WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump declared the country is booming, his opponents are “crazy” and his administration is engaged in unprecedented levels of “winning” in a defiant, marathon State of the Union address that comes as polls showed deep skepticism of his leadership heading into a crucial midterm election.
The president delivered a full-throated and intensely partisan defense of his policies amid a low point in his second term as he grapples with a major setback on tariffs, strong opposition to his immigration enforcement tactics, low approval ratings, and other challenges at home and abroad, including a partial government shutdown and a potential military conflict with Iran.
“We have achieved a transformation like no one has ever seen before, and a turnaround for the ages,” Trump said during the nearly one-hour and 50-minute speech, the longest State of the Union in history, while lashing out at Democrats he accused of “destroying our country.”
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-New York, called the speech a “state of delusion” as his party tries to wrestle control of Congress and put a check on a president Democrats accuse of being out of touch on the economy and increasingly authoritarian.
Trump sought to counter Americans’ dim views about his economic stewardship, which is expected to be the central issue in the midterm elections. Facing widespread discontent with the cost of living, the president blamed Democrats for the problem and said his administration is relentlessly working to drive down prices.
An event that has become increasingly theatrical and partisan — former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi ripped up a copy of Trump’s speech during his last State of the Union address — had dramatic moments and notable guests. Members of the gold medal-winning men’s U.S. hockey team were in attendance. Many Democrats were not, skipping the speech en masse to protest the administration’s policies.
Here are the top takeaways from Trump’s State of the Union address.
‘roaring economy’
Trump’s low approval rating on the economy presents a big challenge for the GOP heading into the midterms. The speech offered a prime opportunity to try to shift the narrative.
“The roaring economy is roaring like never before,” Trump declared.
The president claimed victory in bringing down the cost of living, pointing to gas and grocery prices, mortgage rates, and rent. He also offered a rosy view that clashes with public opinion and could have risks for his party.
With many Americans giving the president poor marks for his handling of inflation in recent surveys, Trump continued to blame Democrats for high costs, saying, “You caused that problem.”
“Their policies created the high prices. Our policies are rapidly ending them,” Trump added. “We are doing really well. Those prices are plummeting.”
Inflation cooled to 2.4% in January but remains above the Federal Reserve’s 2% target.
Trump’s approach to cost-of-living concerns risks seeming out of touch with Americans’ financial anxieties, an issue that plagued former President Joe Biden. That the issue remains central was evident in his remarks, which led with the economy and highlighted policy proposals aimed at cutting costs, including targeting prescription drug prices, affordable housing, and energy prices.
Sticking with tariffs
Trump entered the speech on his proverbial backfoot after the Supreme Court overturned the sweeping emergency tariffs that had been the hallmark of his economic agenda.
Trump called the Supreme Court’s decision an “unfortunate ruling” and said he would soon institute a new tariff regime through other methods, which he said have been “time-tested and approved.”
It was a far more sedate response than Trump’s initial answer, in which he said he was ashamed of certain Supreme Court justices for “not having the courage to do what’s right for our country.” As he entered the House chamber for his speech, Trump greeted the four Supreme Court justices in attendance and shook their hands, including two conservative justices who ruled against him on tariffs, John Roberts and Amy Coney Barrett.
While the administration is considering some previously used tariff statutes, Trump invoked for the first time Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974 to implement 10 percent global tariffs, a number he said he may soon raise to 15 percent.
Trump said he would move forward with his tariffs without congressional help, a comment that drew some grumbling from the chamber. Some Republicans have voiced opposition to the sweeping nature of the tariffs — and at times voted against them.
“Congressional action will not be necessary,” he said.
‘sick people’
Though criticism of the opposing party and their policies is normal in a State of the Union address, Trump took it to a previously unseen level, attacking Democrats as a whole, not just disagreeing with policies they support.
The president repeatedly called Democrats “sick people,” criticized them for not standing to show support for his immigration policies, and told them, “You should be ashamed of yourself.”
He also accused them of voter fraud.
“They want to cheat. They have cheated, and their policy is so bad that the only way they can get elected is to cheat, and we’re going to stop it,” Trump said.
At times, Trump seemed irked that Democrats weren’t standing and applauding during his speech. “How can you not stand?” he asked.
A rare moment of bipartisan applause and a standing ovation came when Trump urged lawmakers to pass a law preventing them from profiting from insider information in the stock market.
Trump commented on the applause, saying, “They stood up for that, I can’t believe it.”
“Did Nancy Pelosi stand up if she’s here?” Trump quickly quipped. Nancy Pelosi, the former speaker of the House, is one of the wealthiest members of Congress. Her stock trades are consistently tracked, but the retiring congresswoman has not been investigated for insider trading.
A handful of Democrats interrupted the president’s address with shouts and chants, ignoring Democratic leadership’s encouragement to maintain decorum during Trump’s speech. Rep. Al Green, a Democrat from Texas, was quietly removed at the beginning of the speech for holding a sign that read, “Black people aren’t apes.”
Trump largely blitzed past the outbursts.
US men’s hockey delivers moment of unity
In a speech that was often sharply partisan, one unifying moment came early when Trump welcomed the United States men’s hockey team.
The chamber erupted as the Olympic gold medal winners filtered into the aisles of the House gallery wearing USA sweatshirts and their medals around their necks. The win over Canada delivered U.S. hockey its first gold medal in men’s hockey since the legendary “Miracle on Ice” team that defeated the Soviet Union in 1980, a victory steeped in Cold War patriotic fervor.
Trump tied the U.S. victory to what he described as his administration’s own “winning,” welcoming the players as “a group of winners who just made the entire nation proud.”
The president said he planned to award goalie Connor Hellebuyck the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Trump also honored a World War II veteran, a Coast Guard rescue swimmer, and other Americans with inspiring stories that offered a break from some of the more combative moments in the speech, and showed the kind of empathy Trump’s allies hoped for.
What he didn’t say
Trump made no references to the biggest controversies that have marked his first year back in office. He didn’t talk about the release of the Jeffrey Epstein files, even with more than a dozen survivors in the upper galleries as guests. Trump has previously said the country needs to move on now that some of the files have been released.
He spoke at length about mass immigration enforcement in Minnesota, but didn’t mention the two Americans killed by federal agents while monitoring arrests in Minneapolis. The backlash to those shooting deaths was the impetus for the partial government shutdown he castigated Democrats for causing.
Trump also didn’t highlight his repeated efforts to purchase Greenland or the work done by Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency, which dramatically downsized the federal workforce.
State of the Union speeches are painstakingly prewritten and rarely touch on uncomplimentary topics, but Trump is known for straying from the script when he wants to, and rarely shies away from a fight or a chance to feed to his base.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: ‘Roaring economy’ and ‘sick’ Dems. Takeaways from Trump’s SOTU address
Reporting by Zac Anderson and Sarah D. Wire, USA TODAY / USA TODAY
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
