Trump's state of the union covers immigration, tariffs, Iran tensions and repeats voter fraud claims ahead of elections nationwide divide
President Donald Trump delivered his second term's first State of the Union address at the US Capitol, addressing issues including immigration, tariffs, potential military action in Iran, and concerns about voter fraud, while facing Democratic protests and making numerous claims about his administration's record. The speech, which lasted about an hour and 47 minutes, broke the record for length.
Trump focused heavily on immigration, framing it as a key issue for the 2026 election. He criticized Democrats, stating, "We can never forget that many in this room not only allowed the border invasion to happen before I got involved, but indeed they would do it all over again if they ever had the chance." He challenged Democrats to stand and show support for the statement, "the first duty of the American government is to protect American citizens, not illegal aliens." Democrats remained seated, prompting Trump to say, "You should be ashamed of yourself not standing up." Democratic Reps. Rashida Tlaib and Ilhan Omar were noted for their vocal reactions.
Regarding tariffs, Trump did not repeat his earlier criticism of the Supreme Court's decision to strike down his global tariffs. He stated that congressional action would not be necessary to codify his tariffs. Trump predicted, "I believe the tariffs paid for by foreign countries will, like in the past, substantially replace the modern-day system of income tax, taking a great financial burden off the people that I love."
On the topic of Iran, Trump discussed potential further strikes. He claimed Iran and its proxies have "killed and maimed thousands of American service members" and that the Iranian regime had killed "it looks like 32,000 protesters." He also addressed Iran's nuclear program, stating, "They were warned to make no future attempts to rebuild their weapons program, in particular, nuclear weapons. Yet they continue starting it all over. We wiped it out, and they want to start all over again – and are, at this moment again, pursuing their sinister ambitions." Trump concluded, "But one thing is certain: I will never allow the world’s number one sponsor of terror, which they are by far, to have a nuclear weapon. Can’t let that happen."
Trump also raised concerns about voter fraud, stating, "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. We have to stop it."
The speech included several claims about his administration's record. Trump stated he inherited "inflation at record levels," though recent readings were lower than previous periods. He also claimed he inherited a "wide-open border," despite border crossings having decreased. He asserted that gas was below $2.30 per gallon in some states, a figure not supported by AAA data. Trump claimed investment "commitments for more than $18 trillion pouring in from all over the globe," which was described as wildly exaggerated. He also stated, "More Americans are working today than at any time in the history of our country," a statement acknowledged as true in raw numbers due to population growth, but with an observed rise in the unemployment rate and anemic job growth in 2025. He described the economy as a "golden age" and "roaring like never before."
Democratic lawmakers lodged multiple protests during the speech. Reps. Tlaib and Omar were among those who spoke out. Rep. Al Green of Texas displayed a sign that read, "Black people aren’t apes!" early in the speech. Another Democrat called Trump a liar when he claimed to have ended eight wars. Some members also left the chamber during the address.