In a speech that set a new personal record at 1 hour and 48 minutes, President Donald Trump painted a triumphant picture of the country during his first official State of the Union address of his second term. Speaking under the banner “America at 250: Strong, Prosperous and Respected,” he declared, “Our nation is back, bigger, better, richer and stronger than ever before. After just one year, I can say with dignity and pride that we have achieved a transformation like no one has ever seen before, and a turnaround for the ages. It is indeed a turnaround for the ages.”
The address came as public polling shows slipping support for the president on key issues, particularly the economy, with midterm elections less than nine months away. Trump devoted much of the night to economic themes, insisting, “The roaring economy is roaring like never before,” and pointing to what he described as lower gas prices, a surging stock market and oil shipments from Venezuela.
He also defended his tariff policies, despite a recent 6-3 ruling from the Supreme Court of the United States that found he overstepped his authority under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act. Calling the decision “unfortunate,” Trump maintained the tariffs “took in hundreds of billions of dollars to make great deals for our country,” adding that they caused “no inflation” and spurred “tremendous growth.”
Democrats quickly disputed those claims. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer wrote on X, “Higher costs, tariff taxes, higher healthcare premiums — how is this making life more affordable for Americans?” Sen. Elizabeth Warren asked, “Donald Trump called this the ‘golden age of America.’ For who?” Rep. Brendan Boyle criticized the tariffs as a “national sales tax.”
Trump also announced a plan requiring major tech companies to generate their own power to offset rising electricity demand from AI data centers, promising household rates would not increase and could even fall.
On immigration, Trump sharply rebuked Democrats, accusing them of enabling what he called a “border invasion.” He blamed them for a partial shutdown that has stalled funding for the Department of Homeland Security, where lawmakers are seeking new guardrails for masked agents conducting immigration enforcement operations.
Challenging Democrats to stand if they believed “the first duty of the American government is to protect American citizens, not illegal aliens,” Trump chastised those who remained seated: “You should be ashamed of yourself not standing up.” The remark triggered jeers from several lawmakers, including Rep. Ilhan Omar and Rep. Norma Torres, amid controversy over deaths linked to enforcement actions.
Turning abroad, Trump said his “preference” is diplomacy with Iran to curb its nuclear ambitions, while pledging he would “never” allow the country to acquire a nuclear weapon. “My preference is to solve this problem through diplomacy, but one thing is certain — I will never allow the world’s number one sponsor of terror to have a nuclear weapon. Can’t let that happen.”
During the speech, Trump honored Olympic gold medalists from the U.S. men’s hockey team, fresh off their victory over Canada in Milan — the program’s first gold since the 1980 “Miracle on Ice.” He announced that several players, including Jack and Quinn Hughes and Connor Hellebuyck, would receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
In addition, Trump awarded the Medal of Honor to retired Navy Capt. E. Royce Williams and Army Chief Warrant Officer 5 Eric Slover, joking afterward about giving the decoration to himself.
Closing on a sweeping historical note, Trump said, “These first 250 years were just the beginning,” adding that the “golden age of America is now upon us.” He declared, “The revolution that began in 1776 has not ended — it still continues, because the flame of liberty and independence still burns in the hearts of every American patriot.”
He did not address the ongoing controversy surrounding Jeffrey Epstein, though several survivors and their families attended as guests of Democratic lawmakers.
In the official Democratic response, Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger argued that “we did not hear the truth from our president,” focusing her remarks on affordability and accusing the administration of creating instability. Her rebuttal underscored Democrats’ broader campaign message heading into the midterms: that everyday costs, not rhetoric, remain voters’ top concern.
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