Americans might be experiencing a bit of déjà vu after watching President Donald Trump trying to cheer up the country amid growing national anxiety about affordability.
During the 20-minute speech from the White House, Trump plowed through a vigorous defense of his returning administration's economic record a year after promising voters better days ahead during the 2024 presidential election.
Much as the Biden-Harris administration did in the months leading up to last year's contest, Trump argued that the economy is better than Americans tell pollsters they believe it to be, by pointing to positive indicators such as rising wages. But while taking credit for those conditions, which he inherited from Biden, Trump tried to blame his predecessor for the less positive conditions that remain unchanged, such as inflation that remains above pre-pandemic levels.
"Eleven months ago, I inherited a mess, and I'm fixing it," he said during the Dec. 17 speech.
The administration and its allies are looking to reset the narrative for the 2026 midterm elections, political observers say, by filling the public's ears with its achievements. Less than 12 hours after the president's remarks, for instance, the White House touted making the 2017 Trump tax cuts permanent and how inflation eased slightly to 2.7% in November after creeping up as high as 3% in September .
