Washington: President Donald Trump on Wednesday outlined a series of initiatives aimed at lowering living costs for Americans, highlighting housing, credit, energy, and digital finance as central pillars of his administration’s economic agenda. Speaking at a public address, the President also claimed significant economic gains during his first year back in office and issued a pointed call for policy realignment among European allies.
At the center of the domestic agenda was housing affordability. Trump said homeownership had become increasingly unattainable in recent years and pledged federal action to reverse that trend. He announced an executive order barring large institutional investors from purchasing single-family homes, arguing that housing should prioritize individual families over corporate ownership. The President said he would urge Congress to codify the restriction into permanent law.
To address borrowing costs, Trump said he had instructed government-backed institutions to purchase up to $200 billion in mortgage-backed securities, a move intended to push interest rates lower. He claimed the average 30-year mortgage rate had recently fallen below 6 percent, a development he attributed to the policy shift.
The President also targeted consumer credit costs, criticizing credit card companies for what he described as excessive profit margins and interest rates approaching 28 percent. As a temporary relief measure, Trump said he would ask Congress to impose a one-year cap of 10 percent on credit card interest rates.
In addition, Trump reiterated his support for digital assets, positioning the United States as a global leader in cryptocurrency innovation. He said Congress was close to passing crypto market structure legislation that he expects to sign into law, describing it as a pathway toward broader financial access and economic opportunity.
Turning to the broader economy, Trump contrasted current conditions with those under the previous administration, asserting that the U.S. had moved from stagnation and inflation to low inflation and strong growth within a year. He claimed the monthly trade deficit had been reduced by 77 percent without triggering inflationary pressures.
On energy, the President credited his policies with avoiding what he described as an energy crisis seen in parts of Europe. He said U.S. natural gas production had reached record levels and oil output had increased by more than 700,000 barrels per day. According to Trump, gasoline prices had fallen below $2.50 per gallon in several states.
Trump also highlighted reductions in the size of the federal government, stating that more than 270,000 federal positions had been eliminated over the past year. He said federal spending had been cut by $100 billion and the budget deficit reduced by 27 percent. The President pointed to recently enacted tax measures, including exemptions on tips, overtime pay, and Social Security benefits, which he described as the largest tax cuts in U.S. history.
Addressing international partners, Trump emphasized the United States’ role as a driver of global economic growth and urged European nations to reconsider policies centered on expansive government spending, mass migration, and heavy reliance on imports. He warned that such approaches, in his view, had contributed to slower growth, demographic challenges, and reduced military capacity across the West.
The President stressed the importance of strong transatlantic ties, saying cooperation on energy, trade, immigration, and economic growth was essential to maintaining Western unity and strength. He concluded by framing prosperity in cultural terms, arguing that shared values and traditions—rather than fiscal systems alone—were the foundation of Western success and must be actively defended.
The remarks underscored Trump’s effort to link domestic economic reforms with a broader ideological appeal to allies, positioning his administration’s policies as a model for both national recovery and Western renewal.
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