President Donald Trump proclaimed a “golden age of America” in his State of the Union address, using a record-length speech to cast his stewardship as a run of uninterrupted victories even as polls show sagging approval and voter frustration over the cost of living ahead of November’s midterm elections.
Heeding warnings from Republicans anxious about losing control of Congress, Trump centered the first hour on the economy, asserting he had slowed inflation, lifted the stock market to record highs, signed sweeping tax cuts and pushed down drug prices. Whether that message will soothe public anger over affordability remains uncertain as prices for groceries, housing, insurance and utilities remain well above levels of recent years and the latest data show slower growth alongside accelerating inflation.
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A Reuters/Ipsos poll released this week found that 36% of Americans approve of Trump’s handling of the economy. Democrats are seeking to flip the House and Senate in November, when all 435 House seats and roughly a third of the 100 Senate seats are on the ballot.
The prime-time address arrived at a fraught moment for Trump’s presidency. National surveys show a majority of Americans disapprove of his performance, anxieties are rising over Iran, and his signature tariff policy has been shaken after the U.S. Supreme Court struck down most of his import taxes. Trump called the ruling “unfortunate,” but argued it would have little practical effect on his broader trade approach.
While Trump largely stuck to prepared remarks, the tone sharpened during an extended section on immigration. He reprised rhetoric from his 2024 campaign, blaming undocumented immigrants for violent crime despite studies indicating otherwise. “You should be ashamed,” he told Democrats who have opposed Department of Homeland Security funding without limits on aggressive enforcement tactics under his administration. Opinion polls show most Americans believe his crackdown has gone too far, a judgment hardened after two U.S. citizens were fatally shot by masked federal agents in Minneapolis.
Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar, who represents a Minneapolis district, shouted toward the dais, “You have killed Americans,” as Trump praised his enforcement policies. Trump also renewed long-running claims of rampant election fraud and castigated Democrats for rejecting voter ID measures. “They want to cheat,” he said; Democrats counter that such requirements burden voters and suppress turnout.
The evening featured orchestrated spectacle. Trump boasted about American “winning,” then introduced members of the U.S. men’s ice hockey team, fresh off their Winter Olympics gold medals on Sunday. He said goaltender Connor Hellebuyck would receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom, one of several awards he announced. The speech ran about one hour and 47 minutes, surpassing the record he set last year for the longest presidential address to Congress.
On foreign policy, Trump offered few specifics. He said his “preference is to solve this problem through diplomacy” with Iran, but vowed he would “never allow the world’s No. 1 sponsor of terror … to have a nuclear weapon.” He again claimed to have “ended” eight wars and did not address China or Greenland, the semi-autonomous Danish territory he has threatened to take over. He also did not mention artificial intelligence, even as the technology drives market gains and worker unease.
Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger delivered Democrats’ official response, accusing Trump of abandoning struggling families. “Is the president working to make life more affordable for you and your family?” she asked. “We all know the answer is no.”
Inside the chamber, tensions flared and quiet protests unfolded. Democratic Rep. Al Green was removed for the second consecutive year after holding a sign reading, “Black people aren’t apes,” a reference to a Trump-posted video that depicted former President Barack Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama as apes before the White House deleted it and Trump said a staffer posted it. Rep. Jill Tokuda wore a white jacket scrawled with “affordability” and “healthcare,” while several Democratic women donned “release the files” tags tied to the scandal around convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. About a dozen Epstein accusers attended as guests of Democrats.
Trump’s confident framing—“inflation is plummeting,” he said—collided with the realities many voters feel in their monthly bills, a disconnect that could define the battle for Congress. With public patience thin and policy clarity scarce on fronts from tariffs to Tehran, the coming months will test whether the president’s argument of prosperity can overcome the country’s sharpened doubts.
By Abdiwahab Ahmed
Axadle Times international–Monitoring.
