President Donald Trump, in a rare evening address from the White House on Wednesday, touted his victories and blamed his Democratic predecessor for rising consumer prices as his party prepared for a difficult midterm election year.
"Eleven months ago, I inherited a mess, and I'm fixing it," Trump said in a speech that lasted less than 20 minutes and was delivered at a jarringly rapid-fire pace.
The Republican president, who regularly protests that he does not get credit for his accomplishments, offered few new policy initiatives to address high costs.
The speech instead was delivered with a pronounced sense of grievance, with Trump complaining about migrant invasions, violent crime and transgender rights in the White House's Diplomatic Reception Room festooned with holiday decor.
He placed blame at the feet of former President Joe Biden, previous trade deals, immigrants and what he described as a corrupt system.
