‘I Inherited A Mess And I’m Fixing It’: Watch President Trump Unveil ‘Warrior Dividend’, Signal Housing Reform, Not Mention Venezuela

Update (2120ET): As expected, President Trump celebrated the successes of his first year back in office as part of tonight’s national address from the White House.

“11 months ago, I inherited a mess, and I’m fixing it,” Trump began.

“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.”

As JustTheNews’ Ben Whedon reports, Trump touched on a wide array of subjects, highlighting the decline in maritime drug trafficking, his efforts to tackle wokeness in schools, and the revitalization of the military, among others.

“Drugs brought in by ocean and by sea are now down 94%” he said. “We have broken the grip of sinister woke radicals in our schools, and control over those schools is back now in the hands of our great and loving states where education belongs, after rebuilding the United States military in my first term, and with the addition we are adding right now, we have the most powerful military anywhere in the world, and it’s not even close.”

Early in the speech, he addressed affordability, insisting that his use of tariffs had helped to address the issue.

“Much of this success has been accomplished by tariffs, my favorite word tariffs, which for many decades have been used successfully by other countries against us, but not anymore,” he said.

“Companies know that if they build in America there are no tariffs and that’s why they’re coming home to the USA in record numbers.”

He also used the speech to announce a Christmas bonus to American service members to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the nation.

“Tonight, I am also proud to announce …1,450,000 military service members will receive a special we call ‘warrior dividend’ before Christmas,” Trump said.

“So warrior dividend in honor of our nation’s founding in 1776, we are sending every soldier $1,776… and the checks are already on the way.”

Later in the speech, he vowed to dramatically reform the American housing industry as costs of living increasingly rank among the top issues for young Americans.

“I will announce some of the most aggressive housing reform plans in American history,” he promised.

“A major factor driving up housing costs was the colossal border invasion.”

“The last administration and their allies in Congress brought in millions and millions of migrants and gave them taxpayer funded housing while your rent and housing costs skyrocketed,” he lamented.

“Over 60% of growth in the rental market came from foreign migrants.”

“At the same time, illegal aliens stole American jobs and flooded emergency rooms getting free health care and education paid for by you, the American taxpayer,” he went on.

“They also increase the cost of law enforcement by numbers so high that they are not even to be mentioned. For the first time in 50 years, we are now seeing reverse migration.”

And finally, perhaps most notably, not a mention of the word ‘Venezuela’.

Watch President Trump’s address here:

President Trump is due to deliver remarks to the nation at 9 p.m. ET.

While there has been no confirmation of the content of the address, The White House said his speech will highlight the administration’s actions during the past year and tease priorities for 2026.

Prediction markets see Venezuela, Inflation, and the Border as the most likely topics for discussion…

Source: PolyMarket

..with some suggesting the ‘peace-maker’ president may use this moment to announce kinetic actions in Venezuela (following his complete blockade of sanctioned oil tankers this week)…

Earlier in the evening, Trump told reporters:

• *TRUMP ON VENEZUELA: IT’S A BLOCKADE, NOT LETTING ANYONE GO THROUGH WHO SHOULDN’T

• *TRUMP CLAIMS VENEZUELA ‘ILLEGALLY TOOK’ US HOLDINGS, THREW OUR COMPANIES OUT, WE WANT IT BACK

• *TRUMP ON VENZ.: GETTING LAND, OIL RIGHTS, THEY TOOK IT AWAY

• *TRUMP: MESSAGE THIS EVENING IS OUR COUNTRY WILL BE STRONG

• TRUMP ADMINISTRATION ASKING US OIL INDUSTRY IF THEY WOULD RETURN TO VENEZUELA ONCE MADURO IS GONE -POLITICO

Odds have been rising…

Source: PolyMarket

“It has been a great year for our Country, and THE BEST IS YET TO COME!” Trump posted on social media on Tuesday while announcing the speech.

Watch Live here (due to start at 2100ET):