NEW: President Trump says the world is "not laughing anymore" at the U.S. after what he describes as a dramatic turnaround from the Biden years.

NEW: President Trump says the world is "not laughing anymore" at the U.S. after what he describes as a dramatic turnaround from the Biden years.

On December 17, 2025, President Trump delivered a primetime address to the nation from the White House's Diplomatic Reception Room, marking roughly 11 months back in office. Framed as a year-end progress report, the address recapped what he called his administration's accomplishments — from immigration crackdowns to lower energy costs — while previewing plans for 2026. The line landed amid a broader riff on his first term's trade record: Trump said the U.S. previously had "the worst trade deals ever made in our country," which he claimed was "laughed at from all over the world," before declaring, "But they're not laughing anymore." 

He went on to claim his administration had "brought more positive change to Washington than any administration in American history" over the prior 11 months, tying the comment to his 2024 election win with the popular vote and all seven swing states. He also cast the prior four years as run by politicians who fought for insiders, illegal immigrants, and foreign nations that took advantage of the U.S.

Reception was split along predictable lines.Trump used the address to take credit for the immigration crackdown, reduced inflation, higher wages, cheaper prescription drugs, and lower energy costs. But coverage noted a gap between the rhetoric and public sentiment: the speech came amid eroding approval ratings, and one AP report described it as delivered while seeking to pin blame for economic challenges on Democrats, alongside an announcement of a $1,776 holiday bonus for U.S. troops. Conservative commentary, like Fox's Miranda Devine, defended the tone, arguing critics called it too loud, too partisan, and too boastful simply for interrupting network programming, while she argued Trump was right to tally his wins since no one else would. 

Critics, by contrast, framed it as tone-deaf given ongoing affordability concerns. Worth noting: this "laughing" framing echoes a recurring Trump trope dating back to his first term, when he repeatedly invoked world leaders "laughing" at prior U.S. trade and foreign policy — so the December 2025 line was less a one-off boast than a familiar rhetorical callback repackaged for a domestic, Biden-contrast audience.

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NEW: President Trump says the world is "not laughing anymore" at the U.S. after what he describes as a dramatic turnaround from the Biden years. pic.twitter.com/AAJZBb5HKQ

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