Trump Moves to Improve His Public Image with Surprise Benefits
He also said he would soon unveil a housing reform plan aimed at addressing a growing affordability crisis.
Quick overview
- President Trump announced initiatives targeting active-duty soldiers, the cannabis industry, and astronauts in response to declining approval ratings.
- He faces challenges including slipping poll numbers, a disappointing jobs report, and concerns over the 2026 midterm elections.
- In a recent address, Trump claimed inflation is under control and promised a housing reform plan to tackle affordability issues.
- He approved $1,776 checks for service members and eased regulations on marijuana, while the Kennedy Center was renamed in his honor.
In less than 24 hours, U.S. President Donald Trump announced a series of initiatives and benefits targeting different groups.
Some of these include active-duty soldiers, the cannabis industry. Even astronauts are among the groups, along with promises of more to come, as he grapples with weak economic news and declining approval ratings.
The president is going through a rough stretch, marked by slipping poll numbers and a disappointing jobs report. Among Republicans, however, the greatest concern is the growing fear of a defeat in the 2026 midterm elections.
These challenges are compounded by a string of unwelcome headlines for Trump, ranging from a controversial profile of his chief of staff to reactions to his remarks following the death of filmmaker Rob Reiner. At the same time, he faces mounting foreign policy pressures, including a military escalation in the Caribbean amid rising tensions with Venezuela, a high-profile trip to Asia to discuss trade with foreign leaders, and a war in Ukraine that remains unresolved.
Between promises and policies, Trump seeks to improve his image
Last Wednesday, the president delivered a nearly 20-minute prime-time address in a more formal, scripted tone than his almost daily appearances from the Oval Office. In the speech, he claimed that inflation had been brought under control and predicted that prices for “electricity and everything else will drop dramatically.”
He also said he would soon unveil a housing reform plan aimed at addressing a growing affordability crisis. Housing, along with energy prices and the overall cost of living, is expected to be central issues as Republicans prepare for the 2026 legislative elections.
On Thursday, Trump approved the distribution of $1,776 checks to active-duty service members and designated the days before and after Christmas as federal holidays for 2025—a surprise move for Americans preparing for the year-end holiday season.
He also sought to win back support from the cannabis industry by easing regulations on marijuana use and went as far as authorizing a new mission to send astronauts back to the Moon.
In a development favorable to Trump, the board of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts—stacked with allies handpicked by the president—voted on Thursday to rename the Washington venue the Trump-Kennedy Center.
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