U.S. President Donald Trump delivers an address to the nation from the Diplomatic Reception Room of the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., December 17, 2025. Doug Mills/Pool via REUTERS
President Donald Trump kicked off his mystery speech out of the gate on Wednesday evening with an avalanche of false claims, saying that Joe Biden instituted "transgender for everybody" and accepted 25 million foreigners from prisons and mental institutions.
Trump did so while denying any responsibility for the affordability crisis and claiming that prices are actually coming down on his watch, and pledging to give $1,776 "warrior dividend" checks to people in the military.
Almost immediately, the speech — which comes as Trump's poll numbers over the economy are crashing — was panned by a broad spectrum of observers on social media.
"If I didn’t know this is real, I would think it was joke," wrote veteran Republican pollster Sarah Longwell.
"This speech is a Stephen Miller special," wrote Democratic strategist David Axelrod.
"This is embarrassing mostly for him but honestly for all of us," wrote former GOP speechwriter Tim Miller.
"Donald Trump is completely disconnected from reality," wrote journalist John Harwood.
"The lie-o-rama has begun. Hate-filled nonsense. Recycled rally s---talking. Unpresidential. And a mistake for the networks to carry for this live," wrote former CNN reporter Jim Acosta.
"Donald Trump sounds like total s--- during this pointless speech," wrote Democratic youth influencer Harry Sisson. "He's lying, stumbling over his words, and rambling incoherently. Total disaster."
"For those keeping score, Trump’s first lie came 8 seconds into his speech," wrote David Shuster of The Young Turks. "Inflation at the end of Biden’s term/start of Trump’s term was lower than it is today, not higher. And it wasn’t the highest in 48 years."
"Trump's address is starting off with just a series of complete lies about the economy," wrote Progress Chamber economic analyst Tahra Hoops. "You would literally need to fact check almost every statement. According to him, prices are way down and manufacturing jobs are going great!"
"This is the dumbest and most pathetic speech of Donald Trump's political career," wrote eviction attorney and New Jersey congressional candidate J-L Cauvin. "And that is quite the floor to break through. You really have to be painfully stupid and frighteningly bigoted to support this dude."