Trump is expected to share his 2026 priorities in a speech Wednesday night – National
United States President Donald Trump aims to preview his agenda for the coming year and beyond in a live address from the White House on Wednesday night, words that hit the mark as he tries to rebuild his waning popularity.
The White House has provided few details about what the Republican president intends to emphasize in the 9 p.m. Eastern address. Public opinion polls show that a majority of American adults are frustrated with his handling of the economy as inflation soared after his inflation hikes and employment fell.
The president’s immigration deportment has proven unpopular, as he has been well-regarded for halting US-Mexico border crossings. The public was generally unimpressed by his income tax cuts and efforts to navigate the world to end conflicts, attack drug boats near Venezuela and attract US investment dollars.
In 2026, Trump and his party face a referendum on their leadership as the nation heads into midterm elections that will decide control of the House and Senate.
Trump said he thinks most Americans will support him if they hear him explain his record, which administration officials say will reverse the recent decline in manufacturing jobs and increase tax returns next year.
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“It’s been a great year for our country, and BETTER IS YET TO COME!” Trump said on Tuesday on social media announcing the speech.
White House press secretary Caroline Leavitt said Trump will discuss his achievements this year and his plans for the remainder of his second term.
Trump has been all over social media and television this year with his impromptu press conferences and speeches. But state of the nation addresses are often sober stories, as was Trump’s June speech detailing the US bombing of nuclear facilities in Iran.
The president has avoided the messaging discipline common to many politicians, an authenticity that attracts some voters and repels others.
In a speech in Pennsylvania last week, he said his values might mean American children should have fewer dolls and pencils, while confirming a previously disputed narrative from his first term in 2018 that he does not want immigrants from “shithole” countries.
On Monday, Trump on his social media site accused Rob Reiner of opposing the president for killing the actor and his wife, Michele Singer Reiner.
The report released on Tuesday showed a job market that looks shaky, even if the economy as a whole appears to be stable.
Employers were adding an average of 122,750 jobs per month during the first four months of this year. But since Trump announced his big tax rates in April, monthly job gains have slowed to 17,000 as the unemployment rate rose from 4% in January to 4.6%.
Trump’s team blamed Democratic lawmakers for shutting down the government over the job losses reported on Tuesday in October. The president continues to blame his Democratic predecessor, Joe Biden, for any challenges the country may face in terms of inflation or ending Russia’s war in Ukraine.
© 2025 The Canadian Press
