President credits tariffs and trade deals for record investment and jobs, cites $18 trillion figure

The president framed the economy as a central achievement of his administration, saying markets hit record highs and that tariffs and trade negotiations produced large foreign payments and investment commitments. "In 12 months, I secured commitments for more than $18,000,000,000,000 pouring in from all over the globe," he said, linking the figure to his tariff strategy.

He also claimed falling inflation—citing a 1.7% figure for the last three months of 2025—lower gasoline prices in many states and a rise in employment and construction jobs. The president credited tariffs with creating revenue and argued that the approach was both an economic and national-security tool.

The speech presented these figures as administration accomplishments; it did not include supporting documentation or legislative actions in the transcript. The president urged Congress to continue supporting the administration's economic agenda.

Next steps: the claims were framed as reasons for continued policy support. The transcript contains the presidential assertions but no additional data sources or independent corroboration.