Trump’s record ‘golden age’ State of the Union speech touts wins, jabs foes
President Donald Trump’s State of the Union address carried the same familiar grandiosity that he’s spoken with for decades.
“This is the golden age of America,” Trump said Tuesday night. “It is indeed a turnaround for the ages. And we will never go back to where we were just a very short time ago.”
The address, Trump’s first of his second term, lasted one hour and 48 minutes, making it the longest speech to a joint session of Congress in modern history.
He touched on the coming July 4 milestone of the nation’s 250th birthday, marking “two and a half centuries of liberty and triumph, progress and freedom, in the most incredible and exceptional nation ever to exist on the face of the Earth.”
Trump’s speech wasn’t short on political jabs directed at the left side of the aisle.
“These people are crazy,” he said in a sharp staccato while gesturing toward Democrats for not applauding the mention of a proposed ban on transgender surgeries.
Trump highlighted lower core inflation rates, gas prices and a virtual halt in illegal immigration into the country since his term began. He touted a strong run of stock market performance, foreign investment commitments and falling mortgage rates.
“A short time ago, we were a dead country,” Trump said. “Now we’re the hottest country anywhere in the world.”
Practice run for midterms
The speech is widely seen as a test run for messaging the GOP will use leading up to the November midterm elections. Republicans are hoping to keep their narrow control of both the House and Senate, but history isn’t on their side.
The president’s party typically loses seats in the midterm election, and Republicans have fewer to give up than the Cook Political Report is projecting they’ll lose this fall. According to NPR, the president’s party has lost an average of 27 seats in the House and four in the Senate in the midterms. That trend dates back to World War II.
Furthermore, Trump’s popularity appears to be waning. The latest NPR/PBS News/Marist poll found that 55% of respondents thought Trump was changing the country for the worse. It’s a 9% increase from January 2021, when Trump delivered the last State of the Union address of his first term.
Tariffs
Trump called the Supreme Court opinion ruling his tariffs unconstitutional a “very unfortunate ruling.” He announced plans to move forward with alternate tariff methods that he said would withstand legal scrutiny.
He claimed tariff revenue would “substantially replace the modern-day system of income tax.”
Trump said most countries want to keep the deals they struck with the U.S. because he said they feared a worse deal. He didn’t address any calls for tariff refunds.
Chief Justice John Roberts and Associate Justices Elena Kagan, Brett Kavanaugh and Amy Coney-Barrett attended Trump’s address.
Plans, priorities, accusations and revelations
Many of Trump’s proposals focused on affordability.
On health care, the president proposed a method for passing medical spending from the industry to consumers to spend on care.
“I want to stop all payments to big insurance companies and instead give that money directly to the people so they can buy their own health care,” he said. The plan needs congressional approval.
On electricity, Trump said he would require Big Tech companies to keep consumer prices down. He says his “rate payer protection pledges” will make data center operators pay for any spikes in rates caused by the greater demand.
Trump announced the country had received more than 80 billion barrels of oil from Venezuela, which saw its leader, Nicolás Maduro, captured by U.S. forces last month and whisked away to the United States to stand trial.
Trump keyed in on Congress profiting from making trades using insider information.
“Pass the Stop Insider Trading Act without delay,” Trump said.
He called for Congress to pass a new law barring states from issuing drivers’ licenses to unauthorized immigrants.
“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.
He called for the restoration of Department of Homeland Security funding that’s left in limbo due to a congressional impasse.
He reiterated his calls to pass the SAVE America Act, an elections bill that would put broad voter ID and citizenship requirements at the ballot.
Trump later announced Vice President J.D. Vance would spearhead a “war on fraud” after listing off alleged fraud in states run by Democratic majorities.
Empty Democratic seats
Democrats, who were previously vocal in their opposition to Trump in his last speech before Congress, were more subdued or simply absent.
Many on the left side of the aisle chose not to attend the speech, including Rep. Katherine Clark, the House Democratic whip.
More than a dozen instead attended a rally on the National Mall.
As he had in previous years, U.S. Rep. Al Green, D-Texas, was ushered out of the chambers by the House Sergeant at Arms after an outburst early in Trump’s speech.
Minnesota Rep. Ilhan Omar and Michigan Rep. Rashida Tlaib also called out during the address, drawing warnings from the presiding officer but remaining in the chamber.
Official Democratic response
Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger gave the official Democratic response. The newly-minted governor sang the same tune that carried her into office last November: that Democrats can make life more affordable.
“We did not hear the truth from our president,” she said, hammering home cost increases from tariffs and other Republican policies.
“Is the president working to make life more affordable for you and your family?” she asked.
Spanberger said Trump’s “reckless” trade policies have cost Americans thousands per household and upended the American economy.
She said Democrats offer a plan to lower costs, citing the effects of Trump’s “One Big Beautiful Bill” Act.
She criticized Trump’s deportation efforts, saying ICE has invaded communities across the country.
“Our broken immigration system is something to be fixed, not an excuse for unaccountable federal agents to terrorize our communities,” Spanberger said.
Guests
Later in his address, Trump presented Army Chief Warrant Officer Eric Slover with the Medal of Honor for his actions during the raid to capture Maduro.
Also receiving the Medal of Honor Tuesday night was retired Navy Captain E. Royce Williams. The 100-year-old Korean War veteran took on seven Soviet MiG fighter jets in 1952 in what was called the longest dogfight in American military history.
He shot down four before taking fire and landing on an aircraft carrier at high speed. The open combat with the Russians was kept secret for years until it came to light when the Soviet Union collapsed.
The parents of Sarah Beckstrom, the National Guard member killed while patrolling near the White House a day before Thanksgiving, were also guests of Trump’s.
Trump also invited the U.S. Men’s hockey team. The gold-medal winners met with Trump earlier in the day.
Trump announced goalie Connor Hellebuyck would receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom for his performance in the Olympic Games. The women’s team declined the visit after Trump was criticized for remarks about inviting them. The team cited “scheduling issues,” though Trump said the ladies would be joining him in the White House soon.
Dani Bensky was a guest of Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y. She claims to be one of the many women sexually assaulted by Jeffrey Epstein.
Bensky is one of the Democrats’ several guests who all say they were victims of Epstein’s sex crimes. Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., who is one of the authors of the Epstein Transparency Act, invited Haley Robson, who said Epstein began trafficking her when she was just 16.
Trump didn’t mention Epstein.
Ella Rae Greene, Editor In Chief
