What Next | Daily News and Analysis Bonus: SchadenFriday: Spewing Bile and Susie Wiles
Dec 19, 2025
Ben Jacobs, a political reporter based in Washington, joins to dissect the chaos within Trump's White House. They explore whether the president's optimistic economic claims match reality, revealing a nation still struggling despite assurances of improvement. Jacobs critiques Trump’s recent primetime address, noting its lack of substance and hurried, rally-like tone. The discussion also touches on the consequences of Trump's cost-cutting promises, questioning if success or failure would ultimately pose a greater challenge for his agenda.
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Campaign Promise Versus Economic Reality
- Donald Trump campaigned on restoring the pre-2020 economy but voters now see a mismatch between promise and reality.
- Ben Jacobs says the economy remains in a malaise rather than returning to 2019-levels despite Trump's claims.
Primetime Speech Lacked Substance
- Trump's primetime address was framed like a major declaration but played like a loud sales pitch with no substantive policy.
- Ben Jacobs describes the speech as
Claims Quickly Faded Online
- The White House used selective visuals and Fox-only slides to claim economic fixes, but the message quickly faded.
- Ben Jacobs notes the claims disappeared into the ether within hours and were overshadowed by other news.