolled out no new proposals apart from what he called a $1,776 “warrior dividend” that will go to nearly 1.5 million military service members in... “And the checks are already on the way,” he said. “No one understood that one until about 30 minutes ago; we made a lot more money than anyone thought because of tariffs.” Trump marshaled the power of incumbency to command broad television network coverage for a speech that largely reiterated points he has made in public appearances and interviews since he returned to office in January. He spoke at a faster clip than usual and for the most part appeared to stick to the prepared text. He rattled off the price of eggs, Thanksgiving turkeys and airline tickets to amplify his argument that costs are dropping on his watch and to persuade the nation that former President Joe Biden left...

President Donald Trump’s high-profile economic speech on Tuesday night was meant to alleviate Americans’ concerns about the cost of living. Instead, it mainly appeared to deepen fears within the GOP that he’s not quite getting it. Trump made little effort to reboot his economic message across 90 minutes of winding remarks in Pennsylvania, alarming Republicans already worried that the party is headed for a wipeout in next year’s midterm elections. Faced with sagging approval ratings and rising voter anxiety, Trump insisted that the economy was booming and that prices were plummeting. He lamented the public’s focus on affordability, while encouraging people to accept living with less. And with Republicans desperately seeking effective new ways to brighten voters’ mood, Trump offered few signs that a solution would be coming from the top.

MOUNT POCONO, PA ‒ As President Donald Trump touts a rebounding economy and downplays affordability concerns, new polling suggests most Americans aren't seeing the improvements ‒ and some are making significant sacrifices to save... Findings in a poll released Dec. 11 from the progressive think tank the Century Foundation, shared exclusively with USA TODAY, show rising costs are taking a heavy toll on the American family, with the working class bearing the brunt of... Nearly 3 in 10 of voters polled said they held off getting medical care over the past year because of costs. One-third said they have skipped a meal. Two-thirds of respondents said they are buying cheaper groceries or buying less food, while half said they dipped into savings to cover basic expenses.

Cost-of-living hardships are felt most acutely by Americans without college degrees, young Americans, people of color and women, according to the poll. Less than a year from the 2026 midterm elections, the Century Foundation has briefed several Democrats in Congress on the poll results to counter Trump's assertions that affordability concerns amplified by Democrats are a... Truth matters. Community matters. Your support makes both possible. LAist is one of the few places where news remains independent and free from political and corporate influence.

Stand up for truth and for LAist. Make your year-end tax-deductible gift now. President Trump opened a primetime address to the nation on Wednesday with a message intended to reassure Americans. "Eleven months ago, I inherited a mess, and I am fixing it," he said at the start of his speech. However, in his roughly 20-minute address from the Diplomatic Reception Room, Trump broke little new ground, restating messages his White House has been pushing for months: that current economic problems can still be blamed... Indeed, Trump took a familiar, hyperbolic tone in describing his term.

Why now: Trump spoke as his approval rating on the economy has hit a new low of 36%, according to the latest NPR/PBS News/Marist Poll. The poll found that the cost of living in particular is weighing on Americans. Anything new?: The president announced one new policy, saying that nearly 1.5 million military service members will be receiving a "special warrior dividend" of $1,776, a reference to the nation's founding in 1776. Trump said the money will arrive "before Christmas" and that "the checks are already on the way." President Trump opened a primetime address to the nation on Wednesday with a message intended to reassure Americans. "Eleven months ago, I inherited a mess, and I am fixing it," he said at the start of his speech.

However, in his roughly 20-minute address from the Diplomatic Reception Room, Trump broke little new ground, restating messages his White House has been pushing for months: that current economic problems can still be blamed...

With Costs A Growing Worry For Americans Trump Seeks To Defend His

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