The top Democrats in Congress took a swing at President Trump’s address from the White House late Wednesday, calling the speech “untethered from reality and truth.”
“It was an unhinged speech that was, of course, untethered from reality and truth. You know, Donald Trump has made things worse for the American people,” House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) told MS NOW’s Lawrence O’Donnell on “The Last Word.”
“He refuses to acknowledge that the tariffs that he is solely responsible for have actually increased costs on everyday Americans by thousands of dollars per year,” he added.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) echoed his House counterpart, suggesting in a statement that Trump’s rhetoric shows “he lives in a bubble completely disconnected from the reality everyday Americans are seeing and feeling.”
“People are feeling squeezed harder and harder every day and tonight Donald Trump took a victory lap,” the senator added. “The facts are that prices are going up. Unemployment is going up. And there’s no end in sight.”
The president, in his Wednesday evening address to the nation, touted accomplishments he believes have pushed the U.S. forward. The rare prime-time speech comes as Trump is facing a slump in job approval ratings and has been met with criticism over rising inflation and affordability concerns after a series of key election wins for Democrats.
During his roughly 20-minute remarks, Trump claimed he inherited a rough economy from the previous administration and was nursing it back to health. As he wraps up the first year back in the Oval Office, the president also lauded his robust immigration agenda and that he has managed to drop costs for many goods.
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“Over the past 11 months, we have brought more positive change to Washington than any administration in American history,” he said. “There has never been anything like it, and I think most would agree.”
The Hill has reached out to the White House for comment.
