Recapping Trump's State of the Union address: From the Politics Desk

President Donald Trump delivered a triumphant yet contentious State of the Union address before Congress in Washington D.C. on February 25, 2026, at a time when his approval ratings have slipped and Americans have lost trust in him on the economy for the first time in his political career. The 1 hour and 47-minute speech, described as record-length, saw Trump proclaiming he had ushered in a 'golden age of America' while taunting Democrats in the House chamber and blaming the country's problems on them. Despite presenting challenges for his party ahead of the November midterm elections, Trump showed no indication he would adjust his domestic or foreign policies in response to growing economic concerns among voters. The address was heavy on touting existing policies and light on offering new ones, with Trump extending no olive branches to opposition lawmakers. During the speech, Trump unabashedly celebrated the economy, pointing to a stock market at 'all-time highs' and declaring 'We have achieved a transformation like no one has ever seen before.' He largely ignored the economic pain many Americans reported regarding wages and costs, instead claiming prices are coming down and attributing any problems to his predecessor and congressional Democrats. On immigration, Trump took credit for his crackdown, boasting of slashing illegal immigration and creating 'the strongest border in American history by far.' He dedicated significant time to highlighting victims of violence committed by people in the U.S. illegally, with some family members seated in the audience. However, Trump notably avoided mentioning Alex Pretti and Renee Good, American citizens killed by federal agents in Minneapolis, an omission underscored when Rep. Norma Torres displayed their photos. The address reached a tense moment when Reps. Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib repeatedly shouted at Trump: 'You have killed Americans.' Throughout the speech, Trump clashed with Democrats, blaming them for high costs, inflation, and what he called the 'green new scam,' while showing indignation at perceptions he hasn't delivered on promises to quickly lower prices.