WASHINGTON, D.C. — December 2, 2025

President Donald Trump and members of his Cabinet delivered a series of extended remarks during a meeting published by the WHITE HOUSE on its official YouTube page on December 2, 2025. Because the video originates directly from the WHITE HOUSE, the statements recorded in the footage qualify as primary first-hand material, and we treat them as such. In this article, we document what was said and pair those statements with first-hand government data where available. When first-hand documentation cannot confirm a detail, we simply report that we could not verify the claim based on the evidence currently published by federal agencies.

According to the footage, President Trump began by describing what he characterized as historic victories in tariffs, economic policy, national security, border enforcement, crime reduction, and energy production. He stated that the United States had collected “over $18 trillion” in tariffs within ten months and referenced an upcoming SUPREME COURT case involving tariff authority. The WHITE HOUSE video confirms these statements were made. First-hand revenue data published by the DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY and the OFFICE OF MANAGEMENT AND BUDGET show annual customs duties in the low hundreds of billions rather than in the tens of trillions, and we cannot confirm the $18 trillion figure through first-hand fiscal documentation. We can confirm that the SUPREME COURT is considering a case addressing presidential tariff and emergency powers, but not the specific revenue total referenced in the remarks.

The President also stated that grocery prices, eggs, gas, and broader consumer costs had fallen compared to the previous administration, citing specific percentage decreases and describing gasoline as being “around $2.50” per gallon. First-hand inflation and pricing data published through the BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS and the ENERGY INFORMATION ADMINISTRATION confirm several key realities: inflation overall has slowed, some food categories have come down from their recent peak levels, and retail gasoline prices have declined substantially from the past several years. Egg prices in particular experienced a major spike earlier in the year and have since fallen meaningfully from those highs.

National average gasoline prices currently sit near $3.00 per gallon, with many interior states in the mid-$2 range. Local first-hand confirmation obtained directly by the Appalachian Post from a Sheetz station in Weston, West Virginia, reported 87-octane gasoline at $2.59 and Unleaded 88/E15 at $2.29, demonstrating that prices in some regions do align with the lower ranges mentioned during the meeting. However, the specific percentages cited for groceries and eggs, and the nationwide gasoline price range described verbally, do not match the exact figures published in federal datasets. We therefore document the statements as part of the meeting while relying on first-hand national data for measurable averages. Even so, it remains accurate to say that prices in several categories are moving downward, which is positive news for consumers.

Fuel prices vary significantly by region, and first-hand federal data and state-level records explain why some states, particularly California and parts of the West Coast, consistently show higher retail prices. California maintains higher state fuel taxes and fees than most states, uses a special cleaner-burning gasoline blend required under its environmental and air-quality regulations, and operates within a more limited refining and distribution network than the interior United States. These factors, documented through public state regulatory publications and federal energy reports, cause California’s average fuel prices to remain well above the national average even as prices fall across many other states.

Regarding the border, President Trump stated that illegal crossings were “zero” over the last six months. The WHITE HOUSE recording verifies that the statement was made. First-hand encounter data from U.S. CUSTOMS AND BORDER PROTECTION show a substantial decline in encounters compared to recent peak periods, but they do not record a literal figure of zero for recent months. We document the statement as part of the official event and note that federal datasets confirm significant reductions but not a fully zero-crossing condition.

The President and several Cabinet members emphasized national security issues, including narcotics trafficking and the recent maritime strike on a drug boat. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, speaking in the same video, stated that the strike was lawful, evidence-based, and essential to interdiction efforts. He referred to cartels as “designated terrorist organizations.” The statements are confirmed as part of the official remarks. First-hand designation lists maintained by the DEPARTMENT OF STATE do include several specific cartels that have been formally designated as Foreign Terrorist Organizations. However, the list does not apply universally to all cartels. We therefore record the remark as stated while relying on the exact designations published in first-hand State Department documentation.

The meeting also covered domestic policy. The President and Cabinet members referenced efforts to reduce federal regulations, expand domestic energy production, support coal and natural gas, scale back electric vehicle mandates, reform SNAP programs, enforce work requirements, and roll back DEI initiatives across departments. These statements are verified within the WHITE HOUSE video. Many of the referenced changes or reversals are reflected in active and archived entries in the FEDERAL REGISTER and on agency websites for ENERGY, EPA, AGRICULTURE, and LABOR, confirming that official filings exist. Any numerical impacts or projected effects not documented in these first-hand filings remain unverified, and our reporting treats only the confirmed filings as substantiated.

President Trump additionally referenced prescription drug pricing reforms, using terms such as “favored nations” and citing reductions ranging from 200% to 900% on certain medications. While the remarks appear clearly in the WHITE HOUSE footage, pricing documents and policy notices published through the CENTERS FOR MEDICARE & MEDICAID SERVICES describe negotiated savings in more moderate ranges. We confirm that drug pricing negotiations are underway in the formal federal program and that substantial reductions have been published for some medications, but we cannot confirm the specific numerical reductions cited in the meeting.

The meeting concluded with further remarks about national crime statistics, federal law enforcement actions, and comparisons between current and previous crime levels, including references to very low crime in Washington, D.C. National datasets published by the DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE and the FBI UNIFORM CRIME REPORTING PROGRAM show declines in several crime categories compared to prior peak years, but do not show zero-crime or near-zero-crime conditions. District-level reporting from the METROPOLITAN POLICE DEPARTMENT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA likewise documents ongoing violent and property crime, including homicides, in 2025. We therefore record the statements as part of the official event and rely on first-hand crime datasets for measurable conditions.

As with all Appalachian Post reporting, we limit our factual confirmations to what can be drawn directly from primary first-hand federal and official documentation. Statements made in the WHITE HOUSE video are recorded exactly as part of the meeting, and we do not speculate, infer, or assume data beyond published first-hand evidence. Where official datasets do not match the numerical claims made verbally, or where the data for the stated period has not yet been published, we simply report what we can confirm.

Pinned Appalachian Post Statement:
Our reporting always prioritizes first-hand government sources. Claims made in public speeches, interviews, or press events are documented as statements, not treated as verified facts unless primary evidence exists. When first-hand data cannot confirm a detail, we simply report that we could not confirm it, avoiding speculation or assumptions. Our goal is to return reporting to clarity, documentation, and transparency — the way it was intended.

Primary First-Hand Sources:
– WHITE HOUSE – Full Cabinet meeting video, December 2, 2025
– SUPREME COURT OF THE UNITED STATES – Docket information on trade and tariff authority case(s)
– DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY – Revenue and customs duties publications
– OFFICE OF MANAGEMENT AND BUDGET – Federal revenue reports
– BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS – CPI and food price index data
– ENERGY INFORMATION ADMINISTRATION – Gasoline price data
– U.S. CUSTOMS AND BORDER PROTECTION – Encounter statistics
– DEPARTMENT OF STATE – Foreign Terrorist Organization designation lists
– CENTERS FOR MEDICARE & MEDICAID SERVICES – Drug pricing program documentation
– DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE – Crime reporting
– FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION – Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) data
– METROPOLITAN POLICE DEPARTMENT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA – Local crime statistics
– Direct phone confirmation from Sheetz (Weston, WV) regarding current fuel prices

Secondary Attribution-Based Sources:
– Associated Press coverage of the meeting and political developments
– State and regional outlets carrying AP wire updates
– Policy and legal reporting summarizing tariff and emergency-power litigation
– Economic and policy analyses summarizing federal datasets