President Donald Trump delivered his State of the Union address Tuesday, presenting an optimistic view of the U.S. economy that clashes with the financial anxieties felt by many Americans. He honored members of the U.S. men’s Olympic hockey team and a war hero before sharply criticizing Democrats during the speech.
Trump’s ‘roaring’ economy is at odds with sour public sentiment
Despite widespread economic concerns, Trump asserted that “the good times are here,” repeatedly claiming that rising costs are no longer a problem. “The roaring economy is roaring like never before,” he said, citing lower gasoline prices, mortgage rates, prescription drug costs, and a rising stock market. He claimed “millions and millions of Americans are all gaining.”
However, this optimism may appear out of touch to many, as only 39% of U.S. adults approved of Trump’s handling of the economy in February, according to AP-NORC polling. Republicans had urged the president to focus on the economy as they approach the midterm elections, and he dedicated much of the first hour of his speech to the topic.
Trump wraps himself in the flag
Trump attempted to appeal to patriotic sentiments, honoring the Olympic hockey team and war heroes, and bestowing numerous presidential medals. He noted in a revealing moment that he wondered why he couldn’t award a congressional medal to himself.
Taking aim at Democrats
Tributes to the Olympic hockey team and a World War II veteran were short-lived, as Trump soon attacked Democrats, blaming them for many of the nation’s problems. He accused Democrats of causing rising health care premiums, failing to protect Social Security, and contributing to affordability issues.
Trump’s tone grew angrier as the speech progressed, stating, “These people are crazy, I’m telling you, they’re crazy,” and “Democrats are destroying this country.”
The Supreme Court’s ‘unfortunate’ decision
Trump described the Supreme Court’s recent ruling against his tariff policy as “unfortunate.” He had previously called the justices who voted against the policy an “embarrassment to their families.”
Trump vows action on election ‘cheating’
Trump repeated his claims of widespread election fraud, stating, “Cheating is rampant in our elections.” These claims, focused on his 2020 election loss, have been rejected by numerous courts and his former attorney general.
He called on Congress to pass a bill requiring photo ID for voters and vowed to enact an executive order to address the issue, though details of the order remain unclear.
No mention of Minneapolis
Trump did not mention recent events in Minneapolis, including the deaths of two U.S. citizens at the hands of federal agents. Representative Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., shouted that “Alex wasn’t a criminal,” referring to Alex Pretti, one of the U.S. citizens killed.
Virginia Governor Abigail Spanberger, in the Democratic rebuttal, stated that law enforcement must build trust in communities and that “every minute spent sowing fear is a minute not investigating murders.”
Drumbeat for war gets louder
Trump outlined a rationale for potential military action against Iran, stating that Iran and its proxies have “spread nothing but terrorism, death and hate.” He also warned that Iran is developing missiles capable of reaching Europe and the U.S.
He said his preference is to solve the issue through diplomacy, but asserted, “I will never allow the world’s number one sponsor of terror…to have a nuclear weapon.”
On brand, it was the longest State of the Union ever
The speech clocked in at just under 1 hour, 48 minutes, making it the longest State of the Union address ever delivered.
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