Trump exaggerates his presidential achievements in a speech in which he 'forgets' about Venezuela
The US president does not declare war on the Maduro government as had been speculated.
BarcelonaThe world was waiting for Donald Trump to declare war on Venezuela in a speech to the nation this Wednesday (Thursday in Catalonia). But instead, he dedicated his address to reviewing and exaggerating the achievements of his presidency and blaming all the ills on his predecessor, Joe Biden. He especially blamed Biden for rising prices, a problem that increasingly affects Americans and has caused his popularity to plummet to historic lows. "Eleven months ago, I inherited a mess, and I'm fixing it," the president asserted in a speech that lasted less than 20 minutes and was delivered at a surprisingly rapid pace.
Expectations for Trump's speech were very high because hours earlier, the ultraconservative talk show host Tucker Carlson had suggested that the president might use the moment to declare war on Nicolás Maduro. But that didn't happen. Speaking in a tone somewhere between offended and impatient, Trump lashed out at the "invasion" of migrants, violent crime, and transgender rights. He blamed all of this on the policies of Biden's Democratic administration, which he considers responsible for previous trade deals and a "corrupt" system.
From the White House's Diplomatic Reception Room, filled with Christmas decorations, Trump attempted to take stock of his first year in office, but his tone overshadowed the message, and his words ended up sounding like a justification for his limited success in trying to curb inflation. He boasted about the reduction in immigration, the drop in prices of some goods, and that "wages are rising faster than inflation." This statement is partially true, since while payrolls have risen by 4%, below the price increase of around 3%, a significant portion of the population has not benefited and continues to suffer from the rising cost of living. This, which many citizens attribute to the tariffs imposed by the Trump administration, has driven his approval rating to its lowest level since the president returned to the White House. The Gallup polling website places the percentage of Americans who approve of his performance at 36%, just two points above the low he recorded during his first term, right after inciting the crowd that stormed the Capitol in January 2021. One of the few announcements of the $1,776 bonus that will be awarded to 1,450,000 members of the U.S. military next week. He also announced a healthcare reform to permanently repeal the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) and supported the Republican proposal to send money directly to the public to offset the cost of health insurance instead of providing subsidies through the Affordable Care Act. "I want the money to go directly to the people so they can buy their own healthcare," Trump said.
