President Donald Trump addresses the nation from the Diplomatic Room of the White House on Dec. 17, 2025. Doug Mills-Pool/Getty Images
President Donald Trump’s Dec. 17 primetime speech touting his economic record landed with an added tailwind after fresh inflation data on Dec. 18 showed a sharp decline.
Affordability has been top of mind for Americans as prices remain persistently high. A recent poll conducted by National Public Radio, Public Broadcasting Service News, and Marist found that 70 percent of respondents said the cost of living is not very affordable or not affordable at all.
