The U.S. military has killed another four people in its latest missile strike on an alleged drug boat in the eastern Pacific, taking the death toll to at least 99 from 26 strikes since the beginning of September.
The attack came hours after the House of Representatives rejected two efforts to limit President Donald Trump’s power to use military force against the drug cartels.
The president meanwhile delivered a televised primetime address on Wednesday evening in which he touted what he sees as his accomplishments over the past 11 months in a speech that featured attacks on his predecessor in the White House Joe Biden and a number of false claims.
“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,” Trump insisted.
“This happened during a Democrat administration.”
He also unveiled a “warrior dividend” for more than 1,450,000 military servicemembers and said they would each receive $1,776, which he claimed would be paid for in part by his tariffs.
KEY POINTS
- US military kills four in latest strike on alleged narco boat
- Trump delivers rally-style national address blaming Biden for the state of his nation
- President announces military members will get ‘warrior dividend’
- Trump promises 'economic boom' in 2026
- Social media reacts to TV address and asks why Trump was 'yelling'
Recap: Trump delivers rally-style national address blaming Biden for the state of his nation
09:30 , Joe SommerladPresident Donald Trump delivered a televised primetime address on Wednesday evening in which he touted what he sees as his accomplishments over the past 11 months in a speech that featured attacks on his predecessor in the White House Joe Biden and a number of false claims.
Speaking from the Diplomatic Reception Room at the White House, Trump opened by claiming to have “inherited a mess” that he was now “fixing.”
“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,” he insisted. “This happened during a Democrat administration.”
What followed was a partisan rant indistinguishable from the signature rallies that have been the centerpiece of his political movement, Andrew Feinberg writes, in which the president rattled off a list of grievances while blaming his predecessor for the state of the country nearly a full year after he took the oath of office.
Trump holds national address speech to blame Biden for the state of his nation
US military kills four in latest strike on alleged narco boat
09:06 , Joe SommerladThe U.S. military has killed another four people in its latest missile strike on an alleged drug boat in the eastern Pacific, taking the death toll to at least 99 from 26 strikes since the beginning of September.
The attack came hours after the House of Representatives rejected two efforts to limit President Donald Trump’s power to use military force against the drug cartels.
Here’s more.
US military strikes another alleged drug boat in eastern Pacific, killing 4
Gavin Newsom trolls Trump on social media off the back off remarks
08:30 , Rhian LubinCalifornia Gov. Gavin Newsom has trolled President Donald Trump on social media again after his White House remarks.
This could have been an email.
— Governor Gavin Newsom (@CAgovernor) December 18, 2025
Trump tonight:
— Governor Gavin Newsom (@CAgovernor) December 18, 2025
Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me…
Steven Cheung hails Trump address as 'epic'
07:30 , Rhian LubinWhite House communications director, Steven Cheung, hailed President Donald Trump’s address to the nation as “epic” in a post on social media.
Cheung then said that Trump was “back in the Oval Office at 10 p.m.” following the remarks.
After giving an epic address to the nation, President Trump is back in the Oval Office at 10:00PM to continue working on behalf of the American people. 🇺🇸🦅
— Steven Cheung (@StevenCheung47) December 18, 2025
Watch: Trump says US was 'absolutely dead' before he turned it into 'hottest country'
07:00 , Rhian LubinFact-checker: 'Trump's claims of cutting drug prices by 400% mathematically impossible'
06:30 , Rhian LubinFact-checkers have been going over claims made tonight by President Donald Trump, many of which he has made before.
CNN’s Daniel Dale highlighted how one claim made by the president was “mathematically impossible.”
Trump claimed during his address that the negotiations he’s made with drug companies mean that he has cut prices “on drugs and pharmaceuticals by as much as 400, 500, and even 600 percent.”
“In other words, your drug costs will be plummeting downward,” Trump said.
“Those figures are mathematically impossible,” said Dale. “If you cut it by more than 100 percent, people would get paid to get their medications, which of course is not happening.”
Watch the clip below.
Dale: He spoke of cutting prescription drug prices by 400 to 600%. Those figures are mathematically impossible if you cut it by more than 100%, people would get paid to get their medications, which of course is not happening. pic.twitter.com/vWAX7M5SHt
— Acyn (@Acyn) December 18, 2025
Recap: What did Trump say in his address to the nation?
05:30 , Andrew Feinberg, Rhian Lubin, Rachel Dobkin- President Donald Trump used a nationally-televised address to deliver a campaign-style rant that lasted just under 20 minutes.
- He blamed his predecessor, Joe Biden, for the economic woes Americans are feeling a year into his presidency, while offering little in the way of proposals to address the higher prices caused, in large part, by the massive tariffs he has placed on almost all American imports.
- Speaking from the Diplomatic Reception Room at the White House, Trump opened by claiming to have “inherited a mess” that he was now “fixing.”
- What followed was a partisan rant indistinguishable from the signature rallies that have been the centerpiece of his political movement.
- He rattled off a list of grievances while blaming Biden for the state of the country nearly a full year after he took the oath of office.
- The president announced a $1,776 dividend for 1.45 million servicemembers.
- Trump repeated the claim that he has “settled eight wars in 11 months,” including “ending the war in Gaza.”
- He claimed he had negotiated a deal to cut drug and pharmaceutical prices by 400, 500 and 600 percent.
- He claimed grocery prices were “falling rapidly”
- Trump claimed a national average gas price of $2.50 per gallon, though the AAA average nationally is $2.90.
- Without providing evidence, Trump also said household energy costs have dropped by $3,000.
- Trump also claimed he has secured “an $18 trillion investment into the United States,” a figure fact-checkers have disputed and that appears to contradict the White House’s own figure of $9.6 trillion, which is also disputed.
Trump claims checks are ‘on the way’ to military service members for Christmas ‘warrior dividend’
05:15 , Rachel DobkinPresident Trump claims checks are “on the way” to military service members for a Christmas “warrior dividend” of $1,776.
He announced the initiative during his prime time address to the nation Wednesday night. More than 1,450,000 military service members will receive the checks, according to the president.
“In honor of our nation's founding in 1776, we are sending every soldier $1,776 and the checks are already on the way,” Trump said, adding, “Nobody understood that one until about 30 minutes ago.”
The White House clarified who in the military will receive a check: “Active-duty Service members in the pay grades of 0-6 and below and on active duty as of November 30, 2025, as well as reserve component members on active-duty orders of 31 days or more as of November 30, 2025.”
The estimated total cost of the checks is nearly $2.6 billion. It’s unclear how these dividends will be funded. Congress has the power of the purse, meaning federal spending cannot be allocated without its approval.
Trump credited tariffs for bringing money in for the country but he didn’t say directly how the military checks would be funded.
Rachel Dobkin has more ...
Trump claims checks are ‘on the way’ to military service members for Christmas ‘warrior dividend’
‘Old man yells at cloud’: The internet reacts to Trump’s frustrated national rally style speech in prime time
04:50 , Rachel DobkinThe internet has reacted to President Donald Trump’s frustrated national address — which came off more like a campaign rally speech — with many concerned over his sanity.
Trump delivered a loud and seemingly angry speech, something viewers at home picked up on.
One social media user summed up the presidential address with a photo from the cartoon sitcom The Simpsons that showed a newspaper article with the headline, “Old man yells at cloud.”
Rachel Dobkin rounds up the reaction...
The internet reacts to Trump’s frustrated national rally style speech in prime time
Trump promises 'economic boom' in 2026 following grim polling on the economy
04:31 , Rhian LubinPresident Donald Trump promised an “economic boom” in 2026 during his Wednesday night address to the nation.
“We're poised for an economic boom the likes of which the world has never seen,” Trump said as he brought his White House remarks to a close.
The pledge followed grim polling for his administration that found Americans are growing frustrated with his handling of the economy.
The latest NPR/PBS News/Marist survey found that 57 percent of respondents disapprove of Trump’s economic management, compared with 36 percent who approve — the lowest rating on this issue across his two terms in office.
Democrats troll Trump over imminent Epstein files release
04:15 , Rhian LubinThe Democrats bluntly delivered their verdict on President Donald Trump’s speech tonight and simultaneously trolled him over the imminent release of the Epstein files.
The files are due to be released sometime Friday, which marks the end of the 30-day deadline the Justice Department was given last month.
Speech sucked. So anyway, pic.twitter.com/iiMaon1XKb
— Democrats (@TheDemocrats) December 18, 2025
Trump entourage in the room during his speech as president sipped Diet Coke
03:55 , Rhian LubinPresident Donald Trump’s entourage was in the room watching him make his national address, according to reporters in the White House press pool.
Press secretary Karoline Leavitt, director of communications Steve Cheung, chief of staff Susie Wiles, deputy chief of staff Dan Scavino, and aide Natalie Harp were all watching Trump speak from the Diplomatic Reception Room.
Right before the remarks started, an usher brought in three Diet Cokes and ice and the president took a sip of his favorite beverage right before the speech started.
The group of advisors stood in the back corner during the remarks.
Their live reactions were limited and there was some head nodding when the president talked about wages going up.
Harp reportedly had a smile on her face for the entirety of the speech while Leavitt watched much of it on the monitor, viewing how it looked on TV.
When the remarks wrapped and the president was given the all clear, he turned to the press and said, “You think that’s easy?” and then took a swig of Diet Coke.
To photo pooler Doug Mills, he said, “I’d rather be doing your job, just click click.”
He turned to his staff and asked how he did. They all responded with some version of “great.”
Trump made 16 mentions of Biden and Democrats during 20 min speech
03:40 , Rhian LubinDuring his relatively short address tonight, President Donald Trump mentioned his predecessor Joe Biden seven times and the Democrats nine times, according to a transcript.
Trump spoke for just under 20 minutes, which is much shorter than most of his speeches.
The president had previewed that he intended to talk about how he had “inherited a mess” from the previous administration and he delivered on that.
He told the press pool after the address that he was told by chief of staff Susie Wiles that he must deliver the speech in 20 minutes.
“I told you 20 minutes, and you were 20 minutes on the dot,” Wiles said.
Trump omits mention of Venezuela as Hegseth orders another strike on vessel
03:25 , Rhian LubinPresident Donald Trump made no mention of the rapidly growing tension with Venezuela during his speech tonight, despite speculation that he would address it.
On the same evening, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced the U.S. military carried out another lethal strike on a vessel in the Pacific at his direction, killing four people.
So far, the administration’s strikes have killed at least 99 people.
“Intelligence confirmed that the vessel was transiting along a known narco-trafficking route in the Eastern Pacific and was engaged in narco-trafficking operations,” the U.S. Southern Command X account said. “A total of four male narco-terrorists were killed, and no U.S. military forces were harmed.”
The strike followed Trump calling for a “total and complete blockade” of sanctioned Venezuelan oil tankers.
On Dec. 17, at the direction of @SecWar Pete Hegseth, Joint Task Force Southern Spear conducted a lethal kinetic strike on a vessel operated by a Designated Terrorist Organizations in international waters. Intelligence confirmed that the vessel was transiting along a known… pic.twitter.com/Yhu3LSOyea
— U.S. Southern Command (@Southcom) December 18, 2025
President touts his TrumpRx website on prescription drugs
03:05 , Rhian LubinPresident Donald Trump touted his TrumpRx website during his Wednesday night address to the nation, part of his plan, he says, is to save Americans money on prescription drugs.
“The first of these unprecedented price reductions will be available starting in January through a new website, TrumpRx.gov,” he said. “And these big price cuts will greatly reduce the cost of health care.”
He first announced the plan back in October.
Katie Hawkinson has the details.
How TrumpRx will work — and why insured Americans may not save any money
Survivor fans complain about missing parts of finale for Trump's address
03:03 , Rhian LubinFans of Survivor are complaining online about missing parts of the show's three-hour finale Wednesday night, which was put on hold for the duration of the president's address to the nation.
“I'd rather be watching Survivor,” one X user claimed. Another said, “Why is my Survivor finale being interrupted by that orange felon...I'M CANADIAN.”
“Someone tell me when he's done yapping so I can go back to watching the finale,” said another.
CBS announced that the 3-hour finale would begin at 8 p.m. ET and “will resume where it left off immediately following the president’s address for Eastern and Central Time Zone viewers.”
Trump’s national address left people questioning his state of mind
02:55 , Rachel DobkinPresident Donald Trump gave a national address Wednesday night that came off as loud and angry, leaving people on social media to question his state of mind.
Former Republican Congressman Adam Kinzinger wrote on X, “Someone come get grandpa he’s yelling again, and we’re concerned.”
“He's really losing it,” journalist John Hardwood said.
Jon Ralston, CEO of the Nevada Independent, wrote, “Just turned on the TV. You mad, bro?”
California Governor Gavin Newsom’s press team took the opportunity to make a sarcastic comment: “Many are saying that was a better speech than the Gettysburg Address.”
Trump misrepresents gas prices with big claims and promises
02:45 , Associated PressEnergy prices, including gasoline, have dropped, and they will continue to drop more, Trump promises. But they aren’t at the levels he claims.
Trump claimed a national average gas price of $2.50 per gallon. The AAA average nationally is $2.90. Without providing evidence, Trump also said household energy costs have dropped by $3,000.
Trump promised that “within the nest 12 months” the U.S. will have opened 1,600 new electrical generating plants — reversing what he again called “the Democrat inflation disaster.”
Fact-checkers are out in force following Trump's claims
02:40 , Rhian LubinFact-checkers have been quick to swoop on claims made by President Donald Trump during his address, most of which he has said before.
CNN’s Daniel Dale said that Trump “repeated some of his oft-debunked lies tonight.”
Trump repeated his claim that he “settled eight wars in 10 months,” including “ending the war in Gaza,” and said that grocery prices were falling “rapidly.”
“Trump hasn’t settled eight wars,” Dale said in a post on X. “He hasn't secured anything close to $18 trillion in investment; crime wasn’t anywhere close to record levels under Biden; Trump didn’t inherit anything close to the worst inflation in US history; nowhere close to 25 million migrants entered the US under Biden; while the price of eggs and some other products has fallen this year, it’s not true that “everything else is falling rapidly,” since overall prices and grocery prices continue to rise...”
President Trump has repeated some of his oft-debunked lies tonight. Trump hasn’t settled eight wars; he hasn't secured anything close to $18 trillion in investment; crime wasn’t anywhere close to record levels under Biden; Trump didn’t inherit anything close to the worst…
— Daniel Dale (@ddale8) December 18, 2025
Full story: Trump holds national address in rally style speech blaming Biden for the state of his nation
02:30 , Andrew FeinbergPresident Donald Trump on Wednesday used a nationally-televised address to deliver a campaign-style rant in which he blamed his predecessor for the economic woes Americans are feeling a year into his presidency, while offering little in the way of proposals to address the higher prices caused in large part by the massive tariffs he has placed on almost all American imports, writes Andrew Feinberg.
Speaking from the Diplomatic Reception Room at the White House, Trump opened by claiming to have “inherited a mess” that he was now “fixing.”
What followed was a partisan rant indistinguishable from the signature rallies that have been the centerpiece of his political movement, in which he rattled off a list of grievances while blaming his predecessor for the state of the country nearly a full year after he took the oath of office.
Read on...
Trump holds national address speech to blame Biden for the state of his nation
Trump announces military members will get ‘warrior dividend’
02:22 , Rachel DobkinPresident Donald Trump announced in his address to the nation Wednesday night that every service member in the military will get a “warrior dividend” worth nearly $2,000.
“More than 1,450,000 military service members will receive a special, we call, warrior dividend before Christmas,” Trump said. “We are sending every soldier $1,776 and the checks are already on their way.”
Trump said “nobody understood” the situation with checks until about 30 minutes before his speech.
Trump takes a victory lap during his address to the nation
02:21 , Rhian Lubin“We are making America great again tonight,” Trump said.
“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 before.
“We're poised for an economic boom the likes of which the world has never seen. Soon, we will host the World Cup and the Olympics, both of which I got but most importantly, we will celebrate the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence.
“There could be no more fitting tribute to this epic milestone, than to complete the comeback of America that began just one year ago.”
Trump blames Biden for the economy
02:09 , Andrew FeinbergTrump's opening pitch for defending his record: Blame Biden, writes Andrew Feinberg.
There's nothing new here, just the usual rally attacks packaged like a solemn address usually reserved for important matters and national tragedies.
“We have achieved more than anyone could have imagined,” Trump says.
Two minutes in, he still hasn't done much to explain why Americans should feel good about the economy.
Trump begins his speech by saying he 'inherited a mess'
02:05 , Rhian LubinPresident Donald Trump has begun his address to the nation by saying he “inherited a mess” and he is “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.”
“This happened during a Democrat administration, and it's when we first began hearing the word affordability.”
Watch Live: Trump addresses the nation amid rising Venezuela tensions
02:00 , Rhian LubinTrump ‘asked lawyer about whether he could serve for a third term’ - report
01:55 , Rhian LubinDonald Trump asked veteran lawyer Alan Dershowitz about his “conclusions” on whether he could serve for a third term, according to the Wall Street Journal.
Dershowitz is writing a book about whether Trump could constitutionally serve a third term as commander in chief and presented him with a draft copy this week, according to the outlet.
The lawyer told the WSJ that he said to Trump: “I said ‘it’s not clear if a president can become a third term president and it’s not clear if it’s permissible.’”
He added that he did not believe Trump would run for a third term.
Trump said in October that the Constitution was “pretty clear” that he was “not allowed to run” again.
White House chief of staff Susie Wiles reiterated that Trump “knows he can’t run again” in the Vanity Fair interview.
AOC pulls ahead of JD Vance for first time in 2028 election head-to-head, poll finds
01:40 , Rhian LubinAs President Donald Trump is set to look back on the first 11 months of his second term, others are looking ahead to 2028.
New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has come out ahead of JD Vance for the first time in a 2028 presidential election head-to-head, according to a new poll.
A poll from The Argument magazine and Verasight showed that the self-described democratic socialist, a Democrat from New York, would beat the vice president 51 percent to 49 percent.
Eric Garcia has more.
AOC pulls ahead of JD Vance for first time in 2028 election head-to-head, poll finds
Team Newsom troll Trump over Presidential Walk of Fame
01:20 , Rhian LubinCalifornia Gov. Gavin Newsom and his team appear to be having a good time mocking the Trump administration over the recent additions to the so-called “Presidential Walk of Fame.”
Newsom’s official press office account on X shared a mock-up of the extremely close-up Vanity Fair shots of White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt, Vice President JD Vance and White House aide Stephen Miller, and threw one in of Trump closing his eyes for good measure.
— Governor Newsom Press Office (@GovPressOffice) December 17, 2025
WOW! LOOK AT THE PLAQUE UNDER TRUMP’S PHOTO pic.twitter.com/QMxOmBc8l1
— Governor Newsom Press Office (@GovPressOffice) December 17, 2025
Earlier Wednesday, White House staff updated the portraits along the so-called “Presidential Walk of Fame” by describing Joe Biden as “the worst President in American History,” and Barack Obama as “one of the most divisive political figures.”
Newsom also weighed in on Trump’s address to the nation and agreed that he has had “a year of historic accomplishments”
Jacking up costs, surging unemployment, terrorizing communities, and millions spent gold-plating the Oval Office.
— Governor Gavin Newsom (@CAgovernor) December 17, 2025
Trump's year of historic accomplishments indeed. https://t.co/gXIikKevDh
Watch: Trump doesn't give away many details of his address
01:00 , Rhian LubinPresident Donald Trump didn’t give much away when quizzed by reporters earlier about what he might say later this evening.
PRESIDENT TRUMP gives a preview of what he'll talk about during tonight's presidential address to the nation. pic.twitter.com/JfRuEFSnNj
— Fox News (@FoxNews) December 17, 2025
How Venezuela sends oil around the world despite sanctions — and why Trump wants to put a stop to it
00:40 , Rhian LubinThe White House has not shared the full details of President Donald Trump’s remarks, expected at 9 p.m. tonight.
Trump’s address follows his order Tuesday night of a “total and complete” blockade of sanctioned oil tankers from Venezuela as part of an ongoing pressure campaign against President Nicolas Maduro’s government.
Venezuela has control over the largest known oil reserve in the world, producing around 1 million barrels a day.
Its oil reserves are found primarily in the Orinoco Belt, a region in the country’s east that covers around 55,000 sq km.
The country’s proven reserves are estimated at more than 303 billion barrels, which is the largest reserve worldwide — trumping Saudi Arabia’s 297.7 billion barrels.
Alex Croft has more.
Trump address comes as Americans are growing more angry with his handling of the economy
00:20 , Rhian LubinPresident Donald Trump’s address tonight comes on the heels of new polling that found Americans are expressing growing frustration with his management of the economy.
The latest NPR/PBS News/Marist survey found that 57 percent of respondents disapprove of Trump’s economic management, compared with 36 percent who approve — the lowest rating on this issue across his two terms in office.
Partisan differences remain sharp: 81 percent of Republicans say Trump is doing a good job, while 91 percent of Democrats disagree. Among independents, a clearer picture emerges: 68 percent disapprove, compared with just 24 percent who approve.
Brendan Rascius reports.
Americans are growing more angry with Trump’s handling of the economy, poll finds
Full story: Fani Willis blasts Republican-led ‘QAnon committee’ in heated hearing over collapsed Trump case
00:00 , Alex WoodwardThe Georgia prosecutor who led a sprawling criminal case against Donald Trump sparred with Republican state lawmakers investigating her decision to investigate the president and his allies for their efforts to overturn the state’s election results in 2020.
A furious Willis asked Republicans on a state Senate committee why they didn’t investigate “how many times my house has been swatted” and “how many times they’ve called me the n-word” after her office secured a grand jury indictment.
“I took an oath to do the right thing. People came into my community and committed a crime and I indicted them, and rest assured, if someone else comes in my community and commits a crime, I will indict them again,” she said.
Fani Willis blasts GOP-led ‘QAnon committee’ in heated hearing on Trump case
Survivor finale to be interrupted by Trump’s address
Wednesday 17 December 2025 23:40 , Rhian LubinBad news for fans of Survivor...the finale will be interrupted on CBS tonight while President Donald Trump delivers his address.
CBS announced that the 3-hour finale will begin at 8 p.m. ET and “will resume where it left off immediately following the president’s address for Eastern and Central Time Zone viewers.”
The show is in its 49th season.
The network is hosting an hour-long special report on Trump’s address with anchor Norah O’Donnell at 9 p.m. ET
NEW: FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino announces plans to step down early next year
Wednesday 17 December 2025 23:20 , Rhian LubinHours ahead of President Donald Trump’s address, FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino announced that he is set to depart his role next month, concluding a brief tenure as the bureau's second-highest official.
“I want to thank President Trump, AG Bondi, and Director Patel for the opportunity to serve with purpose. Most importantly, I want to thank you, my fellow Americans, for the privilege to serve you,” Bongino said on X.
Bongino’s tenure with the department has been in question since July, when he reportedly clashed with Attorney General Pam Bondi over the administration’s failure to release the Jeffrey Epstein files over the summer.
Read more below...
FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino announces plans to step down early next year
What will Trump say in his primetime address?
Wednesday 17 December 2025 23:00 , Alex WoodwardTrump is expected to deliver remarks from the Oval Office at 9 p.m. ET but has not offered few details about what they will be about.
In a brief message on Truth Social Tuesday, he said “it has been a great year for our country, and THE BEST IS YET TO COME!”
He told reporters Wednesday that the message of the address is “we inherited a mess and we've done a great job.”
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said the president plans 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 told Fox News that he may be “teasing some policy that will be coming in the new year.”
But his rare evening address is coming in the middle of growing tensions with Venezuela, nosediving polls and a grim economic outlook as he concludes his first year back in office with a largely unpopular agenda.
He also is delivering the remarks within a formal White House setting while he prepares to return to rally-like events where he can speak at length about anything ahead of 2026 midterm elections with the balance of power in Congress — and the fate of his legislative agenda for his last years in office — at stake.
Read The Independent's interview with the photographer who shot the images in Vanity Fair
Wednesday 17 December 2025 22:40 , Ariana BaioStriking photos in Vanity Fair depicted every freckle, line, strand of hair and makeup smudge on Trump’s inner circle at the White House.
For many, seeing every imperfection on the faces of the typically polished political figures was jaw-dropping.
We talked to the photographer who shot them.
Vanity Fair portraits of White House leaders hoped to cut through ‘political theater’
Ex-cop sues after arrest over anti-Trump meme
Wednesday 17 December 2025 22:20 , Alex WoodwardLarry Bushart spent 37 days in jail on a $2 million bond after posting a meme on Facebook in the wake of Charlie Kirk’s killing that quoted Donald Trump’s response to a different shooting.
The quote? “We have to get over it.”
“I spent over three decades in law enforcement, and have the utmost respect for the law,” Bushart said Wednesday. “But I also know my rights, and I was arrested for nothing more than refusing to be bullied into censorship.”
Bushart and the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression filed a federal civil rights lawsuit against Tennessee authorities alleging violations of his constitutional rights in retaliation for his protected speech.
“If police can come to your door in the middle of the night and put you behind bars based on nothing more than an entirely false and contrived interpretation of a Facebook post, no one’s First Amendment rights are safe,” FIRE senior attorney Adam Steinbaugh said.
Has Karoline Leavitt taken a page out of George Orwell’s 1984?
Wednesday 17 December 2025 22:00 , Laura Beers, The ConversationI’m a historian who has written about the enduring legacy of George Orwell’s ideas about truth and freedom.
Listening to Leavitt assert a “truth” so obviously discordant with people’s lives, I was reminded of the repeated pronouncements from the Ministry of Plenty in Orwell’s 1984.
Has Karoline Leavitt taken a page out of George Orwell’s 1984? A historian thinks so
Watch: Trump appears to confirm FBI deputy Bongino is resigning to return to podcasting
Wednesday 17 December 2025 21:40 , Alex Woodward'Student of history' Trump wrote 'eloquent' plaques insulting former presidents, Leavitt says
Wednesday 17 December 2025 21:30 , Alex WoodwardWhite House press secretary Karoline Leavitt defended new plaques added to the portraits of past presidents that disparaged them and their time in office — and said Trump had a hand in writing them himself.
“The plaques are eloquently written descriptions of each President and the legacy they left behind,” she said in a statement. “As a student of history, many were written directly by the President himself.”
FCC immediately edits website after pro-Trump chair claims it’s not an independent agency
Wednesday 17 December 2025 21:20 , Justin BaragonaBrendan Carr,Trump’s handpicked chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, insisted during a Senate hearing that the agency wasn’t independent, prompting a Democratic senator to show a screenshot from the FCC’s site saying the opposite.
Moments later, the website was edited.
.jpg?trim=0,50,0,50&width=1200&height=800&crop=1200:800)
FCC quickly edits website after pro-Trump chair claims it’s not an independent agency
Trump says US wants 'land, oil rights, whatever we had' in Venezuela
Wednesday 17 December 2025 21:15 , Alex WoodwardAs he arrived back at Joint Base Andrews, Trump told reporters that the U.S. wants “land, oil rights, whatever we had” in Venezuela.
“They took it away because we had a president that maybe wasn’t watching,” he said. “We want it back. They took our oil rights. We had a lot of oil there. As you know, they threw our companies out. And we want it back.”
The naval blockade is “not gonna let anybody going through that shouldn't be going through,” Trump said.
“They took all of our energy rights — they took all of our oil from not that long ago,” he said. “They illegally took it.”
"I know Trump has an ‘alcoholic’s personality’ because I have one too"
Wednesday 17 December 2025 20:50 , Charlotte CrippsI am a recovering alcoholic who has been sober for over 20 years and I, like Susie, recognise the red flag ‘alcoholic’s personality’ traits rather too vividly in Trump. For me, it’s a case of ‘if you spot it, you got it’.
I recognise Trump’s ‘alcoholic’s personality’ because I have one too
Full story: White House adds plaques below Biden and Obama portraits, calling them ‘the worst President in American history’ and ‘divisive’
Wednesday 17 December 2025 20:30 , Ariana BaioWhite House staff updated the so-called “Presidential Walk of Fame” Wednesday by adding lengthy descriptions of each former president, in rhetoric that aligns with President Donald Trump’s – such as calling former President Joe Biden “the worst President in American History.”
White House adds insulting plaques below Biden and Obama portraits
Watch: Trump salutes during dignified transfer ceremony
Wednesday 17 December 2025 20:15 , Alex WoodwardTrump was joined by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Ioa Governor Kim Reynolds, among others, as caskets carrying the bodies of two Iowa National Guard service members arrived at Dover Air Force Base.
.@POTUS witnesses the dignified transfer of the three American Patriots killed in Syria over the weekend.
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) December 17, 2025
May God bless their families, may God bless our military, and may God bless the United States of America. pic.twitter.com/1DUJLF0Wna
Trump attends dignified transfer of remains of National Guardsmen killed in Syria
Wednesday 17 December 2025 19:58 , Alex WoodwardDonald Trump and administration officials have arrived at Dover Air Force Base in Dover, Delaware during a dignified transfer of the remains of two Iowa National Guard members killed in Syria.
