On Wednesday night, President Donald Trump angrily shouted a cheerful speech about how well his administration is doing.
The bizarre and disorienting White House speech, delivered by a growling, red-faced Trump, failed to make news that some had anticipated on economic policy or Venezuela. Instead, Trump recycled a familiar litany of grievances and boasts, from the invasion at the southern border and the historic inflation under his predecessor, former President Joe Biden, to his administration’s supposedly historic success at turning these disasters around.
The audio crunched throughout the speech, the microphone overloaded by Trump’s yelling. He appeared hunched to his side and bending awkwardly forward, keeping himself upright by a death grip on the sides of the podium. Without a raucous crowd to hiss at the mention of his adversaries or cheer at his accomplishments, Trump zipped through his remarks unnaturally. Was America being lectured? Being given a pep talk? A dressing down?
“America is respected,” he shouted angrily at one point, as if daring to smack you if you didn’t agree. “And our country is back stronger than ever before. We’re poised for an economic boom, the likes of which the world has never seen.”
Worst of all for Republicans, bracing themselves for a tough midterm election in 2026, Trump forgot to offer even a hint of empathy for people struggling to make ends meet. The speech utterly lacked a human touch, which Trump normally achieves by taking the pulse of a room and making spontaneous comments that rev emotions. Alone in a room brightly decorated for Christmas, his zingers lacked oxygen. Much of Trump’s power stems from the perception of being hailed and revered by the masses.
His handlers should never let him give another speech in a room by himself. It’s the smallest he’s ever looked.
“TO EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU, HAVE A MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR,” he said (caps mine, but we all know he would have typed it this way). “GOD BLESS YOU ALL.”
