Trump addresses the nation in prime-time speech on accomplishments, plans

President Trump: “Democrat politicians also sent the cost of groceries soaring. But we are solving that too. The price of a Thanksgiving turkey was down 33% compared to … last year. The price of eggs is down 82% since March.”

Rating: Partially true

Details:

• It’s true that grocery costs have gone up significantly over the past five years — they were up 30% since January 2020, according to a CBS News analysis of Bureau of Labor Statistics data.
• But wholesale turkey prices are up about 40% from last year, to $1.34 per pound, according to the American Farm Bureau. In 2022, turkey prices were around $1.72/lb – this year was a 22% decrease from that figure, not 33%. 
• Egg prices are down substantially since March — 43% — but not 82%, according to BLS data.

Mr. Trump said the government is sending $1,776 to military service members before Christmas, which he referred to as “warrior dividends.”

He said the checks would be paid for in part with revenue from tariffs.

Mr. Trump claimed that Democrats brought the country to the “brink of ruin,” while taking credit for “bringing those prices down.” He touted drops in gas prices and other items.

Inflation was at 3% year-over-year in September, well below a peak of 9.1% in 2022 — but that means consumer prices have continued to go up, not down, even if the rate of increases has decreased. It’s extremely rare for the U.S. to experience decreasing prices, or deflation.

Mr. Trump has often claimed Biden-era inflation was the worst in U.S. history. In reality, inflation was higher in the late 1970s and early 1980s. 

Mr. Trump focused on immigration, saying he inherited “the worst border anywhere in the world.”

“In a few short months, we went from worst to best,” he said.

Mr. Trump began his speech by lashing out at former President Joe Biden on inflation and immigration, saying: “I inherited a mess, and I’m fixing it.”

He pointed to high inflation in the wake of the pandemic and also said, “Our border was open and because of this, our country was being invaded.” And he accused Democrats of causing “mayhem.”

A year-end address is unusual for Mr. Trump, who did not deliver an annual year-end speech during his first term in office. 

The president’s last national address was aired by the White House on Nov. 26, after two members of the West Virginia National Guard were shot in Washington, D.C., not far from the White House. Mr. Trump was in Florida at the time.

Throughout 2025, about three-quarters of Americans said their incomes were not keeping pace with inflation, according to a CBS News poll released today, and views of the overall economy remain low, with 32% saying that the condition of the economy is good. 

On personal finances, about half of the country continues to say their financial situation is good, while about half say it is bad, which has been the case throughout the year. 

Overall, for those whose financial situation changed over the year, more said it got worse rather than better.  But those who did feel their situation improved were also more likely to be those with higher incomes. 

The public’s evaluations of the U.S. job market specifically remain net negative. This comes as the latest government data shows somewhat of a mixed bag: more jobs were added in November than economists expected, but the unemployment rate ticked up to its highest level since September 2021.

Among the bright spots, on balance, more Americans rate the condition of the stock market as good than rate it as bad, and that’s particularly so among those for whom the market’s performance matters a lot to their finances. 

More Americans now say the price of gas in their area is coming down than say it’s going up — a reversal from what we saw this fall and over the year.