Trump delivers record-breaking State of the Union, declares ‘Golden Age'

WASHINGTON - President Donald Trump used a record-breaking State of the Union address to project strength at home and abroad, pairing declarations of a new American "Golden Age" with sharp warnings to U.S. adversaries and pointed clashes with Democrats in the chamber.

One year back in office, Trump has emerged as a president defying conventional expectations. He has executed a head-spinning agenda, upending priorities at home, shattering alliances abroad and challenging the nation’s foundational system of checks and balances. Two Americans were killed by federal agents while protesting the Trump administration’s immigration raids and mass deportations.

Here are the highlights:

Trump breaks record for longest State of the Union

Trump set a record last year for the longest address to a joint session of Congress, speaking for 1 hour, 39 minutes and 32 seconds. That speech was technically not a State of the Union address because it occurred only six weeks into his term.

The previous record for a state of the Union was set by President Bill Clinton in 2000: 1 hour, 28 minutes and 49 seconds.

That’s according to the American Presidency Project at the University of California at Santa Barbara, which has tracked speech length since President Lyndon B. Johnson in 1964.

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Trump mentions killing of Mexican drug lord

The president appeared to reference the killing of Jalisco New Generation Cartel leader Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, better known as "El Mencho."

The Mexican army killed Oseguera Cervantes on Sunday during an attempt to capture him in the western state of Jalisco. Both Mexico and the United States confirmed that there was U.S. intelligence support for the operation.

"We’ve also taken down one of the most sinister cartel kingpins of all. You saw that yesterday," Trump said.

Some 70 people died in the operation and violence that erupted after it.

Reps. Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib exit House chamber 

The lawmakers, the first two Muslim women ever elected to Congress, exited together as the president recounted his administration’s military operations in Venezuela and the Middle East.

Omar and Tlaib mocked and shouted condemnations at the president during his remarks.

Trump touts desire for peace, but threatens war

As president, I will make peace wherever I can. But I will never hesitate to confront threats to America, wherever we must."
Trump bragged that he is ending conflicts around the world, then in the next breath bragged how the U.S. last year carried out strikes on Iranian nuclear sites.

Trump is again threatening war against the Middle Eastern nation, building up the largest naval force in the region in decades. He said that he preferred to solve the conflict through diplomacy, but said he would absolutely not allow Iran to develop a nuclear weapon.

"No nation should ever doubt America’s resolve. We have the most powerful military on earth," the president added.

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Trump pushes Thune on SAVE Act

The president urged Senate Majority Leader John Thune to bring up legislation that would impose new proof-of-citizenship requirements ahead of the midterm elections.

Trump said the bill is "country-saving" and "it should happen before anything else happens."

Thune has said he supports the bill but has not yet put it on the Senate floor, where it is likely to be rejected because of a lack of Democratic support. Some Republicans have urged him to bypass Senate procedure to try and pass it.

Trump said "this should be an easy one" and called out Thune directly.

"We have to stop it John," Trump said.

Trump calls on Congress to reinstate Homeland Security funds

Routine funding for the department has been shutoff for more than a week as Democrats demand changes to rein in Trump’s immigration deportation operations.

"I’m demanding the full and immediate restoration of all funding," Trump said to cheers. But Democrats have made it clear the bill will not move forward without changes they are demanding.

Trump announces ‘war on fraud’

The president said he’s appointing Vance to run the effort, a familiar theme.

Trump and his administration have been talking about fraud for months in several government programs, saying it’s far worse than previous government reports have found. It has not detailed data showing that to be the case.

The administration has already tried to cut off funding for child care subsidies, cash assistance and job training for low-income families and other social programs for five states where it says there was "reason to believe" benefits were going to people in the country illegally.

So far courts have sided with the states and the money has continued to flow.

Trump quips about a third term

Trump made the aside during a discussion of health care when he began to talk about creating the Trump RX web site "in the first year of my second term – it should be my third term. But strange things happen."

There was a lot going on in that aside. Trump is, of course, limited to two presidential terms but has repeatedly mused about seeking a third. He also continues to claim he didn’t really lose the 2020 election – but, of course he did.

So far, in the first hour of his speech, it was the closest Trump’s come to mentioning his longtime obsession about explaining away his 2020 loss.

Trump pitches savings plan for workers without retirement accounts

"I’m announcing that next year my administration will give these often forgotten American workers great people, the people that built our country access to the same type of retirement plan offered to every federal worker. We will match your contribution with up to $1,000 each year, as we ensure that all Americans can profit from a rising stock market."

Roughly 56 million Americans lack access to a retirement plan through their employer, according to the AARP.

Lawmakers have proposed several pieces of federal legislation intended to improve retirement security for American workers, including the bipartisan Retirement Savings for Americans Act and the Automatic IRA Act.

Trump touts his health care proposal

Trump is referring to a health care proposal he pitched to congressional Republicans in January, in hopes that they would turn it into legislation to make health care more affordable. No such legislation has gotten enough momentum to pass yet.

His pitch, a general outline of ideas he wants turned into law, calls for sending money directly to Americans in health savings accounts so they can handle health costs as they see fit.

Democrats have rejected the idea as a paltry substitute for Affordable Care Act tax credits that had helped lower monthly premiums for many people before the Republican-led Congress let them expire in the new year.

Trump promises to allow migrants who ‘love our country’

Trump has actually taken steps to restrict who can emigrate to the U.S. often in the name of protecting national security.

He suspended the refugee program on his first day in office and in October resumed the program but only in limited numbers for white South Africans.

Trump has also placed restrictions on who can travel or emigrate to the U.S. from nearly 40 countries around the world. Many of those countries are in Africa.

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Trump touts falling fentanyl seizures as sign of policy success

Trump appears to be referring to fentanyl seizures, not the amount of fentanyl that got through undetected, which is unknown.

Fentanyl seizures at U.S. land borders and airports started dropping in 2023 and have continued to fall during Trump’s first year in office. Fentanyl seizures on the Mexican border dropped at 50% annual clip in October and at a 22% annual clip in January, the latest data available.

Monthly seizures were regularly above a half-ton before Trump took office but fell below that mark for 10 of his first 12 months as president. Trump has heavily pressured Mexico to increase enforcement but it’s unclear what is driving the decline.

Trump says US has received over 80 million barrels of Venezuelan oil

The president said the U.S. has received more than 80 million barrels of oil from its "new friend and partner, Venezuela."

That exceeds what his administration had initially projected in the days after the U.S. military carried out a stunning raid in Venezuela’s capital last month and captured then-President Nicolás Maduro.

Venezuela’s oil industry produces roughly 1 million barrels a day. The country has the world’s largest proven oil reserves.

Trump vowed to turn around Venezuela’s crippling oil industry after Maduro was captured and taken to New York to face drug trafficking charges.

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US Men’s Olympic Hockey team receives standing ovation and chants of ‘USA’ 

Trump announced that he will award the Presidential Medal of Freedom to Team USA hockey goalie Connor Hellebuyck. Trump said the award has been given to "many athletes over the years."

Hellebuyck made 41 saves, many of them spectacular, during the United States’ 2-1 victory over Canada for the gold medal at the Milan Cortina Games.

In his first term, Trump honored athletes including golfer Tiger Woods and football players Alan Page and Roger Staubach with the Medal of Freedom. He also awarded it posthumously to baseball great Babe Ruth.

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Trump says the economy is doing great. Most Americans disagree

Trump has praised the U.S. economy tonight, but AP-NORC polling shows that most Americans don’t think the country is doing well economically.

About two-thirds of U.S. adults continue to say the country’s economy is "poor." That’s unchanged from recent months, and it’s broadly in line with views throughout Biden’s last year in office.

Republicans are the exception. About 6 in 10 say the economy is good. But even within Trump’s own party, a significant share — about 4 in 10 — describe it as poor.

Rep. Al Green is escorted from the chamber as Republicans chant ‘USA’

The House Sergeant at Arms approached and escorted Green, who stood as Trump began speaking with a sign reading "Black People Aren’t Apes!" from the chamber barely two minutes into the address.

RELATED: Democratic Rep. Al Green removed from State of the Union address holding sign: 'Black people aren't apes'

Two Trump allies, Rep. Troy Nehls of Texas and Sen. Markwayne Mullin of Oklahoma, had approached the area where Green was sitting before Capitol Police escorted him out.

Before Green exited, some Republicans began chanted "USA."

Trump declares "Golden Age of America"

In his remarks, President Donald Trump declared that America has entered a "golden age," celebrating what he described as a dramatic national revival. Reflecting on the upcoming 250th anniversary of American independence, he praised the country as stronger and more prosperous than ever. 

Trump contrasted the current moment with what he called a nation in crisis a year ago, citing economic stagnation, inflation, border security issues, and global instability. 

He asserted that his administration has since secured the border, reduced inflation, strengthened the economy, rebuilt the military and law enforcement, and restored global respect for the United States, calling the shift a historic "turnaround for the ages."

Trump arrives at the State of the Union

President Trump entered the chamber for the State of the Union address to a standing ovation. Lawmakers rose to their feet as applause echoed throughout the room, with Congressional Republicans, Supreme Court justices, and members of the Joint Chiefs of Staff joining in. Cheers also rang out from spectators seated in the gallery above the House floor.

Trump arrives at the Capitol

The president departed the White House at 8:33 p.m. and reached the Capitol at 8:41 p.m. His address is set to begin at 9 p.m.

Vice President JD Vance and senators make their entrances

Vance and Senate Majority Leader John Thune greeted lawmakers with handshakes as they walked in.

Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer followed with the rest of the attending senators.

Applause rippled through the gallery as they arrived.

Erika Kirk attends State of the Union as Trump’s guest

Erika Kirk, the widow of Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk, attended the State of the Union on Tuesday night as President Donald Trump’s guest.

Trump says to expect a lengthy State of the Union

By one measure, he’s already the most talkative president since Lyndon B. Johnson. Data from the University of California, Santa Barbara’s American Presidency Project show that Trump’s joint addresses and State of the Union speeches during his first term averaged 80 minutes and 20 seconds.

Last year, his joint address stretched past 99 minutes — longer than any recorded State of the Union speech. Only Bill Clinton, whose addresses averaged just under 75 minutes, regularly came close to Trump’s speaking time.

Spanberger takes on affordability message in Democratic response to Trump

The other side:

Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger is arguing in her Democratic rebuttal that costs remain high for many Americans more than a year into Trump’s second term.

Her message — that families are still struggling under the president’s policies — is one Democrats plan to take nationwide ahead of the midterm elections.

Party leaders point to Spanberger’s double-digit victory in Virginia last November as validation of a disciplined, cost-focused campaign they now hope to replicate across the country.

Donald J. TrumpPolitics