24-hour lightning "gift package"! Trump works hard to attract voters at the end of the year, covering military personnel, civil servants, the cannabis industry, and the aerospace sector

U.S. President Donald Trump has rolled out several welfare measures within approximately 24 hours. He announced a "warrior bonus" of $1,776 for active-duty military personnel, unprecedentedly granted federal government employees an additional two days off for Christmas, and signed significant executive orders to relax cannabis regulations and restart the moon landing program.

These measures come as Trump faces dual pressures of declining approval ratings and economic uncertainty. A poll by Ipsos shows his approval rating has dropped to 39%. Republican strategist Annalyse Keller told Bloomberg Television that the Republican Party recognizes the challenges it faces regarding the cost of living and midterm election issues.

Trump also promised to unveil a housing reform plan soon. This Friday, the Trump administration announced that nine pharmaceutical giants, including Novartis and Merck, have reached a drug price discount agreement. These intensive policy announcements are seen as efforts to reverse unfavorable public opinion and build momentum for the 2026 midterm elections.

Housing, energy prices, and cost of living issues are expected to be central topics in the 2026 Congressional midterm elections. If the Republican Party loses control of one or both chambers of Congress, the Democrats will gain greater power to investigate the White House and may even pursue a third impeachment of Trump.

$1,776 "Warrior Bonus" for Military Personnel

Trump announced in a nationwide televised address on Wednesday evening that 1.45 million military personnel will receive a special subsidy of $1,776 before Christmas, a figure symbolizing the year of America's founding. He referred to this payment as the "warrior bonus" and stated, "Checks are on the way."

A government official later revealed to the media that U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has instructed the department to pay $2.6 billion as a "one-time basic housing allowance" to all eligible military personnel at the O-6 rank and below. Approximately 1.28 million active-duty military personnel and 174,000 reservists will receive this subsidy.

Trump attributed this expenditure to additional revenue from tariffs, although he did not specify the source of the funds directly. The aforementioned official disclosed that, according to the Trump policy agenda passed by Congress this summer, the Department of Defense received $2.9 billion in funding to supplement the basic housing allowance.

Unprecedented Five-Day Christmas Holiday for Federal Employees

On Thursday afternoon, Trump signed an executive order granting most federal employees two additional days off on December 24 and December 26. For many, this effectively creates a five-day holiday, including Christmas Day and the weekend.

This is the first time in recent years that federal employees have received two extra days off around Christmas. While the president typically approves a day off either before or after Christmas, it is uncommon to approve two days simultaneously.

The executive order stipulates that all federal government departments and agencies will be closed on these two days, and employees will be exempt from duty. Nevertheless, agency heads retain the authority to decide whether certain offices remain open due to "national security, defense, or other urgent public needs."

Last year, former President Biden only granted federal employees one day off on Christmas Eve. The last time Christmas fell on a Thursday was in 2014, when then-President Obama only approved a day off on December 26. Bloomberg reported that this decision will not benefit most private sector employees, as both the New York Stock Exchange and Nasdaq stated they would operate normally on December 26

Cannabis and Space Industries Receive Policy Support

On Thursday, Trump signed an executive order directing the Department of Justice to initiate the process of reclassifying cannabis from the most strictly regulated Schedule I substance to Schedule III. Currently, cannabis is classified alongside diacetylmorphine, commonly known as heroin, and psychedelics as a Schedule I substance. After the adjustment, it will be categorized as a drug with recognized medical uses and lower potential for addiction.

Trump mentioned the executive order, stating, "Many people have begged me to do this; they are people who have suffered greatly for decades."

Media reports indicate that before making the decision, Trump discussed the plan with Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and the Director of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Mehmet Oz, as well as cannabis industry leaders, including Trulieve Cannabis Corp. CEO Kim Rivers.

This decision signifies a significant victory for the cannabis industry. The reclassification will pave the way for more clinical research and FDA review of cannabis-based medications and eliminate the punitive tax rule known as 280E, which prohibits companies dealing with federally illegal substances from deducting ordinary expenses.

On Thursday, Trump also signed an executive order aimed at returning astronauts to the Moon through NASA's Artemis program. The directive reinforces NASA's current plan to send Americans back to the Moon by 2028 and to begin establishing a permanent lunar base by 2030. The order also calls for the development of capabilities to detect and track American threats in low Earth orbit and lunar space by 2028.

The order also requires the dissolution of the National Space Council, transferring its powers to the Office of Science and Technology Policy. NASA's Artemis lunar program is expected to cost $93 billion by 2025, having completed only one mission so far, with the first lunar landing date repeatedly postponed.

Commitment to Housing Reform and Drug Price Agreements

On Thursday, Trump pledged to soon unveil a housing reform plan to address the worsening housing affordability crisis. In a nearly 20-minute prime-time television address on Wednesday night, he also claimed that inflation "has stopped" and predicted that "electricity and all prices will drop significantly."

However, the core Consumer Price Index rose by 2.6% in November, and economists believe this rate may be underestimated. Electricity prices increased by over 10% in the first eight months of 2025, marking one of the largest increases in over a decade.

This Friday, major pharmaceutical companies based in the U.S. and Europe signed an agreement with the Trump administration to voluntarily reduce drug prices. These companies include Merck, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Amgen, Gilead, GlaxoSmithKline, Sanofi, Genentech (a subsidiary of Roche), privately held Boehringer Ingelheim, and Novartis.

This summer, the Trump administration sent letters to 17 pharmaceutical companies requesting them to lower costs for government insurance programs, provide drugs through a direct-to-consumer platform branded by Trump, and align future prices with those charged abroad. In exchange, these companies will receive years of tariff exemptions and some relief from potential regulatory actions Novartis has committed to investing $23 billion in the United States over the next five years, while Roche has pledged to invest $50 billion. Previously, Pfizer and AstraZeneca received tariff exemptions, but most companies that received letters from Trump have yet to announce agreements.

Election Dilemma Under Economic Pressure

Trump's intensive policy offensive comes as he faces multiple challenges. The non-farm payroll report released by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics this Tuesday showed that the unemployment rate in the U.S. rose to 4.6% in November, the highest level since October 2021, with a total of about 7.83 million unemployed, significantly higher than the same period last year.

Xinhua News Agency cited several recent polls reflecting the difficulties faced by the Trump administration:

• A Politico poll indicated that nearly half of respondents felt significant pressure regarding food purchases, utility bills, medical expenses, housing, and transportation costs.
• A poll by Reuters and Ipsos showed that only 33% of American adults approve of the Trump administration's economic policies, the lowest level during Trump's second term.
• According to a poll by National Public Radio, about 60% of respondents feel pessimistic about next year, with more than half believing that the U.S. is already in a recession. Even among Trump's core supporters—the "Make America Great Again" (MAGA) camp—his approval rating has dropped by 8 percentage points since April of this year.

White House insiders told Politico that there is a growing consensus within the White House that the Republican Party may lose control of Congress in next year's midterm elections, partly due to the Trump administration's failure to fulfill economic promises. Trump had proposed grander plans, including sending $2,000 checks to all Americans, permanently eliminating income tax, and lowering interest rates to zero, but these ideas cannot be implemented unilaterally and require fiscal policy levers controlled by Congress or decisions from the Federal Reserve's Open Market Committee.

Democratic Senator Mark Warner described Trump's national address as a "sad attempt to divert attention." Xinhua News Agency reported comments from economist Paul Krugman, stating that while it cannot be definitively said that the U.S. economy is in recession, some economic data are showing "pre-recession" characteristics, and the current reality is completely at odds with the economic picture painted by Trump