Donald Trump delivered his first State of the Union address of what should be his third term, a speech that followed an unexpected pattern: honoring great Americans while drawing sharp reactions from Democrats.
The president began by declaring America’s renewed success, stating, “Our country is winning again… We’re winning so much that we really don’t know what to do about it.” He then introduced the U.S. men’s hockey team, who had been criticized online for not clapping back at Trump during a celebration after beating Canada in the Olympic gold medal game.
The athletes, wearing their medals and receiving enthusiastic chants of “USA!” from the gallery, were met with half-hearted cheers from some Democrats. Trump also praised the U.S. women’s hockey team for winning Olympic gold, which prompted many Democrats to stand.
Throughout his address, Trump faced criticism from Democrats who denounced the speech as a “grotesque” spectacle and compared it to a “Klan rally.” During the speech, he described efforts to crack down on illegal immigration, crime, and DEI programs while addressing Palestinian terrorism. Rep. Al Green (D., Texas) was ejected for holding a sign that read, “Black People Rent Apes.” Reps. Ilhan Omar (D., Minnesota) and Rashida Tlaib (D., Michigan), who sported a “Fuck ICE” pin, were reportedly close to emotional during the speech.
Trump addressed the parents of Iryna Zarutska, a 23-year-old Ukrainian refugee murdered on public transit by a “deranged monster” in Charlotte, North Carolina. Democrats remained silent as Republicans cheered for Dalilah Coleman, a 7-year-old who overcame life-altering injuries from a car wreck caused by an illegal immigrant driving a semi-truck with a California license.
The president concluded his speech by awarding Congressional Medals of Honor to retired Navy captain Royce Williams, a 100-year-old veteran of the Korean War, and Chief Warrant Officer Eric Slover, a helicopter pilot wounded in the operation to abduct Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro. Trump also vowed to uphold the “strong” state of the union by implementing tariffs, which he credited with helping the stock market reach record highs. He slammed the Supreme Court’s recent ruling that limited his power to enact trade policy and predicted his tariffs could eventually bring in enough money to “substantially replace” the income tax system.
Additionally, Trump urged Congress to pass the SAVE Act, which would impose ID requirements for voting and other election reforms. He chided Zohran Mamdani for requiring multiple forms of ID to shovel snow in New York City but no ID to cast a ballot.