President Donald Trump embarked on a two-week holiday at his Palm Beach Mar-a-Lago club, but not before delivering a sprawling, campaign-style speech in Rocky Mount, North Carolina, aimed at convincing voters of his economic prowess.
A Meandering Defence Amidst Political Headwinds
The rally, held on Saturday 20 December 2025, came as the Justice Department partially released files related to the Jeffrey Epstein case, a topic the president notably avoided. Instead, facing his lowest approval ratings since the end of his first term, Trump sought to shift blame for economic anxieties onto Democrats.
Appearing hoarse and at times slurring his words, the president devoted the initial segment of his remarks to a recent White House meeting with pharmaceutical executives. He heralded agreements to lower drug costs via a website bearing his name, claiming this achievement "should win us for midterms" and help Republicans retain Congress.
His stream-of-consciousness address then turned to healthcare, where he falsely asserted the Affordable Care Act was "created to make insurance companies rich." He blamed Congressional Democrats for imminent premium hikes, a consequence of his refusal to extend expiring tax credits. Trump proposed giving money directly to individuals to buy insurance, without detailing how the small sums would suffice, and mused about coercing insurance executives into 50% premium cuts through White House meetings.
Tariffs, Jobs, and Racist Rants
The president's prepared economic points were interspersed with inflammatory digressions. He launched into a racist tirade against Minnesota Congresswoman Ilhan Omar and discussed crafting a nickname for the departing Georgia Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene.
Eventually, he returned to touting his economic record, making unverifiable claims that "100 percent" of jobs created under his watch were in the private sector. He boasted of imposing 25% tariffs on foreign cars, 50% on steel, and up to 50% on imported furniture, framing the latter as a rescue mission for North Carolina's industry "decimated by China."
Voters Not Convinced by "Trump Economic Boom"
Despite the rally rhetoric, recent polling data paints a bleak picture for the president. A National Public Radio / Marist College survey released this week found 57% of respondents disapprove of Trump's economic management, his worst rating across both terms. His overall approval has sunk to 38%.
The economic sentiment is particularly grim: 70% say their local cost of living is unaffordable, a 25-point drop since June. Roughly one in three report their finances have worsened in 2025, and a majority, 52%, believe the US is in a recession.
Labour market data underpins the concern. The latest Bureau of Labor Statistics report shows the unemployment rate climbing to 4.6%, its highest since 2021. While 64,000 jobs were added in November, previous months saw significant losses and downward revisions. Hiring momentum has waned, hampered by uncertainty from Trump's tariffs and lingering high interest rates.
As Trump departed for his vacation, the disconnect between his proclaimed "Trump economic boom" and the lived experience of American voters, as captured by polls and data, could not have been starker.
