With midterm elections eight months away, President Trump’s iron grip on the White House faces the potential threat of a divided government. According to PewResearch, his approval ratings have slipped by 10% since the beginning of his second term, down from 47% to 37%. The annual State of the Union is an opportunity to muster support in advance of those crucial midterms.
Trump opened his address with a declaration of the nation’s stability and strength. “When I last spoke in this chamber 12 months ago, I had just inherited a nation in crisis, with a stagnant economy, inflation at record levels, a wide-open border, horrendous recruitment for military and police, rampant crime at home, and wars and chaos all over the world,” he said. “But tonight, after just one year, I can say with dignity and pride that we have achieved a transformation like no one has ever seen before.”
He went on to tout the accomplishments of his administration — the dismantling of DEI initiatives, reductions in the price of commodities like gasoline and eggs, and the creation of private sector jobs.
“And for all of these reasons, I say tonight, members of Congress, the state of our Union is strong.” He’s said the same thing three times previously, once in each of the State of the Union addresses he gave during his first term. Besides his references to current events, like the US’s recent oil ventures with the new Venezuelan administration after the deposition of Nicolas Maduro, the opening of his speech strayed little from the talking points of his previous ones, continuing to emphasize economic growth and border security.
The New York Times notes that some of his statistical claims are untrue or exaggerated; for example, Trump claimed that zero immigrants have entered the country illegally in the past nine months. While recorded border crossings have dramatically decreased over the last year, they have not stopped entirely.
Trump made several references to the United States’ founding and its upcoming 250th anniversary. He introduced a number of guests, many of them military servicepeople or honored civilians, and announced the presentation of several awards — including the Legion of Merit for Extraordinary Heroism, given to Coast Guard member Scott Ruskin; the Congressional Medal of Honor, given to Chief Warrant Officer Eric Slover and veteran Royce Williams; and a purple heart, given posthumously to National Guard member Andrew Wolfe.
Other guests in attendance included the American men’s hockey team, who won gold at the Winter Olympic Games, and Erika Kirk, Charlie Kirk’s widow. Trump addressed the killing of Kirk, referring to him as a “martyr” and condemning acts of political violence. Connor Hellebuyck, goalie of the Men’s Hockey team, was presented the Medal of Presidential Freedom.
Regarding his recent tariff policies — which were in part nullified by what Trump called an “unfortunate ruling” by the Supreme Court — Trump said that he would work to keep tariffs in place under “alternative legal statutes.”
“The good news is that almost all countries and corporations want to keep the deal that they already made,” he said, “knowing that the legal power that I, as president, have to make a new deal could be far worse for them, and therefore they will continue to work along the same successful path we negotiated before the Supreme Court’s unfortunate involvement.”
As is often the case in Trump’s speeches, illegal immigration was highly emphasized. He highlighted individual crimes perpetrated by immigrants, with several victims of such crimes being present in the audience.
“Many if not most illegal aliens do not speak English and cannot read even the most basic road signs as to direction, speed, danger or location,” he said. “That’s why tonight I’m calling on Congress to pass what we will call the Delilah Law, barring any state from granting commercial driver’s licenses to illegal aliens.”
In addition to the Delilah Law, Trump called on Congress to pass several other pieces of legislation: the Save America Act, which would require photo ID and proof of citizenship for all voters and heavily restrict mail-in ballots; his Most-Favored-Nation Plan, intended to cut consumer drug prices; and the Stop Insider Trading Act, which would impose restrictions on the purchase of stocks by members of Congress. He called for an end to sanctuary cities and retribution for officials who enable the harboring of immigrants.
At multiple points Republicans erupted into “U.S.A” chants, and at one point chanted Charlie Kirk’s name. The Democratic side of the chamber was silent for the majority of the address. At times Trump goaded them for refusing to stand and applaud. “These people are crazy. I’m telling you, they’re crazy,” he said.
When Democrats stood and applauded in support of the Stop Insider Trading Act, Trump called out Democratic representative Nancy Pelosi. “Did Nancy Pelosi stand up, if she’s here?” he said. “Doubt it.”
Trump also declared that Vice President J.D. Vance would be leading a “war on fraud,” seeking to eliminate financial fraud allegedly committed by communities of illegal migrants.
In global affairs his messaging was best exemplified by his statement of “peace through strength.” He justified the United States’ heightened military spending and involvement in extranational conflicts — like its Air Force strikes on Iranian nuclear development sites, its actions against Mexican drug cartels, and its ousting of Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro — as necessities for national security.
The address totalled one hour and 48 minutes in length, the longest State of the Union ever given. Trump concluded his speech with a proclamation of American invention and ingenuity. “From the historic streets of Philadelphia to right here in our nation’s capital, Washington, D.C., the golden age of America is upon us,” he said.
Featured image: White House
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