MS NOW host Jen Psaki offered a rapid-fire fact-check of President Donald Trump’s rapid-fire Wednesday night speech, which she described as being “extremely loose on facts.”
“He basically tried to shout his alleged accomplishments at the American people, as if that was going to convince them that they were all true,“ Psaki said.
The first of Psaki’s fact checks was about Trump’s announcement that troops would be receiving a $1,776 holiday bonus, or what he dubbed a “warrior dividend,” with Psaki explaining that Congress controls the power of the purse, not the president.
“If that happens, that is Congress sending those checks, even if Trump puts his name on them,” she explained. She noted that the figure—a reference to the year 1776 and the adoption of the Declaration of Independence—was significant, as an analysis by the Yale Budget Lab found that the president’s tariffs have cost Americans an average of $1,700 per household.
She went on to check Trump’s claims about inflation. He claimed in his speech that when he took office, it was the worst in 48 years, explaining that inflation had been declining from a peak of 7 percent during the pandemic.
“Since Trump took office, it has basically flatlined at 3 percent. It was 3 percent in January, and it’s 3 percent today,” Psaki said.
She also pointed out that during his presidential campaign, Trump claimed he would end inflation on his first day in office.
“Just last week, the Chair of the Federal Reserve Jerome Powell said that, ‘Inflation remains somewhat elevated.‘ There you go,” she said.
She also cited a report from Trump’s own Department of Agriculture, which confirmed that food prices are currently rising faster than inflation. The report also states that food prices in August 2025 were 3.2 percent higher than in August 2024.
Psaki also countered Trump’s claim that he has brought gas prices down to $1.99 per gallon; according to AAA, the national average gas price for Dec. 17 is $2.91/gallon.
The president spoke for just over 18 minutes in his bizarre Wednesday night address, airing several grievances and making several unverified or inaccurate claims about the first year of his second term.
PBS News correspondent Lisa Desjardins shared that the president averaged a rate of 140 to 150 words per minute—a normal speaking rate for the average person, but twice as fast as his State of the Union speech.
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