MSNBC host Jen Psaki quickly fact-checked President Trump’s roughly 18-minute address, calling it "extremely loose on facts." She disputed his $1,776 "warrior dividend"—noting Congress controls federal spending—and cited a Yale Budget Lab analysis that tariffs have cost households about $1,700. Psaki also challenged claims on inflation and gas prices, citing Fed Chair Jerome Powell, a USDA report showing food prices up 3.2% year‑over‑year in August 2025, and AAA gas-price data.
Psaki Rapidly Fact-Checks Trump’s 18-Minute Address — Challenges 'Warrior Dividend', Inflation and Gas Claims
Donald Trump addresses the nation from the Diplomatic Reception Room of the White House on Dec. 17, 2025. / Doug Mills/Pool/AFP via Getty Images
MSNBC host Jen Psaki quickly disputed several claims made by President Donald Trump during his brisk, roughly 18-minute address, calling the remarks "extremely loose on facts." Psaki said the president appeared to try to overwhelm listeners by loudly listing achievements as if repetition would make them true.
Congress, Not The President, Controls Spending. Psaki’s first correction focused on Trump’s pledge that service members would receive a $1,776 holiday payment he called a "warrior dividend." She stressed that while the White House can propose payments or incentives, any actual distribution depends on Congress authorizing and funding them. "If that happens, it is Congress that would be sending those checks, even if Trump attaches his name to them," she said.
She also noted the symbolism of the $1,776 figure — a nod to 1776 and the Declaration of Independence — and cited an analysis by the Yale Budget Lab suggesting tariffs the administration imposed have cost the average American household roughly $1,700.
Inflation: Still Elevated. Psaki challenged Trump’s characterization of the inflation picture, noting that inflation has essentially hovered around 3 percent since he took office. While Trump said inflation had fallen from a pandemic peak of 7 percent, Psaki reminded viewers that inflation remained "somewhat elevated," quoting Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell’s recent comment: "Inflation remains somewhat elevated." She also pointed out that during his campaign Trump had vowed to end inflation on his first day back in office.
Trump spoke for just over 18 minutes straight in his Wednesday night address to the nation. / Pool / Getty Images
Food Prices And Other Cost Pressures. Psaki cited a Department of Agriculture report showing that food prices were rising faster than overall inflation; the report notes food prices in August 2025 were 3.2 percent higher than in August 2024.
Gas Prices: Reality Checks. Psaki disputed the president’s claim that he had brought gas prices down to $1.99 per gallon. According to AAA data, the national average price on Dec. 17 was about $2.91 per gallon, well above the figure the president cited.
Context On The Address. The president’s remarks ran just over 18 minutes and included a mix of policy talk, grievances and several claims that were either unverified or inaccurate about the first year of his second term. PBS correspondent Lisa Desjardins noted Trump spoke at an estimated 140–150 words per minute — a normal conversational pace but roughly twice as fast as his delivery during the State of the Union.
"He basically tried to shout his alleged accomplishments at the American people, as if that was going to convince them that they were all true," Psaki said.
Bottom Line: Psaki offered a rapid, pointed fact-check of the speech, highlighting the limits of presidential power over federal spending, the ongoing inflationary pressures, higher food costs, and the discrepancy between claimed and reported gas prices.
