The Briefing with Jen Psaki 'Bad, fast-talking infomercial': Psaki fact-checks Trump's address
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Dec 18, 2025 
Catherine Rampell, an economics columnist at The Bulwark, dives into Trump's inaccuracies on inflation and tariffs, revealing their real-world economic impacts. Vaughn Hillyard, a senior White House correspondent, analyzes the chaotic messaging behind Trump's speech, while Mark Kelly, Arizona's U.S. Senator and former astronaut, critiques the address as defensive, mocking its math. Chris Whipple, an investigative journalist, shares insights from his Vanity Fair piece about Susie Wiles, highlighting her influence on Trump’s messaging and the political risks involved.
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Speech Was A Fact-Light Infomercial
- Jen Psaki says Trump's address resembled a "bad, fast-talking infomercial" full of anti-immigrant language and loose facts.
- She highlights specific false claims about troop checks, inflation, food and gas prices to show factual gaps.
Economic Claims Contradicted By Data
- Catherine Rampell calls the speech a "manic gish gallop" with many economic falsehoods and dubious statistics.
- She notes tariffs are effectively a tax on Americans and that manufacturing job losses contradict claimed gains.
Speech Reflects Small, Defensive Inner Circle
- Vaughn Hillyard says the speech reflects a small nucleus running the White House and reads like Truth Social or plaques placed around the West Wing.
- He suggests the address was defensive and tailored to present Trump as triumphant despite foreign and domestic doubts.