Donald Trump announced Wednesday night in a live White House address that he will be sending all active duty troops a $1,776 check before Christmas.
In the first year-end address to the nation of his second term, the president shouted into a microphone trying to convince Americans that the economy is on an upswing despite widespread reports of financial hardships.
Despite claiming Americans are financially prosperous, Trump said that he is sending all 1.45 million troops a ‘special warrior dividend’ before Christmas.
He spent the first part of his speech lamenting the ‘mess’ he ‘inherited’ from predecessor Joe Biden‘s administration and claiming his tariffs have helped turn things around.
The remarks came just one day after a stunning Vanity Fair article shook up the West Wing after exposing White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles’ unfiltered thoughts about Trump and other members of his administration.
The speech also comes at a particularly fractious time for the Republican Party at large as it prepares to confront a difficult midterm election environment next year. The GOP remains divided on a healthcare plan and how to approach abortion.
Trump plans to get on the campaign trail in 2026 to help his party keep a majority in Congress – and his speech was a preview of the message he will deliver as a stump on the road.
But a new NPR/PBS News/Marist poll found just 36 percent of Americans feel that Trump is doing a good job as president. This is the lowest reported by the survey across both terms.
Donald Trump announced a Christmas bonus check for all US troops during a year-end speech live from the White House
His remarks were a preview of what’s to come in the next three years, but mainly a wrap on the accomplishments the president claims have defined his first nearly year back in office.
This included boasting about tariffs imposed on nearly every country – and how Trump believes this is leveling the playing field on the international stage and lowering costs for Americans.
Additionally, the president listed the border and immigration crackdown, a focus on violent crime in US cities and the economy as cornerstones of the first 11 months of his second term.
But it’s not lost on voters that the administration has missed the mark on some of its promised milestones.
Trump vowed to deport 1 million immigrants by the end of 2025. Despite its vicious raids in immigrant-heavy communities, DHS has formally removed just over 600,000 undocumented immigrants since January – a 40 percent miss from the goal Trump sent.
During his 2024 campaign, Trump said he would end the war between Russia and Ukraine just by getting elected and before being sworn in for a second term. That didn’t happen.
But he did secure a ceasefire deal in Gaza to end the conflict with Israel. And Trump makes sure to mention at every turn how he’s ended more than a dozen wars since getting back into office – though it’s unclear the full list of conflicts that he is referencing.
A bulk of the speech was centered on the economy and was a way to throw out a last ditch effort before Christmas to reassure Americans that financial relief is coming despite growing concerns about affordability.
Trump encouraged press to tune-in for his 9:00 PM televised address to the nation from the White House on Wednesday, December 17, 2025
Last month, unemployment rose to a four-year high, according to new data released on Tuesday, which is a major sign of weakness in the economy.
Vice President JD Vance tried to paint a prettier picture on Tuesday, claiming his assessment of the US economy is an ‘A+++.’ But he was a bit more measured than his boss and acknowledged Americans are feeling pains from the prior administration.
He pleaded for patience.
Before the remarks on Wednesday, Trump took a day trip to Delaware where he participated in the dignified transfer of two Iowa National Guard soldiers and an Army interpreter from Michigan after the three were slain in an ambush in Syria.
The president spent Wednesday afternoon meeting with the families of the fallen and receiving their bodies back on US soil and returning them to their loved ones.
