Podcast Summary: The Briefing with Jen Psaki

Episode: 'Bad, fast-talking infomercial': Psaki fact-checks Trump's address
Date: December 18, 2025
Host: Jen Psaki (MS NOW)
Guests: Senator Mark Kelly (D-AZ), Katherine Rampel (Economics Editor, The Bulwark), Vaughn Hilliard (Senior White House Correspondent), Chris Whipple (Vanity Fair journalist)

Episode Overview

This episode dives into President Trump’s most recent televised address—a speech Jen Psaki describes as a “bad, fast-talking infomercial”—and provides real-time fact-checks, analysis of major economic and immigration claims, and reactions to ongoing international and domestic controversies. The show features sharp commentary on the tone, content, and background machinations of the current White House, with insight from journalists, policy experts, and Senator Mark Kelly.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Immediate Fact-Checking of Trump’s Speech

• Factual Accuracy:
  • Trump announced $1,776 checks for U.S. troops. Psaki notes only Congress has the power of the purse:

    "If that happens, that is Congress sending those checks, even if Trump puts his name on them." (00:54)

  • $1,776 figure coincidentally matches average cost per household from Trump tariffs, per Yale Budget Lab.
• Inflation Claims:
  • Trump stated he inherited the “worst inflation in 48 years.” In reality, inflation was at 3% both when he took office and at present.
• Gas Prices Claim:
  • Trump claimed he lowered gas to $1.99/gallon; actual averages were $3.11 at his inauguration and $2.91 at present (per AAA).
• Food Prices:
  • Trump claimed grocery prices are down, but his own Agriculture Department shows food is outpacing inflation.

2. Economics and Policy Analysis

With Katherine Rampel & Vaughn Hilliard

• Rampel’s Take:
  • The address was a “manic Gish gallop”—a torrent of lies quickly delivered. (03:32)
  • “He said that he inherited the worst inflation in 48 years. Absolutely not true.” (03:39)
  • “He said things like Turkey prices have come down by a third...neglecting to mention that we have had seven consecutive months of manufacturing job losses.” (04:10)
  • Trump touts “largest tax cuts in American history”—demonstrably false.
  • Trump’s tariffs = largest tax increase as % of GDP in 30+ years (Tax Foundation).
  • “He talked about appointing someone to the Federal Reserve who's going to bring down interest rates...the Chair cannot unilaterally do that...especially if we're not building more homes in this country, which we probably won't be because he's deporting the entire construction labor force.” (04:37)
  • Anti-immigrant rhetoric cited as an economic scapegoat, but study shows restricting immigration would reduce workers by 6.8M and slow economic growth by a third by 2028. (05:38)
• Vaughn Hilliard’s Context:
  • The speech is partially a reaction to crises beyond Trump’s control, and was defensive in tone.
  • White House insiders like Stephen Miller appear as guiding forces, particularly in the anti-immigrant content.
  • Susie Wiles’s influence is evident in letting Trump “be himself”—resulting in a campaign speech airing during prime time.

3. Tariffs: Favorite Word, Problematic Reality

With Katherine Rampel

• Tariffs are near and dear to Trump (“Tariff probably is his favorite word...but pretty much everything else...is false.” (11:50))
• The tariff burden falls largely on American consumers, raising prices and harming job growth.
• There’s uncertainty about tariff legality—if SCOTUS strikes them down, it will create a budget hole Trump has “triple counted.”
• “The consequence of his tariffs so far is higher prices, fewer jobs...uncertainty and a slowdown in the economy.” (12:56)

4. Immigration, the Border, and the Economy

With Senator Mark Kelly

• Trump’s tendency to intertwine dubious economic stats with anti-immigrant rhetoric is described as a “safe place” when he's on the defensive.
• Kelly: “He likes to go to immigrants, and he's been throwing out even legal immigrants...because it's a way to blame things on some other group.” (19:10)
• Construction worker deportations and Canadian lumber tariffs are making homes even more unaffordable for young Americans.

5. Venezuela and Questions of War

With Senator Mark Kelly

• Kelly expresses deep concerns over the legality and justification of recent strikes in Venezuela, and the Oval Office’s shifting narrative (“It started out as fentanyl, then cocaine, then Maduro, now oil…” (23:22)).
• Calls for open hearings and accountability, questioning Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s qualifications and transparency.
• “This is serious, because they are trying to intimidate me as a US senator...It sends a chilling effect. But...I'm not backing down from this guy Donald Trump or Pete Hegseth.” (25:22)

6. Susie Wiles, White House Power Plays, and the Epstein Scandal

With Chris Whipple

• Trump’s brash style and the rationale behind the speech are attributed to Susie Wiles, his influential chief of staff, described as having “an alcoholic’s personality—he operates with the view that there’s nothing he can’t do.” (28:12)
• Wiles is trying to re-focus Trump from self-inflicted foreign policy crises to economic messaging.
• Stephen Miller remains the architect of harsh immigration policies and a key influence, as does Secretary of State/National Security Adviser Marco Rubio.
• The looming Epstein file release is a growing concern for the administration.
• Whipple: “No matter how much Trump would try to wish it away...Susie wants him out there campaigning, and that's sort of her modus operandi.” (32:06)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Jen Psaki (Host):
  • “It felt almost like...a bad, fast talking infomercial with a lot of anti-immigrant language just intertwined in there.” (00:54)
• Katherine Rampel:
  • “Oh man, that was like a manic Gish gallop. If anybody ever did high school debate, there were a lot of lies per second there.” (03:32)
  • On tariffs: “The consequence of his tariffs so far is higher prices, fewer jobs, and a slowdown in the economy.” (12:56)
• Vaughn Hilliard:
  • “That speech tonight, 10 months in, was Donald Trump being himself. And he delivered the speech he wanted to tell everybody: America’s the hottest country in the world, right?” (09:40)
  • “He interrupted the season finale of Survivor...That is not what addresses like this...are usually for.” (10:23)
• Senator Mark Kelly:
  • “I'm like, he's just making stuff up, and he just says a bunch of stuff, and he says, this stuff is gonna happen. There's no policy there.” (17:50)
  • “I wish somebody would tell him how math works...prices are gonna go down 5 or 600%...that is not a thing.” (18:04)
  • “He likes to go to immigrants...because it's a way to blame things on some other group.” (19:10)
  • On Venezuela: “There’s no way to make any sense about this...the objective...has changed multiple times. And who knows what it's going to be tomorrow.” (23:22)
  • “I'm not backing down from this guy Donald Trump or Pete Hegseth. I'm not going anywhere.” (25:22)
• Chris Whipple:
  • “You wonder...who's actually microdosing ketamine, you wonder? I mean, that was really a...He really seems to be overdoing it, doesn't he?” (30:02)
  • “For all of Trump's bravado...he knows deep down that he's got a serious problem come 2026.” (31:24)

Important Timestamps

• 00:54: Jen Psaki begins immediate fact-check of Trump’s speech.
• 03:32: Katherine Rampel dissects Trump’s economic claims.
• 06:24: Vaughn Hilliard discusses speech’s anti-immigrant undercurrents and White House chaos.
• 11:50: Deep dive into tariffs and economic impacts.
• 17:50: Senator Mark Kelly responds to the speech and White House intimidation tactics.
• 23:22: Senator Kelly unpacks the shifting rationale for military actions in Venezuela.
• 28:02: Chris Whipple discusses Susie Wiles’ influence and the administration’s internal concerns.
• 33:06: Whipple outlines the roles of Stephen Miller, Wiles, Rubio, and the Epstein scandal worries.

Thematic Wrap-Up

The episode portrays a White House in crisis mode, lurching from scandal to scandal, with a President relying on bluster and misinformation in high-profile addresses. Trump’s speech, far from reassuring the nation or providing substantive policy, is assessed as a defensive, fact-lite campaign rally shoehorned into prime time as a desperate attempt to sway public sentiment on his administration’s faltering record. Veteran journalists and Senator Kelly paint a picture of a chaotic presidency—one where messaging is driven by political survival, internal power struggles, and an ever-evolving list of enemies and scapegoats.

This summary captures the episode’s key analyses, criticisms, and underlying sense of urgency surrounding both U.S. domestic policy and international entanglements, providing a clear guide for those who missed the broadcast.