U.S. President Donald Trump delivered his State of the Union address before the House of Representatives at 9 pm Eastern Time on Feb. 24, with the speech lasting 1 hour and 48 minutes — the longest State of the Union address in U.S. presidential history. Trump heavily exaggerated his economic and diplomatic achievements, claiming that under his leadership, America has ushered in a "golden age" and is "stronger and greater than ever before". Analysts suggest Trump's hollow rhetoric may struggle to win over lower and middle-income supporters struggling with inflation.
As Trump entered the House chamber, Republican lawmakers rose to applaud while Democrats remained seated. In his opening remarks, Trump declared that as America approaches its 250th anniversary of independence, he would lead the nation against various threats. Multiple Democratic lawmakers either boycotted the speech or protested during its delivery.
During the address, Trump routinely attacked his Democratic predecessor, Joe Biden, claiming he inherited a stagnant economy with record-high inflation, but under his leadership, the U.S. economy has achieved unprecedented recovery. He boasted about his crackdown on illegal immigration, claiming the number of illegal border crossings had dramatically decreased. He also touted the strength of the U.S. job market, saying employment numbers have reached historic highs.
On inflation — an issue closely watched by voters — Trump attempted to weave it into segments on healthcare, energy, and housing. He urged Republican lawmakers to make permanent his proposed ban on housing investors and blamed high healthcare costs entirely on the Affordable Care Act from the Obama era.
Addressing economic issues, Trump also claimed that core inflation had fallen to its lowest level in over five years, and that the U.S. stock market had set 53 new records.
Trump frequently targeted Democrats, particularly on crime, alleged election fraud, and LGBTQ+ issues, claiming these problems were enabled by Democratic tolerance. He also announced an anti-fraud campaign led by Vice President Vance, calling for investigations into welfare fraud in several Democrat-led states, dramatically claiming losses from some cases reached US$19 billion (approximately HK$148.6 billion).
Media analyses, including from The Guardian, criticized Trump's speech as filled with hollow self-praise, describing the longest State of the Union address in history as one of the most inconsequential presidential speeches ever delivered. Polls show only about one-third of Americans approve of Trump's handling of inflation, with many feeling they have not benefited from his policies.
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