Three takeaways from Trump's State of the Union speech

Three takeaways from Trump's State of the Union speech The president gave a triumphant address celebrating his policies and gave no indication that he's chastened by his falling approval ratings, instead repeatedly taunting Democrats. President Donald Trump sparred with Democrats and touted his accomplishments. Alex Brandon / AP Share Add NBC News to Google Feb. 24, 2026, 11:31 PM EST By Sahil Kapur Listen to this article with a free account 00:00 00:00 WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump gave a triumphant State of the Union speech Tuesday, proclaiming that he has ushered in a “golden age of America” while taunting Democrats in the chamber and blaming the country’s problems on them. The speech comes at a perilous moment for Trump as his approval ratings have slipped . Americans have lost trust in him on the economy for the first time in his political career, according to a wide range of polls, presenting troubles for his party ahead of the November midterm elections. Still, Trump didn’t suggest he would adjust his domestic or foreign policies in response. On issues from immigration to the economy to foreign policy, Trump’s speech was heavy on touting his existing policies and light on offering new ones. Instead, he sounded defiant and took pride in his first year back in office while sparring with Democrats and goading them to respond to him. Respond they did, with a mix of silence, angry shouts and even mocking laughter. Here are three takeaways from his speech, which clocked in at over 1 hour and 45 minutes. Celebrating his economy Trump unabashedly celebrated the economy, touting a stock market at “all-time highs.” “We have achieved a transformation like no one has ever seen before. A turnaround for the ages,” he said. “We will never go back to where we were just a short time ago.” Trump said little to acknowledge the economic pain and pessimism that many Americans report they feel when it comes to wages and costs, instead declaring that prices are coming down. T...