US President Donald Trump is due to deliver a live, prime-time address to the nation on the evening of December 17, as the year draws to a close.
Trump announced the plans in a post on his social media platform Truth Social on Tuesday, without specifying the subject of the speech. “I look forward to ‘seeing’ you then,” he wrote. “It has been a great year for our Country, and THE BEST IS YET TO COME!”
White House said his speech will highlight the administration’s actions during the past year and tease priorities for 2026.
The address follows a series of public appearances by the President focused on the economy. During a recent speech in Mount Pocono, Pennsylvania, Trump dismissed what he described as an “affordability hoax”, comments that drew criticism from Democrats, who have blamed his policies for rising living costs. Trump had previously pledged to reduce the cost of living from “day one” of his presidency.
Also Read: ‘War is Coming’ – Tucker Carlson Says Trump Could Announce Venezuela War Tonight
Hours before the scheduled address, conservative commentator Tucker Carlson suggested the President could use the speech to announce a major escalation. Speaking on the Judging Freedom podcast on Wednesday, Mr Carlson said lawmakers had been briefed on the possibility of war.
“What I know so far is that members of Congress were briefed yesterday that a war is coming and it may be announced in the address to the nation tonight at nine o’clock by the president,” he said.
Carlson added a note of caution: “Who knows if that will actually happen. I don’t know. And I never want to overstate what I know, which is pretty limited in general. But a member of Congress told me that this morning.”
The address comes amid heightened US military activity near Venezuela’s coastline, linked to counter-narcotics operations. The United States has increased deployments of warships, aircraft carriers, submarines and troops in the Caribbean and surrounding waters. On Tuesday, Trump ordered a blockade on sanctioned tankers entering and leaving Venezuela.
The White House said the president will speak from the White House at 9pm ET and that the address will highlight the administration’s actions over the past year and outline priorities for 2026.
