Donald Trump delivered the longest State of the Union address in history on Tuesday, touting what he called a new “golden age” for America. With midterm elections looming and approval ratings slipping, the president focused heavily on defending his economic record.
Speaking before Congress, Trump spent the first hour of his 1-hour and 47-minute speech highlighting economic achievements.
He claimed to have curbed inflation, pushed the stock market to record highs, enacted sweeping tax cuts and lowered drug prices.
“Our nation is back — bigger, better, richer and stronger than ever before,” Trump said, as Republican lawmakers chanted “USA, USA.” Dozens of Democratic seats remained empty, as many boycotted the speech in favor of anti-Trump rallies outside.
According to a recent Reuters/Ipsos poll, only 36% of Americans approve of his handling of the economy.
Inflation claims meet economic data
While Trump said inflation is “plummeting,” recent data showed the economy slowed more than expected last quarter and inflation accelerated.
Prices for groceries, housing, insurance and utilities remain significantly higher than they were a few years ago, fueling voter frustration over the cost of living.
Democrats are aiming to capitalize on those concerns in November’s midterm elections, when all 435 House seats and about one-third of the 100 Senate seats will be contested.
Trump largely stuck to his prepared script, avoiding many of his typical digressions.
He refrained from directly attacking the Supreme Court of the United States, which recently struck down his signature tariff regime. Instead of personal insults, he called the ruling “unfortunate” and shook hands with the justices present.
The speech broke the record he set last year for the longest presidential address to Congress.
Limited focus on foreign policy and Iran
Despite ongoing global tensions, foreign policy received little attention in the first 90 minutes of the speech.
Trump reiterated that he had “ended” eight wars — a claim critics dispute — and made only brief mention of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, even as the fourth anniversary of Russia’s invasion passed.
On Iran, he offered no detailed strategy. “My preference is to solve this problem through diplomacy,” he said, while insisting he would never allow Tehran to obtain a nuclear weapon.
Heated clashes over immigration
The tone sharpened when Trump turned to immigration, repeating campaign rhetoric that undocumented migrants were driving violent crime.
“You should be ashamed,” he told Democrats, criticizing them for opposing funding for the Department of Homeland Security unless immigration enforcement tactics are curbed.
Democratic Representative Ilhan Omar shouted, “You have killed Americans!” referencing controversial enforcement incidents.
Meanwhile, Representative Al Green was removed from the chamber for the second consecutive year after waving a protest sign directed at the president.
Other Democrats staged quieter protests. Representative Jill Tokuda wore a white jacket emblazoned with words such as “affordability” and “healthcare.”
Election integrity
Trump again attacked Democrats over voter identification laws, claiming they “want to cheat,” a charge Democrats deny.
Several Democratic lawmakers wore “release the files” tags, referencing records tied to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Around a dozen Epstein accusers attended the speech as guests of Democrats.
In characteristic fashion, Trump ended the night on a celebratory note, praising what he described as widespread national “winning.”
He introduced the U.S. men’s ice hockey team, fresh off a gold medal victory at the Winter Olympics, before concluding just before 11 p.m. ET.
