President-elect Donald Trump’s Dec. 16, 2024, press conference at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Florida, offered a mixed bag of pronouncements and vague promises. He committed to maintaining the availability of the polio vaccine throughout his presidency but stopped short of guaranteeing similar protection for other vaccines, stating his administration would scrutinize vaccine safety—a process already undertaken by the FDA.
The hour-long event also saw Trump hint at privatizing the Postal Service and announce his intention to sue *The Des Moines Register* over a pre-election poll showing him trailing Vice President Kamala Harris. He further claimed he would resolve the ongoing conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East, offering no specifics on how he planned to achieve these ambitious goals. “Starting on day one, we’ll implement a rapid series of bold reforms to restore our nation to full prosperity,” he declared, aiming to rebuild the economy to its previous state.
Trump expressed confidence that his nominee for Health and Human Services Secretary, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., despite his history of vaccine skepticism, would be “much less radical” than anticipated. He indicated that Kennedy and other officials would submit reports on vaccines, though he remained silent on potential subsequent actions. While expressing his aversion to vaccine mandates, he avoided committing to changes in existing federal vaccine policies, such as those within the Department of Defense. He also stated a desire to investigate the rise in autism rates, despite established scientific consensus refuting any link to vaccines. Further, he promised to explore ways to reduce healthcare and prescription drug costs but offered no concrete plans.
The press conference also served as a platform for Trump to reiterate his grievances against several news organizations. He announced plans to file multiple lawsuits, including against Iowa pollster J. Ann Selzer, *60 Minutes*, and the Pulitzer Prize organization, citing perceived injustices and election interference. He specifically targeted Selzer’s pre-election poll, which showed Harris ahead in Iowa, a state Trump ultimately won. Selzer, however, maintained the poll’s integrity, attributing the discrepancy to higher than expected voter turnout for Trump. The Pulitzer Prize Board had previously dismissed Trump’s calls to revoke the 2018 National Reporting awards given to the *New York Times* and *Washington Post*.
Regarding international affairs, Trump briefly addressed the Israel-Gaza war and the war in Ukraine, stating his belief in Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s competence and expressing optimism about a peaceful Middle East. He also criticized the Biden administration’s policy allowing Ukraine to strike within Russian territory, suggesting a potential reversal of this policy. His comments on the Israel-Hamas conflict, specifically his threat of “hell to pay” if hostages weren’t released, remained vague.
Numerous questions regarding his policy intentions remained unanswered. Trump offered no concrete plans for privatizing the Postal Service, addressing TikTok’s operational future in the US, or responding to potential Republican primary challenges from senators opposing his nominees. While he extended an invitation to Chinese President Xi Jinping for his inauguration, he remained noncommittal on Xi’s attendance. Despite these ambiguities, Trump ended by calling Xi “an amazing person.”