The Daily Wrap Up
[Transcript edited for clarity, length and flow]
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Welcome back to Mary Trump Live. I’m Brian Karem. Thanks for joining me for a second day. It’s been a fun two days, hasn’t it? Yesterday was the longest State of the Union address in history, and Donald Trump probably slept soundly last night knowing he’s guaranteed a spot in the history books with his monotonous, tedious diatribe that—while promising us a golden age for America—was short on specifics, long on accusations, and even longer on self‑congratulation. For Donald Trump, that’s par for the course.
In his State of the Union address last night, Donald Trump declared what he called historic successes on immigration, tariffs, and foreign policy. But according to the Associated Press, that portrayal frequently distorted the state of the union. Of course it did. Many of the achievements Trump cited during the speech do not stand up to scrutiny. He has spent the entire past year touting his record while criticizing his predecessor, Joe Biden, and last night he again leaned heavily on claims rooted in misinformation. I’m going to say disinformation, because he knows what he’s doing.
On the economy, Trump said:
“When I last spoke in this chamber 12 months ago, I had just inherited a nation in crisis with a stagnant economy, inflation at record levels, a wide open border, horrendous recruitment for military and police, rampant crime at home and wars and chaos all over the world. But tonight, after just one year, I can say with dignity and pride that we have achieved a transformation like no one has ever seen before and a turnaround for the ages. It is indeed a turnaround for the ages.”
He has no dignity, but he has an awful lot of self‑pride. Inflation was high, yes, and voters were frustrated. But the economy was growing. After adjusting for inflation, GDP rose 2.8% in 2024—faster than the 2.2% growth at the start of his second term. He also boasted:
“Today our border is secure. Our spirit is restored, inflation is plummeting, incomes are rising fast. The roaring economy is roaring like never before.”
Inflation‑adjusted after‑tax incomes rose just 0.9% in 2025, down from 2.2% in 2024. Wage growth slowed as hiring slowed. And when he says more Americans are working today than ever before, remember: there are more Americans alive today than ever before. Gross numbers mean nothing without percentages.
Trump claimed:
“More Americans are working today than at any time in the history of our country… and 100% of all jobs created under my administration have been in the private sector.”
Total employment rises as the population grows. The meaningful measure is the share of Americans working. That stood at 59.8% in January—well below the 64.7% peak in 2000. Unemployment was 4.0% when Biden left office and fell to 3.4% during his presidency, a 50‑year low.
On investment, Trump said:
“I secured commitments for more than $18 trillion pouring in from all over the globe.”
There is no evidence supporting the $18 trillion figure. Public statements list $9.6 trillion, and even that appears to include commitments made during the Biden administration. He invents statistics the way other people breathe.
On tariffs, Trump insisted:
“Despite the disappointing ruling, these powerful, country‑saving tariffs… are saving our country.”
Article I, Section 8 of the Constitution gives Congress sole authority to levy tariffs. Tariff revenues are not large enough to significantly reduce annual budget deficits and have not led to manufacturing job gains. He went further:
“I believe the tariffs paid for by foreign countries will… substantially replace the modern day system of income tax.”
Tariff revenues rose to $195 billion last year, less than 4% of federal revenue. Income and payroll taxes account for about 84%. Tariffs are taxes. We pay them.
On prescription drugs, he said:
“I took prescription drugs… from the highest price in the entire world to the lowest… price differences of 300, 400, 500, 600% and more.”
A 500% cut would mean the government pays you to take medicine. That’s not math. That’s fiction.
On crime, he declared:
“Last year the murder rate saw its single largest decline in recorded history… the lowest number in over 125 years.”
Homicides fell sharply from 2024 to 2025, yes. But violent crime fell in 2023 and 2024 as well. Context matters. Counting methods matter. And when you have military patrols in cities, people stay indoors. That’s not safety. That’s fear.
On taxes, Trump said:
“All Democrats… voted against these really important and very necessary massive tax cuts… we gave you no tax on tips, no tax on overtime, and no tax on social security.”
The deduction phases out, excludes many seniors, and expires in 2029. Meanwhile, the wealthiest Americans benefited most from earlier cuts.
On elections, Trump said:
“That cheating is rampant in our elections… All voters must show voter ID… no more crooked mail‑in ballots.”
There is no evidence of rampant cheating. None. Courts rejected those claims repeatedly.
On foreign wars, he claimed:
“My first 10 months I ended eight wars… Pakistan and India would’ve been a nuclear war… 35 million people would’ve died if it were not for my involvement.”
In multiple cases he cited, there were no active wars to end. His role in others was limited at best.
On immigration, he stated:
“In the past nine months, zero illegal aliens have been admitted to the United States.”
Illegal immigrants are not “admitted.” That’s the point. Words matter.
On food stamps, he said:
“We have lifted 2.4 million Americans… off of food stamps.”
He didn’t lift them up. He removed them from eligibility.
On transgender rights, he claimed:
“No state can be allowed to rip children from their parents’ arms and transition them to a new gender against the parents’ will.”
That is not happening. It is fear‑based rhetoric.
And then there was this:
“We’re winning so much that we really don’t know what to do about it… people are asking me, please, Mr. President, we’re winning too much.”
Who says that? No one says that.
Speaker of the House Mike Johnson underscored the stakes when he said:
“If we lost the midterms… it would be the end of the Trump presidency in a real effect.”
Desperation has a sound. That was it.
Meanwhile, the Jeffrey Epstein story continues to evolve. The Justice Department’s release of Epstein files is reportedly missing key FBI records tied to a woman who accused both Epstein and Trump of sexual assault decades ago. The DOJ says withheld materials may be privileged or related to ongoing matters. That raises questions.
Former Treasury Secretary Larry Summers resigned his tenured position at Harvard amid renewed scrutiny over ties to Epstein. Nobel Prize‑winning scientist Dr. Richard Axel resigned from Columbia University’s Zuckerman Institute after acknowledging his association with Epstein was “a serious error in judgment.”
Epstein isn’t going away. Overseas, people have been charged. Here, accountability remains elusive.
Last night, Donald Trump delivered the longest State of the Union address in history. It was familiar. It was repetitive. It was packed with exaggerations and falsehoods. Even some of his supporters called it a stump speech.
He promised a golden age. He offered grievances instead. He claimed victory after victory. He blamed everyone else for every setback. And he asked Americans to believe him over data, over courts, over history, and over their own eyes.
That was the State of the Union. And that’s where we are.
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The expertise and integrity of this OP, Mr. Karem, is much appreciated.
Thank you.
EPSTEIN'S GO-BETWEEN WITH PUTIN HOSPITALIZED AFTER ALLEGED SUICIDE ATTEMPT
This Emphasizes Even Further Need For the DOJ To Release ALL Epstein Files UNREDACTED
On November 23, 2025 I sent out a post which included the fact that in 2018, during Trump’s first term, Epstein, who was facing financial difficulties with the Russian banks, reached out to former Norwegian Prime Minister Thorbjorn Jagland. Epstein asked Jagland to “suggest to Putin that Russia’s Foreign Minister could get insight into Trump by talking to me (Epstein )” and that Russia’s Ambassador to the U.N. had already consulted with Epstein to better “understand Trump”.
At a minimum, the clear implication of all of this was that Epstein was seeking to use Jagland as a go-between to enable Epstein to pass along information about Trump to Putin, which Epstein obviously believed would benefit both him and Putin
Today, the British media giant, The Mirror, reported that: “Former Norwegian Prime Minister Thorbjørn Jagland was hospitalised after an alleged ‘suicide attempt’ on Tuesday, February 24, just a few days after he was charged with serious corruption offences linked to his association with paedophile Epstein. Jagland was charged with ‘gross corruption’ after newly released documents appeared to reveal a transactional relationship between the ex-PM and the convicted paedophile between 2011 and 2018. Some Norwegian outlets have reported a suicide attempt but the high-profile statesman’s legal team has insisted he was rushed to hospital due to extreme stress instead of a deliberate act.”
The speculation is rampant in the European media as to whether Jagland’s sudden hospitalization is due to a suicide attempt or, as his lawyers claim, extreme stress.
Certainly, one cannot discount the prospect that given the fact that “Jagland and Epstein maintained a close relationship from 2011 to 2019”(per Wikipedia’s research), Jagland’s involvement with and knowledge about Epstein may not have been limited to questionable financial transactions.
It also seems inconceivable that when Epstein asked Jagland to serve as a go-between with Putin, that Jagland had no idea of what Epstein intended to pass along to Putin.
This development should intensify Congress’ efforts to demand that the DOJ comply with the law, that was signed by Trump, requiring them to disclose ALL of the Epstein files, UNREDACTED.