Karoline Leavitt walked back into the White House briefing room on Thursday like someone returning from a two month vacation except instead of a tan she brought teases about a primetime presidential address and savings accounts for babies. As Conservative Brief reported, the Press Secretary wasted zero time getting back to business after her maternity leave, confirming that President Trump will deliver a major address to the nation tonight at 9 p.m. ET focused on "protecting the integrity of our elections."
Nothing says "welcome back to work" quite like election security and Iran in the same briefing.
Leavitt also took a victory lap on the economy, pointing to Tuesday's CPI report as proof that Trump's policies are doing their thing. "Tuesday's CPI report confirmed what President Trump predicted: prices are falling, and this administration's economic policies are working. Inflation dropped .4% last month, beating expectations and marking the largest monthly decline in more than 6 years," she declared. If you have been enjoying slightly cheaper groceries lately, now you know who wants credit for it.
Then came the pitch for Trump Accounts, which are apparently now live and ready for your infant's financial future. "Government projections how that a child whose family maxes out contributions could see the account grow to nearly $300,000 by the time the child turns 18. This is, I think we can all agree, an enormously powerful head start toward the American Dream," Leavitt said. Having just had a baby herself, the timing of that plug was honestly kind of perfect.
As for tonight's speech, White House sources say Trump will stress that free and fair elections are the foundation of the republic and push Congress to act on voter ID, paper ballots, stricter chain of custody rules, and federal oversight. He has described election security as one of the biggest issues facing the country, which, fair enough, that is a take that exists across the political spectrum even if people disagree violently on what the actual problem is.
But wait, there is more. Insiders say Trump may drop some "really big news" during the address, potentially tied to either election defenses or a strategy against Iran. That is quite a range. It is like saying your surprise could be either a puppy or a fighter jet.
The Iran angle is no joke though. This comes after Trump convened a high level Situation Room meeting with his top national security advisers earlier this week. Axios first reported that discussions centered on military options going well beyond current U.S. strikes around the Strait of Hormuz, aimed at pressuring Tehran to reopen the waterway and come to the table on its nuclear program. Trump has publicly warned that even more devastating strikes could follow if Iran refuses to negotiate.
So tonight's speech could cover election reform, economic bragging rights, savings accounts for toddlers, and possibly an escalation with a hostile foreign power. Just a normal Thursday evening in America. Set your DVRs accordingly.
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