Trump gives himself high marks in 2025 report card, with his eyes on 2026 fight

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AdvertisementUnited StatesUSPoliticsTrump gives himself high marks in 2025 report card, with his eyes on 2026 fight

In a White House speech, the president claimed economic and foreign policy wins while urging voters to back his agenda in the midterms

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US President Donald addresses the nation from the diplomatic reception room at the White House on Wednesday. Photo: AP

Khushboo Razdanin WashingtonUS President Donald Trump addressed the nation on Wednesday, highlighting what he described as his administration’s achievements in 2025 and promising to build on his “Make America Great Again” agenda in the next year.

In a defiant 18-minute address from the White House, Trump awarded his administration straight A’s for what he hailed as a year of unprecedented American greatness.

“We are making America great again tonight, after 11 months, our border is secure. Inflation has stopped. Wages are up, prices are down. Our nation is strong. America is respected, and our country is back stronger than ever,” he said.

FULL EVENT: US President Donald Trump addresses the nation

FULL EVENT: US President Donald Trump addresses the nation

Using the speech as both a retrospective and a campaign-style pitch, Trump claimed to have saved the economy through aggressive tariffs and “settled eight wars in 10 months” through a series of foreign policy pivots, including a controversial peace deal for Gaza.

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He pointed to “bringing our economy back from the brink of ruin” and the “strongest border in history” as evidence of a fulfilled mandate, while teasing next year’s priorities, which included tax cuts, cash giveaways and lower energy costs. The issues are expected to define next year’s midterm elections.

Asserting that he “inherited a mess” and was “fixing it”, Trump began his address with an attack on his predecessor Joe Biden. “Our border was open and because of this, our country was being invaded,” he said.Advertisement

Trump ran through a list of grievances from the Biden years, citing what he called open borders, transgender athletes in women’s sports, rising crime and the “worst trade deals ever made”.

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