CHICAGO — On Wednesday night, Dec. 17, 2025, Donald Trump spent 18 minutes boasting that he’s delivering on the economy, despite the fact that all he’s delivered is higher prices, stagnant wage growth, and extreme uncertainty for American families. And the Illinois GOP is letting him get away with it.
“Donald Trump’s primetime address celebrating his failing economy was an insult to the millions of Americans spending more than ever on their groceries, electric bills, and health care,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “The truth is Trump doesn’t care how much working people spend at the grocery store. He cares about the corporations and secret donors funding his new ballroom.”
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The numbers speak for themselves:
Energy prices are up 13% since Trump took office.
Wage growth is at its lowest point since May 2021.
Consumer debt is at an all-time high.
Unemployment is at a four-year high, as of Nov. 2025.
Grocery prices have increased overall since he took office, despite him saying otherwise.
While nearly half of Americans already report difficulty paying for health care, Trump and his allies are doubling the costs for millions of Americans.
And due in part to his tariffs, the U.S. has lost tens of thousands of manufacturing jobs just this year.
Anyone hoping tonight’s address would recognize the realities that families are facing must be disappointed. Trump has no intention of righting the ship – in fact, he’s doubling down on policies that are failing families in Illinois.
Some Republicans across the country are finally waking up from the MAGA spell.
Trump's already faced political setbacks:
The Indiana GOP bucked him on his redistricting efforts.
House Republicans voted to release the Epstein files, after Trump fought to conceal them.
Voters, even in Republican strongholds, have handed Trump and his party a string of embarrassing election defeats.
But the Illinois GOP is still backing him 100 percent, no matter how much it costs working families in our state.
The question is: Will Illinois Republicans stand with Trump as their constituents suffer? Or will they actually stand up and tell him to stop destroying the economy?
The Illinois GOP needs to make a choice: buck Trump now or own the havoc he’s wreaking on everyday people in Illinois.
