Trump hails ‘golden age’ in State of the Union as voters sour on economy
#State of the Union#Donald Trump#Economy#Midterm elections#Inflation#Immigration#Iran#Poll ratings
📌 Key Takeaways
Trump claimed to have created 'the golden age of America' despite negative voter sentiment on the economy
The speech came amid a challenging political landscape with sagging approval ratings and rising tensions over Iran
Trump focused on economic achievements while facing criticism for not addressing affordability concerns
Democrats offered strong rebuttals and various forms of protest during and after the address
📖 Full Retelling
U.S. President Donald Trump boasted in his State of the Union address on Tuesday in Washington that he had ushered in 'the golden age of America,' seeking to project an aura of success despite sagging approval ratings and deepening voter frustration ahead of November's midterm election. The speech came at a fraught moment for Trump's presidency, with polls showing a majority of Americans have soured on his performance and anxieties rising over Iran. Trump spent the first hour focused on the economy, claiming he had slowed inflation, driven the stock market to record heights, signed sweeping tax cuts, and lowered drug prices. However, he faced challenges as opinion polls show voters hold him responsible for not doing more to ease an affordability crisis after he campaigned relentlessly on the issue. Throughout the approximately hour and 47-minute speech—breaking his own record for the longest presidential address to Congress—Trump was mostly disciplined, sticking to prepared remarks rather than his usual stream-of-consciousness digressions. Despite Trump's optimistic economic claims, a Reuters/Ipsos poll found only 36% of Americans approve of his handling of the economy. Virginia Governor Abigail Spanberger delivered the Democratic response, criticizing Trump for abandoning struggling Americans and asking, 'Is the president working to make life more affordable for you and your family? We all know the answer is no.' Trump avoided discussing artificial intelligence, China, Greenland, or Ukraine despite marking the fourth anniversary of Russia's invasion. When addressing immigration, Trump repeated his usual rhetoric about undocumented migrants being responsible for violent crime, drawing shouts from Democratic Representative Ilhan Omar who accused him of killing Americans.
🏷️ Themes
Political polarization, Economic messaging, Immigration policy
Annual report by the president of the United States
The State of the Union address (sometimes abbreviated to SOTU) is an annual message delivered by the president of the United States to a joint session of the United States Congress near the beginning of most calendar years on the current condition of the nation. The speech generally includes reports...
In economics, inflation is an increase in the average price of goods and services in terms of money. This increase is measured using a price index, typically a consumer price index (CPI). When the general price level rises, each unit of currency buys fewer goods and services; consequently, inflation...
Area of production, distribution, trade of, and consumption of goods and services
An economy is an area of the production, distribution and trade, as well as consumption of goods and services. In general, it is defined as a social domain that emphasize the practices, discourses, and material expressions associated with the production, use, and management of resources. A given eco...
Apart from general elections and by-elections, a midterm election refers to a type of election where the people can elect their representatives and other subnational officeholders (e.g. governor, members of local council) in the middle of the term of the executive. This is usually used to describe e...
President of the United States (2017–2021; since 2025)
Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who is the 47th president of the United States. A member of the Republican Party, he served as the 45th president from 2017 to 2021.
Born into a wealthy New York City family, Trump graduated from the...
try{ var _=i o; . if(!_||_&&typeof _==="object"&&_.expiry Gold prices rise 1% as tariff jitters aid haven demand; silver, platinum rally AMD stock surges 14% on Meta AI partnership deal Bitcoin slips, wipes out 50% from October record high at session low Wall Street ends higher on tech rebound ahead of State of the Union address (South Africa Philippines Nigeria) Trump hails ‘golden age’ in State of the Union as voters sour on economy By Reuters Politics Published 02/25/2026, 03:33 AM Updated 02/25/2026, 03:36 AM Trump hails ‘golden age’ in State of the Union as voters sour on economy 0 By Katharine Jackson and Joseph Ax WASHINGTON, Feb 24 - U.S. President Donald Trump boasted in his State of the Union address on Tuesday that he had ushered in "the golden age of America," seeking to project an aura of success despite sagging approval ratings and deepening voter frustration ahead of November’s midterm election. Heeding calls from Republican lawmakers worried they could lose their congressional majority later this year, Trump spent the first hour of his televised speech focused on the economy, saying he had slowed inflation, driven the stock market to record heights, signed sweeping tax cuts and lowered drug prices. But it was unclear whether his rosy assessment would assuage Americans’ anger about the cost of living. Trump sought to blame his Democratic predecessor, Joe Biden, for high prices, but opinion polls show voters hold Trump responsible for not doing more to ease an affordability crisis after he campaigned relentlessly on the issue. "Our nation is back -- bigger, better, richer and stronger than ever before," Trump said after taking the stage to cheers of "USA, USA" from fellow Republicans in Congress, with dozens of empty seats on the Democratic side a reminder that many lawmakers skipped the speech for anti-Trump rallies outside. The annual speech to Congress came at a fraught moment for Trump’s presidency, with polls showing a majority of Americans have s...
