US President Donald Trump delivered the longest State of the Union address in history on Tuesday night, highlighting a series of policies on the US economy, crime, trade, immigration and foreign policy, all of which he said contributed to a “turn around for the better.”
His first speech in his second term lasted one hour and 48 minutes, beating the record of one hour and 28 minutes set by former President Bill Clinton in 2000.
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“Our country is back. Bigger, better, richer and stronger than ever before,” President Trump said at the beginning of his speech.
He ended his speech with a similar sentiment. “Our future will be bigger, better, brighter, bolder and more glorious than ever before.”
It remains to be seen how this sentiment will resonate with voters, as the president’s approval ratings have slumped in recent weeks to their lowest since the start of his second term.
It’s also unclear whether President Trump’s claims of success will provide the momentum Republicans need to retain their House and Senate majorities in the November midterm elections, which will largely determine his ability to implement policy in the coming years.
Here are some key moments from the speech.
President Trump says economy is ‘doing well’
One of the main objectives of President Trump’s speech was to tout his stewardship of the U.S. economy, which has been controversial over the past 13 months.
Mr. Trump pointed to continued strength on Wall Street and solid job numbers, but denied that economic growth would be slower than expected in 2025.
Inflation has eased somewhat, but it hasn’t completely “collapsed” as Trump says. For example, food prices remain 2.9% higher than a year ago, according to January data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
The President then turned to the issue of “affordability,” which proved to be a difficult topic for him. Polls show many Americans continue to struggle with the high cost of living and confidence in President Trump’s economic leadership has declined.
Trump blamed the affordability problem primarily on Democrats, including former President Joe Biden, whose term ended more than a year ago when Trump took office.
“Their policies created high prices, and our policies are rapidly ending high prices,” Trump said.
President Trump also praised his website TrumpRx, which has the potential to provide cheaper drugs online to people without insurance.
He said he has signed agreements with tech companies to keep utility costs low despite the demand for AI data centers. He also cited an executive order restricting Wall Street investment firms from purchasing single-family homes in bulk.
President remains defiant after tariff ruling
President Trump remains defiant after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled last week that most reciprocal tariffs announced last year were illegal.
The ruling was the Supreme Court’s most significant setback to President Trump’s policies.
President Trump said, “Just four days ago, the U.S. Supreme Court handed down a disappointing ruling. It’s a very disappointing ruling.”
As he entered the chamber, he greeted the four Supreme Court justices in attendance, including his appointees Neil Gorsuch and Amy Coney Barrett.
On Tuesday, new 10% global tariffs went into effect based on what President Trump described as “a fully approved and tested alternative legislation.” President Trump has said he wants to raise this to 15%.
He added that “no action by Congress is needed” to keep the tariffs in place.
Democrats protest President Trump’s immigration policies
Mr. Trump focused on hard-line immigration policies, especially closing the U.S. border.
He continues to associate immigrants with higher crime rates, even though research shows that immigrants have lower crime rates than U.S. citizens.
President Trump reiterated that fraud is rampant in the Somali-American community, referring to the “Somali pirates who plundered Minnesota.”
Trump also asked attendees to stand if they agreed that “the first duty of the American government is to protect the American people, not to protect illegal aliens.”
This prompted heckling from Democrats Ilhan Omar, a Somali-American, and Rashida Tlaib, a Palestinian-American.
“You killed Americans,” cried Omar, who represents a district in Minnesota where two Americans were killed by immigration agents in January.
Earlier that night, Rep. Al Green was escorted from the chamber after holding a protest sign referencing a racist video posted on President Trump’s Truth social account that depicted former President Barack Obama and his wife Michelle as monkeys.
Beyond policy debates on the economy and immigration, President Trump has pivoted to a highly partisan appeal for Republican control of Congress.
He framed the upcoming midterm elections as a rescue mission. He labeled Democratic lawmakers “crazy,” accused them of “destroying this country,” and claimed the administration intervened at the “last minute.”
Throughout the speech, he repeatedly denounced his political opponents as anti-American actors who were against the nation’s best interests.
President Trump says Iran will not promise to ban nuclear weapons
The president addressed tensions with Iran amid the largest U.S. military buildup in the Middle East since the 2003 invasion of Iraq.
Days after U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff said Iran could be “a week” away from developing a nuclear weapon, he again claimed that last year’s U.S. attack “annihilated Iran’s nuclear weapons program.”
President Trump has stepped up his threats against Iran following the country’s recent crackdown on protesters, but has said he would prefer to find a diplomatic solution.
President Trump said, “I have not heard the secret words, “We will never have nuclear weapons.”
Iran’s top diplomat, Abbas Araghchi, posted X hours before President Trump’s speech, saying, “Iran will not develop nuclear weapons under any circumstances.” Iranian officials have repeatedly denied seeking nuclear weapons.
President Trump also claimed that Iran is “working on building missiles that will soon reach the United States.”
A made-for-TV moment
Mr. Trump has built a career on reality TV, and even during speeches he has a keen eye for when to turn on camera.
President Trump at one point referred to the United States’ abduction of Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro, praising it as a “huge victory for American national security.” He added that the United States has “received more than 80 million barrels of oil from our new friend and partner, Venezuela.”
The US president then introduced Enrique Marquez, a Venezuelan opposition lawmaker who was released by President Delcy Rodríguez’s government shortly after President Maduro’s abduction.
President Trump addressed the woman, whom he identified as Marquez’s niece, “Alejandra,” and said, “I am happy to inform you that not only has your uncle been released, but that he is here tonight. We have brought him here to celebrate his freedom with you in person.”
President Trump also awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor to Warrant Officer Eric Slober, who was wounded in the attack that kidnapped President Maduro.
That night, President Trump awarded the highest civilian honor, the Presidential Medal of Freedom, to Connor Hellebuyck, a goaltender for the U.S. men’s hockey team.
President Trump had invited the team that won the gold medal against Canada at the Olympics to give a speech as guests.
Democratic Party’s reaction
Dozens of Democrats boycotted President Trump’s speech and attended a backstage show instead.
The party’s official rebuttal was delivered by Virginia Governor Abigail Spanberger.
Spanberger said U.S. businesses have been hurt by President Trump’s tariffs, communities are living under President Trump’s mass deportation policies, and residents continue to struggle with affordability issues.
“Americans at home know that they can demand more and that we are working to reduce costs,” she said. “We work to keep our communities and country safe, and we work for you.”
