US President Donald Trump has reiterated his claim that he helped settle at least eight wars within the first 10 months of his second term, using a national address to defend his foreign and economic policies while attacking the legacy of the Biden administration.
Speaking to outline his administration’s 2026 agenda amid declining approval ratings, the Republican president again championed tariffs as a central pillar of his strategy, calling “tariff” his “most favourite word” and arguing that the policy had reshaped global trade while generating revenue for the United States.
In his address, Trump said, “I restored American strength, settled 8 wars in 10 months, destroyed the Iran nuclear threat and ended the war in Gaza, bringing for the first time in 3,000 years peace to the Middle East and secured the release of the hostages, both living and the dead.”
#WATCH | In an address to the Nation, US President Donald Trump says, “Already I have secured a record-breaking 18 trillion dollars of investment into the United States, which means jobs, wage increases, growth, factory openings and far greater national security. Much of this… pic.twitter.com/pcdXHkUNf7— ANI (@ANI) December 18, 2025
He claimed that he had inherited “a mess” from the Biden administration “eleven months ago” and said his government was now “fixing it.” Trump portrayed tariffs as a powerful negotiating tool, insisting they had helped the US secure better deals abroad.
The president also revisited a familiar list of grievances against his predecessor, criticising what he described as “open” borders, rising crime, transgender athletes competing in women’s sports, “the worst trade deals ever made” and a “sick and corrupt” federal government.
“For the last four years, the United States was ruled by politicians who fought only for insiders, illegal aliens, career criminals, corporate lobbyists, prisoners, terrorists, and, above all, foreign nations which took advantage of us at levels never seen before,” he said.
Trump also announced a one-off payment for members of the armed forces, describing it as a “special warrior dividend”. “Tonight, I am also proud to announce that more than 1,450,000 military service members will receive a special warrior dividend before Christmas. In honour of our nation’s founding in 1776, we are sending every soldier 1,776 dollars,” he said.
Reflecting on his return to office, Trump added: “In a few short months, we went from worst to best.”
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