Trump seeks to defend his economy in prime-time speech to the nation

The president blamed the Biden administration for high prices and insisted his own policies are working, despite many Americans saying they're struggling financially.

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 start to kick in.

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 honor of the nation’s founding almost 250 years ago.

“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 behind “a mess” that will take time and effort to fix.