President Donald Trump announced a marathon State of the Union on 24th February, claiming that “we are winning so much,” he claimed to have created an economic boom back at home and a new world order overseas, in hopes that it can negate his declining approval ratings.

The key goal of Trump was to demonstrate to the increasingly sceptical Americans that the economy is not as weak as some may think, and that people need more of the same by supporting the Republicans in the mid-term elections of November. All in all, Trump took a record time of 108 minutes to talk, a full eight minutes longer than the previous time point in his speech before a joint session of Congress last year.

The president did not resort to his normal bombast, only at times going off script, mostly to criticise the Democrats. Just like he had done on previous occasions in such speeches in his first term, Trump used a sequence of unexpected surprise guests to give dramatic emphasis to his message. They featured U.S military heroes and an ex-political prisoner who was set free following the U.S military takeover of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.

Among the most vocal applause of the evening was the one Trump received when he invited the gold medal-winning U.S. men’s hockey team to enter the House.

“Our country is winning again. The actual truth is that we are winning so much that we simply do not know what to do with it. Individuals are requesting me, ‘Do, do, do, Mister President, we are winning too much. I can no longer deal with it, and that is why I present the team,” Trump said.

The bipartisan standing ovation was in character with the hockey players wearing their medals and USA sweaters. During his speech, Trump addressed the Democratic half of the chamber and told a joke, stating that. “That was the first time I had ever heard them stand up.”

In a TV-made scene, the president is announced as giving the Presidential Medal of Honor, the top civilian award in America, to the goaltender of the hockey team, Connor Hellebuyck. He also awarded the Purple Heart to the National Guard member Andrew Wolfe, who was shot during his patrol in the streets of the country’s capital. Since this was the first time that Wolfe appeared publicly, he did so during the speech.

That scene was reminiscent of a previous surprise award in 2020, where Trump awarded the Medal of Freedom to conservative radio talk show host Rush Limbaugh in his State of the Union address.

Trump condemns tariff ruling with justices in attendance

His president led his crackdowns on immigration and his attempts to maintain popular tariffs, which were just overturned by the Supreme Court. He received applause among the Democrats alone when he explained the high court decision, which he referred to as “an unfortunate ruling.”

Trump promised to move forward, through alternative laws to enforce the taxes on imports and informed the legislators that “Congressional action would not be needed.” Trump claimed that foreign nations pay the tariffs, which is not true because it has been proven that American consumers and businesses pay the prices. “It will save our country, ” he said.

Only four out of the nine women justices in the Supreme Court were present, including Chief Justice John Roberts, and Justices Brett Kavanaugh, Amy Coney Barrett and Elena Kagan. Trump met them in person before the speech last week, which was the second incident where he attacked Coney Barrett, whom he appointed to the high court in his first term, because last week he voted with the majority against his tariffs.

The Democrats were also in support of Trump, promising to stop insider trading by Congresspeople. However, Rep. Mark Takano, a California Democrat, shouted, “How first you, yourself?” Michigan Democrat Rep. Rashida Tlaib shouted, “You are the most corrupt president!”

When there was a little more heckling, Trump said, You ought to be ashamed of yourselves. He later indicated Democratic people and shouted, ” These people are crazy.”

Democratic Rep. Al Green was chased out of the house at the beginning of the speech, after he unfurled a protest sign that read “Black People Aren’t Apes!” It was a clear allusion to a racist video that the president shared that portrayed former President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama as jungle primates. This is also the colour green that was eliminated during Trump’s address last year.

The president, in his turn, was predominantly optimistic and patriotic, yet Trump resonated with the darker side of his speech in vast portions to warn about the perils of immigrants. He called on lawmakers of both sides to “defend the American citizens, not illegal aliens,” and supported the idea of restricting mail-in ballots and tightening the voter identification requirements.

Affordability receives a comparably small amount of time

Trump did not focus on attempts to reduce the cost of living; however, polling indicates that his management of the economy and kitchen-table matters have become a liability. These issues regarding the high cost of living were used to drive the Democratic victories throughout the nation on Election Day last November.

There are also insecurities that are fueled by tariffs; higher prices may ultimately damage the economy and employment. The economic growth in the previous three months of the previous year became stagnant.

It is even possibly politically dangerous before the November elections that may bring the Congress the democratic victories, as the blue wave of 2018 provided an influential control to his administration during the first term.

On Tuesday, Trump held his former predecessor, former president Joe Biden, as well as Democratic lawmakers in the chamber, accountable for the increasing prices and health care costs, two subjects his political adversaries have frequently attacked him on.

“It was your fault,” Trump said of the question of affordability. He later, a few minutes later, added that they had known that their “words were a dirty, rotten lie.”

Trump also indicated that he would urge the technology firms engaged in artificial intelligence to pay extra electricity charges in regions where their data centres are situated. These data centres are likely to consume a lot of electricity, which may escalate the price of power to other consumers within the region.

Another notable off-script moment was when Trump was discussing the price of prescription drugs, declaring, ” So in my first year of the second term, it should be my third year, but weird things happen,” and the audience began chanting at least once, “Four more years!”

Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger, who gave the Democratic response to Trump’s speech, criticised the aggressive immigration policies of the president, his rampant reduction of the federal government and his tariffs.

“Although the Supreme Court declared these tariffs illegal four days ago, the harm to us as the American people has already been inflicted. In the meantime, the president is strategising on new tariffs,” she said. “One more huge tax increase on you and your family.”

A warning to Iran

The speech by Trump was received when two American carriers were deployed in the Middle East following the friction with Iran. Trump indicated that he would rather “resolve this issue diplomatically.”

“However, there is one thing that is sure, and this is that I will never permit the number one sponsor of terror in the world, who they are, by all means to have nuclear weapons in their possession.”

The president also discussed U.S. airstrikes last summer that shook the nuclear potential in Tehran, and the raid that toppled Maduro in Venezuela, as well as his management of a ceasefire in the Israel war against Hamas in Gaza.

Trump said that as a president, he will maintain peace wherever he can. “But I will never be shy in dealing with dangers to America, where they must be.”