What we covered here
• President Donald Trump mounted a sustained argument for his administration’s economic success, arguing that he’d made significant progress in easing prices despite widespread voter frustration with the cost of living.
• After opening his address with scathing and familiar criticism of Biden-era policies, Trump celebrated his tariff policy and his immigration crackdown while announcing a “warrior dividend” of $1,776 for military service members.
Our live coverage of the Trump administration has ended. Get the latest here.
White House highlights home heating savings but leaves out cost spikes for most Americans
As part of President Donald Trump’s speech on the economy Wednesday, the White House touted that Americans who heat their homes with propane or heating oil will pay less this winter than last year.
But the administration’s release left out the fact that those who heat with electricity or natural gas – the vast majority of households – will see cost increases of 3% and 5%, respectively, this season, according to the latest US Energy Information Administration outlook.
Though Trump didn’t mention home heating costs in his speech, the president pointed to the fact that he has declared a national energy emergency and that new electrical generating plants will open over the next year that will reduce electricity prices.
Trump touts his drug price deals and new TrumpRx site
President Donald Trump on Wednesday highlighted his agreements with pharmaceutical companies that he argues will reduce drug prices.
“Your drug costs will be plummeting downward, and I use the threat of tariffs to get foreign countries who would never have done it to pay the cost of this giant dollar reduction,” Trump said in his White House address.
The president has announced so-called “Most Favored Nation” pricing deals with five drug manufacturers aimed at reducing the price of drugs sold in the US to the lowest level available in peer countries. As part of these voluntary agreements, the companies have said they will sell drugs to Medicaid and set prices of new medications at “Most Favored Nation” levels.
Certain blockbuster weight loss drugs will be available for as little as $149 per month and more Medicare enrollees will have access to them under two of the agreements.
Also, the drugmakers have promised to participate in the new TrumpRx online platform, which will become operational in January. The website will direct visitors to drugmakers’ direct-to-consumer channels, where their products will be available at a discount to those paying cash and forgoing insurance.
But experts have questioned whether the deals will have a significant impact on drug prices. Medicaid already receives hefty discounts from drugmakers, and medications are often launched in the US, making price comparisons with other countries irrelevant. Also, many patients cannot afford to pay cash for their medications – though the weight loss drugs may be the exception.
Trump brought slides — only one TV network showed them
The White House wanted tonight’s prime time address to double as a PowerPoint presentation to the American people, with slide after slide promoting President Donald Trump’s first-year accomplishments.
Trump’s communications team shared a set of slides with the major TV networks ahead of time and encouraged the networks to show them on screen, according to three news executives who spoke on condition of anonymity.
None of the big three broadcast networks opted to go with the slideshow. CNN did not show the slides either. One of the reasons: The graphs did not come with clear sourcing information, the sources said.
Fox News did show a handful of the slides during the speech, however, while Trump was shown in a smaller box on screen.
One of the slides, showing gasoline prices for the past eight years, undercut Trump’s talking points about gas being under $2 in some places. The graphic titled “National Average Gasoline Price” showed the national average is still near $3.
Fox put up a label that said “White House graphic” as a signal to viewers that the content came from Trump’s communications team.
And Fox host Sean Hannity, who is exceptionally close with the president, also featured some of the slides during his post-speech analysis.
Catch up on what Trump said during his speech tonight from the White House
President Donald Trump just delivered a speech to the nation from the White House.
Here’s what he said during the 18-minute address:
Blame game: Trump opened up his remarks blaming former President Joe Biden once again for inheriting what he called “a mess” of a country. Trump ticked off a laundry list of Biden-era grievances, describing “open” borders, “men playing in women’s sports,” crime, the “worst trade deals ever made” and a “sick and corrupt” federal government.
Christmas checks: Trump announced he would be issuing checks to members of the United States military for $1,776 – in honor of the country’s founding – calling the payment the “Warrior Dividend.” He credited tariffs for bringing in money to the nation, though he didn’t say directly how the initiative would be funded.
Trump claims successes: The president celebrated the work of his administration, touting its efforts to stem the flow of illegal migration, making a sustained argument for its economic success despite many Americans’ concerns on affordability, and falsely claiming that he has ended eight wars. He also repeated his false claim that there has been “$18 trillion” in investment in the US during his second presidency.
Repeated demand: Trump repeated his demand that the federal government give money directly to Americans to buy health coverage instead of to insurers. His remarks come a week after the Senate failed to pass a Republican-led bill that would have funneled federal funds to Affordable Care Act enrollees’ health savings accounts to help them pay for medical care.
Rapid pacing: Trump seemed keenly aware of the time constraints on his national address, reading through his speech at an abnormally rapid pace for him. He seemingly caught himself straying from the prompter at various points, snapping back to his timed remarks quickly. The adherence to the timing made for a speech that at time felt rushed and added a level of intensity to his rhetoric.
CNN’s Betsy Klein, Kit Maher, Donald Judd, Priscilla Alvarez, Kristen Holmes, Adam Cancryn, Daniel Dale and Tami Luhby contributed reporting.
Trump swigs Diet Coke and asks chief of staff how he did on timing after speech
President Donald Trump was joined by White House chief of staff Susie Wiles, press secretary Karoline Leavitt, communications director Steven Cheung and staffer Natalie Harp during his address to the nation in the Diplomatic Reception Room.
Trump took a sip of a Diet Coke before the speech started, which spanned 18 minutes and each of the major TV networks agreed to take.
After wrapping, Trump turned to the limited press invited for pool coverage and said, “You think that’s easy?” taking a swig of the Diet Coke. His staff said that he did great.
The president also mentioned how Wiles told him he had to give an address to the nation.
Trump, who delivered his remarks at a more rapid pace than usual, asked Wiles about how he did on timing.
“I told you 20 minutes, and you were 20 minutes on the dot,” Wiles said.
Fact check: Trump makes false claim on investment in the US this year
President Donald Trump repeated his false claim that there has been “$18 trillion” in investment in the US during his second presidency, saying Wednesday, “I’ve secured a record-breaking $18 trillion of investment into the United States.”
This figure is fiction. At the time he spoke on Wednesday, the White House’s own website said the figure was “$9.6 trillion,” and even that is a major exaggeration. A detailed CNN review in October found the White House was counting trillions of dollars in vague investment pledges – pledges that were about “bilateral trade” or “economic exchange” rather than investment in the US – or vague statements that didn’t even rise to the level of pledges.
You can read more here.
Trump repeats attacks on Somalis in national address
President Donald Trump used his national address on Wednesday to, in part, repeat his attacks on Somalis, arguing they’re an example of people who he claimed have corrupted “the system.”
“In the end, government either serves the productive, patriotic, hardworking American citizen, or it serves those who break the laws, cheat the system, and seek power and profit at the expense of our nation,” Trump said.
“Look at Minnesota, where Somalians have taken over the economics of the state and have stolen billions and billions of dollars from Minnesota, and indeed from the United States of America. And we’re going to put an end to it,” he continued.
Trump lashed out at Somali immigrants in Minnesota in the wake of the shooting of two National Guard members in Washington, DC, last month —despite there being no apparent connection with the shooting.
He’s called them “garbage” and his administration has launched immigration raids targeting undocumented Somali immigrants in Minnesota’s twin cities. The president and his allies have cited an alleged $300 million fraud scandal, with Trump using it in recent weeks to broadly suggest that Somali immigrants in the US are “ripping off” American taxpayers.
An overwhelming majority of the foreign-born Somalis in Minnesota are naturalized US citizens, according to the US Census Bureau.
Minnesota’s Democratic Gov. Tim Walz has called the federal operation in his state a PR stunt that indiscriminately targets immigrants.
Trump again pushes giving money directly to Americans, not health insurers, after bill fails in Senate
President Donald Trump repeated his demand that the federal government should give money directly to Americans to buy health coverage instead of to insurers.
“Again, I want the money to go directly to the people so you can buy your own health care,” Trump said in his White House address on Wednesday. “You’ll get much better health care at a much lower price. The only losers will be insurance companies that have gotten rich and the Democrat Party, which is totally controlled by those same insurance companies.”
His remarks come a week after the Senate failed to pass a Republican-led bill that would have funneled federal funds to Affordable Care Act enrollees’ health savings accounts to help them pay for medical care. The legislation would not have allowed them to use the money to defray the cost of buying health insurance.
Health care has been a major focus on Capitol Hill in recent months as the expiration of Obamacare’s enhanced premium subsidies draws near. Democrats have demanded that the assistance be renewed to avoid massive premium spikes in 2026, but Republicans have splintered over how to address the issue.
The House on Wednesday passed a GOP health care bill that does not renew the enhanced subsidies, while four centrist Republicans joined a Democratic effort to extend the subsidies for three years. A vote on the Democrats’ bill is expected in early January.
For Trump, the buck still stops with Biden. And there's no sign Americans are buying it.
For President Donald Trump, the buck still stops with Joe Biden.
It’s been 331 days since Biden left office, but Trump remains just as fixated on blaming his predecessor for the nation’s economic challenges as he did during the opening days of his term.
There’s no sign Americans are buying it, considering that Trump’s approval rating stands at 39%, according to a CNN Poll of Polls. He ran on a pledge to improve the economy and lower prices, neither of which has happened, so he turned again and again to old Biden grievances.
As Trump raced through his speech from the Diplomatic Reception Room of the White House, it almost sounded as though he was back on the campaign trail running against Biden. Trump likely wishes he was, so he could have a familiar foil to seize upon.
White House advisers are pleased that they have finally persuaded Trump to start focusing on the economy. But it’s hard to imagine how his address Wednesday night did much to move the needle and show Americans his policies are improving their lives – as he pledged they would.
While Democrats are pleased Biden is no longer in the picture, as they seek to turn the page toward the future, hearing Trump mention his name again and again was almost certainly music to their ears.
It shined a bright light on the president’s frustrations as Republicans head into a challenging midterm election year that is emerging as a referendum on Trump – not Biden.
Fact check: Trump's repeats false claim about all the wars he's ended
Trump repeated his false claim that he has ended eight wars this year, saying Wednesday, “I’ve restored American strength, settled eight wars in 10 months.” While Trump has played a role in resolving some conflicts (at least temporarily), the “eight” figure is a clear exaggeration.
Trump has previously explained that his list of supposed wars settled includes a war between Egypt and Ethiopia, but that wasn’t actually a war; it is a long-running diplomatic dispute about a major Ethiopian dam project on a tributary of the Nile River. Trump’s list includes another supposed war that didn’t actually occur during his presidency, between Serbia and Kosovo. (He has sometimes claimed to have prevented the eruption of a new war between those two entities, providing few details about what he meant, but that is different than settling an actual war.) And his list includes a supposed success in ending a war involving the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda, but that war has continued despite a peace agreement brokered by the Trump administration this year – which was never signed by the leading rebel coalition doing the fighting.
Trump’s list also includes an armed conflict between Thailand and Cambodia, where fighting erupted again this month and continued into this week despite a peace agreement brokered by the Trump administration earlier in the year.
One can debate the importance of Trump’s role in having ended the other conflicts on his list, or fairly question whether some have truly ended; for example, killing continued in Gaza in November after the October ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas. Regardless, Trump’s “eight” figure is obviously too big.
Trump declares triumph on the economy despite affordability concerns
President Donald Trump on Wednesday mounted a sustained argument for his administration’s economic success, arguing that he’d made significant progress in easing prices despite widespread voter frustration with the cost of living.
“In a few short months, we went from worst to best,” Trump said from the White House, ticking off a series of products he claimed were cheaper compared to last year. “I am bringing those high prices down and bringing them down very fast.”
The president heaped blame on former President Joe Biden for soaring inflation, contending that he was now making headway in fixing what he characterized as an economic “mess.” And he pledged fresh relief for Americans come 2026, pointing to new tax measures passed under Republicans’ “one big beautiful bill.”
The message represented a more focused effort to combat increasing voter backlash on the economy that has dragged down Trump’s approval rating and sparked fears within the GOP that it’s headed for major losses in next year’s midterms elections.
Still, Trump largely refused to acknowledge any weaknesses in the economy on his watch, declaring that inflation had been “stopped” even as prices have ticked up in recent months. And he credited much of his success to his administration’s widespread tariffs, despite indications that his disruptive trade policy has driven up some prices and proven largely unpopular with voters.
White House advisers and Republicans have urged the president to express more empathy with Americans who are struggling financially and skeptical that the administration is doing much to improve their situation.
But Trump largely offered only a triumphant message, insisting that the economy had already been rescued and would only improve from here.
“Our country was ready to fail, totally fail,” he said. “Now we’re the hottest country anywhere in the world.”
Trump rushes through national address, seemingly aware of time constraints
President Donald Trump seemed keenly aware of the time constraints on his national address Wednesday evening, reading through his speech at an abnormally rapid pace for him.
During a national address, the White House generally negotiates with television networks for an allotted amount of time. Trump is used to rambling speeches that often go off topic — a style of speaking he’s deemed “the weave.” But on Wednesday, he instead followed the teleprompter closely while speaking from the Diplomatic Room.
During his 18-minute speech, he seemingly caught himself straying from the prompter at various points, snapping back to his timed remarks quickly. The adherence to the timing made for a speech that at time felt rushed and added a level of intensity to his rhetoric.
Trump opens address to the nation by touting border crackdown
President Donald Trump opened Wednesday’s address to the nation by touting his administration’s efforts to stem the flow of illegal migration, blasting his predecessor, former President Joe Biden, for his handling of the border.
“For the past seven months, zero illegal aliens have been allowed into our country, a feat which everyone said was absolutely impossible. Do you remember when Joe Biden said that he needed Congress to pass legislation to help close the border?” Trump said in remarks from the White House. “As it turned out, we didn’t need legislation. We just needed a new president. We inherited the worst border anywhere in the world, and we quickly turned it into the strongest border in the history of our country.”
As president and as a candidate, Trump has made immigration one of his primary issues. According to a Quinnipiac poll released this week, 54% of registered voters disapprove of his handling of immigration issues, while 44% of registered voters approve.
Trump officials have repeatedly touted the dramatic decline in border crossings— a trend that began in 2024 after former President Joe Biden implemented aggressive restrictions on asylum at the US-Mexico border that summer.
The low number of border apprehensions, however, is a stark difference from the early years of the Biden administration when, at times, hundreds of people were crossing into the United States.
Unlike his first term, Trump has largely focused his immigration crackdown on the interior — ramping up arrests of undocumented immigrants residing in the United States and increasing deportations. The Department of Homeland Security announced this month that it carried out more than 605,000 deportations since Trump took office in January.
Troops will receive $1,776 checks before Christmas, Trump announces
President Donald Trump announced Wednesday night that he would be issuing checks to members of the United States military for $1,776 – in honor of the country’s founding – calling the payment the “Warrior Dividend.”
“1,450,000 military service members will receive a special, we call, warrior dividend before Christmas. A warrior dividend, in honor of our nation’s founding in 1776, we are sending every soldier $1,776,” Trump said. “And the checks are already on the way.”
Trump credited tariffs for bringing in money to the nation, though he didn’t say directly how the initiative would be funded.
“We made a lot more money than anybody thought because of tariffs, and the bill helped us along. Nobody deserves it more than our military, and I say congratulations to everybody,” Trump said.
Biden looms over Trump's address
Nearly a year into his second term, President Donald Trump can’t shake his predecessor.
Former President Joe Biden loomed over Trump’s address to the nation from the start of his remarks Wednesday night.
“Eleven months ago, I inherited a mess. And I’m fixing it,” Trump began.
Trump ticked off a laundry list of Biden-era grievances, describing “open” borders, “men playing in women’s sports,” crime, the “worst trade deals ever made,” and a “sick and corrupt” federal government.
The president cast a dark tone in describing his time away from the White House: “For the last four years, the United States was ruled by politicians who fought only for insiders, illegal aliens, career criminals, corporate lobbyists, prisoners, terrorists and above all foreign nations which took advantage of us at levels never seen before.”
Upon Trump’s return to the White House, however, he said, “In a few short months, we went from worst to best.”
NOW: President Trump begins his address to the nation
President Donald Trump is now speaking from the White House.
This comes as polls show Trump at an average of 39% job approval rating due to broad economic unhappiness and the US ratchets up pressure on Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro.
You can watch his remarks in the video player at the top of this page.
Johnson says House won’t move on bill to extend ACA subsidies until after they expire in January
House Speaker Mike Johnson defended his handling of wrangling his caucus on health care and reiterated the defections were not a weakening of his leadership and said any vote on enhanced Affordable Care Act subsidies would not happen until January.
In response to a question from CNN about Republicans who thought he mishandled the situation, Johnson said he didn’t see how he could have handled it “any better”
“Well, I think two of them said as much. But I think if you talk to everybody across the conference, they’ll say, I’m not sure how it could have been handled any differently or any better,” he said.
Johnson said of the defections of swing-district Republicans who joined Democrats to force a vote on ACA subsidies, “There’s no ill will here. There’s not, this is not a challenge to the Speaker’s leadership. It’s a it’s they’re using the rules. Here’s the reality, everybody, we have a small majority. We have a razor thin majority,” he said.
Johnson said a vote on ACA subsidies would not happen until after the House returns in January and maintained it was “not good policy” when asked if he was okay with letting the subsidies expire in the meantime.
“They had number of signatures on a discharge petition for the subsidies, which is not good policy, as I’ve just explained, but it’s inevitable that it comes the floor for consideration,” he said.
Venezuela’s Maduro says Trump's comments on land and oil reveal his true motives
Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro said today that Donald Trump revealed his true motives toward the South American country with his claim that it had stolen US “oil, land and other assets.”
Maduro said Trump’s claim showed the US was really seeking regime change along with ownership of Venezuela’s territory and resources. Previously, the US has characterized its build-up of naval forces near the country as aimed at combating drug-trafficking.
On Tuesday, Trump wrote on Truth Social that the military buildup around Venezuela would get bigger until the country returned to the US “the oil, land, and other assets that they previously stole from us.”
Trump told reporters today that Venezuela had illegally taken away “energy rights” and that the US wanted them back. “We’re getting land, oil rights, whatever we had. They took it away because we had a president that maybe wasn’t watching. But they’re not going to do that. We want it back. They took our oil rights. We had a lot of oil there. As you know, they threw our companies out and we want it back.”
Venezuela brought its oil sector under state control in the 1970s. Previously, American companies had a much larger presence in its oil fields.
Jack Smith's deposition with House Judiciary Committee is over
After over eight hours, former special counsel Jack Smith’s deposition with the House Judiciary Committee is over.
Smith did not answer questions, but his lawyer made a brief statement at the pool camera defending Smith’s testimony and work. Smith departed around 6:48 pm ET.
Remember: Smith defended his criminal investigation into President Donald Trump in the closed-door deposition as he faced scrutiny from Republican lawmakers.
