Trump says his second term ‘inherited a mess’ as he previews his address to the nation

This story has been updated to reflect Trump's opening remarks at his address to the nation

Update: Trump in his address to the nation began with: “Good evening, America. 11 months ago, I inherited a mess, and I’m fixing it. When I took office, inflation was the worst in 48 years, and some would say in the history of our country, which caused prices to be higher than ever before, making life unaffordable for millions and millions of Americans.”

Affordability and prices seemed to be a predominant theme in his speech. 

WASHINGTON, DC: President Donald Trump on Wednesday, December 17, hinted that his highly anticipated speech will cover the fact that his second term as president, he "inherited a mess" while promising the country will soon be “stronger than ever before.”

Trump’s address to the nation comes amid heightened US tensions with Venezuela, a newly announced travel ban list, and ongoing negotiations between Russia and Ukraine.

Trump says US is 'going to be stronger than ever before'

Speaking to News Nation, Trump said, "The message this evening is we inherited a mess, and we have done a great job, and we continue to, and our country is going to be stronger than ever before very soon."

Interestingly, the address will be a closely watched one as the White House has not formally outlined the full scope of Trump’s remarks.

Trump’s speech also comes amid a decline in his approval ratings. According to a Reuters/Ipsos poll, the president’s approval has dropped to 39 percent, down from 41 percent earlier in December and nearing his lowest rating of 38 percent in mid-November.

The POTUS started his term in January 2025 with an approval rating of 47 percent, but the poll suggests his popularity has steadily declined following a series of executive actions.

What time is Trump speaking tonight

Trump's crucial announcement will start at 9 PM ET at the Diplomatic Reception Room inside the Oval Office, as per his Wednesday schedule on the official White House press pool website.

The president announced the address on Tuesday, December 16, via Truth Social, stating, "It has been a great year for our Country, and THE BEST IS YET TO COME!" 

Meanwhile, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters, "It’s going to be a really good speech. I was just in the Oval Office with the president discussing it." 

"He’s going to talk a lot about the accomplishments over the past 11 months, all that he’s done to bring our country back to greatness and all he continues to plan to do to continue delivering for the American people over the next three years," she added.

Moreover, Trump’s address will air live on all major TV networks, such as ABC, FOX, and NBC. Apart from cable network, another way to livestream Trump’s address is to get a free trial to a live TV streaming service that carries major news networks. 

During a recent stop in Pennsylvania, the POTUS garnered attention after talking about the "affordability hoax" while speaking in a swing congressional district, USA Today reported. 

Interestingly, the cost of living has become a major political issue, with Democrats blaming Trump’s policies for a growing "affordability crisis".