Asserting that the United States has undergone a “dramatic turnaround” in just 11 months, President Donald Trump on Saturday, December 20, 2025, claimed his leadership has transformed a “dead” country into the “hottest nation anywhere in the world.”
Speaking at a political event following his year-end primetime address, Trump delivered a scathing critique of his predecessor, Joe Biden, accusing the previous administration of “looting” the U.S. Treasury and allowing billions in taxpayer funds to be stolen through fraudulent government programs.
“America First” vs. “Brink of Ruin”
Trump’s speech framed 2025 as a year of “unprecedented recovery,” contrasting his economic nationalism with the “mismanagement” of the Democratic regime.
- The Turnaround: “One year ago, our country was dead,” Trump told the crowd. “Now we are the hottest country anywhere in the world because we finally have a President who puts America first.”
- Treasury Accusations: The President alleged that trillions of dollars were misused under the Biden administration, citing this as the primary driver for inflation and the “economic strain” felt by ordinary families.
- Economic Successes: Trump highlighted his recent moves, including the $1,776 “Warrior Dividend” for military members and his projection that the spring of 2026 will be the “largest tax refund season in history.”
Minnesota Fraud Scandal: The $9 Billion Allegation
A central pillar of Trump’s speech was the widening federal investigation into “industrial-scale” fraud in Minnesota. Federal prosecutors recently suggested that up to $9 billion—or roughly half of the federal funds for 14 state-run Medicaid and social service programs since 2018—may have been stolen.
- Targeting the Diaspora: Trump specifically linked the fraud to the Somali-American community in Minnesota, which has the largest Somali population in the U.S. “They ripped off that state for billions of dollars,” Trump claimed, using incendiary language to describe the diaspora.
- “Industrial-Scale” Crimes: Assistant U.S. Attorney Joe Thompson confirmed that 82 of the 92 defendants in recent housing and nutrition schemes are Somali Americans. Prosecutors described companies created solely to submit bogus claims for Medicaid, with funds used for “luxury vehicles and first-class travel to the Maldives.”
- Terror Investigation: The U.S. Treasury has also opened an investigation into whether any of the stolen Minnesota tax money was funneled to the terror group al-Shabaab, though former investigators have noted that most funds were spent on “lavish personal lifestyles.”
The “Golden Age” Agenda for 2026
As he enters the second year of his second term, Trump outlined a series of aggressive goals for 2026, aimed at cementing what he calls the “Golden Age of America”:
- Interest Rates: Vowed to nominate a new Federal Reserve chair who believes in “lower interest rates by a lot.”
- Border Security: Claimed to have turned the “worst border anywhere” into the strongest in history, stating that illegal crossings have plummeted since January.
- Government Reform: Promised to continue “draining the swamp” by freezing bureaucrat hiring and ending “woke” DEI policies across the federal workforce.