Trump delivers first State of the Union address of second term: 'This is the golden age of America'
WASHINGTON - President Donald Trump delivered his first State of the Union address of his second term Tuesday night.
The address comes as the nation remains divided on Trump's track record with frustrations over the economy, inflation and immigration boiling over.
The State of the Union
Big picture view:
According to a recent Marist poll 60% of Americans say the nation is worse off than it was a year ago. Additionally, the poll shows that 57% of Americans think the state of the union is not very strong or not strong at all.
The same poll found that just 37% think Trump has changed the nation for the better, while 55% say it's been for the worse, and 78% of Americans believe there is a serious threat to democracy.
Aggregate polling from RealClear Politics puts Trump's average approval rating at 42.2%, with that number steadily trending downward since this time last year.
But Trump's supporters were out in full Tuesday night, with Republicans repeatedly on their feet to cheer him on while Democrats remained subdued — save for Rep. Al Green, that is.
The president spoke for nearly two hours and focused heavily on the economy, housing, immigration, crime, U.S. energy and national security.
"Our nation is back, bigger, better, richer and stronger than ever before," Trump began his speech. "This is the golden age of America."
Trump boasted that his administration has improved the economy, lowered inflation, secured the border and restored global respect for the nation.
"When I last spoke in this chamber 12 months ago, I had just inherited a nation in crisis with a stagnant economy, inflation at record levels, a wide open border, horrendous recruitment for military and police, rampant crime at home and wars and chaos all over the world."
"But tonight, after just one year, I can say with dignity and pride that we have achieved a transformation like no one has ever seen before. It's a turnaround for the ages. It is indeed a turnaround for the ages," he went on to say.
Here's a closer look at the policies and accomplishments Trump claimed to have achieved in his State of the Union address.
"Securing Our Homeland"
On immigration:
A key element of his campaign and first year in office, Trump has implemented a widespread immigration crackdown.
Protests are ongoing across the country as ICE continues to detain and deport people, seemingly indiscriminately.
Many U.S. citizens and legal migrants have been caught up in the raids taking place across the country, causing outcry from residents and lawmakers.
Two U.S. citizens were also killed by ICE agents in Minnesota earlier this year as the agents attempted to detain other individuals.
RELATED: Anti-ICE protests continue in DC, across nation following violence in Minneapolis
But President Trump touted his immigration reforms as a massive win for the country.
"After four years in which millions and millions of illegal aliens poured across our borders totally unvetted and unchecked, we now have the strongest and most secure border in American history by far," the president said.
He highlighted the reduction in fentanyl coming into the U.S. citing a 56% drop. He also said the murder rate saw its "single largest decline in recorded history."
And in its fact sheet, the Trump administration said it has revoked over 100,000 visas, paused immigrant visa processing for 75 "high-risk" countries, revoked Temporary Protected Status for hundreds of thousands of people and suspended refugee resettlement.
"Restoring the American Dream"
On affordable housing:
Trump says his policies are making housing affordable and underscored the administration's efforts to lower costs for homeowners and first-time homebuyers.
"Another pillar of the American dream that has been under attack is homeownership," Trump said.
"Mortgage rates are the lowest in four years and falling fast, and the annual cost of a typical new mortgage is down almost $5,000 just since I took office, one year. And low interest rates will solve the Biden-created housing problem, while at the same time protecting the values of those people who already own a house that really feel rich for the first time in their lives," he said.
The president noted that he signed an executive order to ban large investment firms from buying up thousands of single-family homes, and says he's calling on Congress to make that ban permanent.
"Because homes for people, really, that's what we want. We want homes for people, not for corporations. Corporations are doing just fine," he said.
According to the White House, the National Association of Realtors’ Housing Affordability Index has climbed to its highest level since March 2022, and apartment rents have declined for six straight months, dipping to their lowest level in four years.
"Delivering Real Relief"
On the economy:
Another big talking point for the president has been inflation.
"In 12 months, my administration has driven core inflation down to the lowest level in more than five years," Trump said.
He talked about the declining prices of gas, groceries and other everyday goods, which has been a sore spot for many Americans.
Democrats joined in on applause when the president said starting next year, his administration will match 401(k) contributions for federal workers up to $1,000 per year, and he said he wants to "ensure that members of Congress cannot corruptly profit from using insider information."
But the enthusiasm from the left side of the room cooled when he began to talk about fraud investigations into "blue" states like Minnesota, California, Massachusetts and Maine, saying he plans to appoint Vice President J.D. Vance to lead the "war on fraud."
Trump also mentioned his ongoing tariffs, now sitting at a blanket 10% for all countries that the U.S. imports goods from.
"One of the primary reasons for our country's stunning economic turnaround — the biggest in history where the Dow Jones broke 50,000 four years ahead of schedule and the S&P hit 7,000 where it wasn't supposed to do it for many years — were tariffs. I used these tariffs, took in hundreds of billions of dollars to make great deals for our country, both economically and on a national security basis," Trump said.
"Countries that were ripping us off for decades are now paying us hundreds of billions of dollars. They were ripping us so badly, you all know that. Everybody knows it, even the Democrats know it, they just don't want to say it. And yet these countries are now happy and so are we. We made deals, the deals are all done and they're happy," he continued.
The tariffs have been a point of frustration for many businesses and global trading partners as Trump has consistently changed his policy on them, sometimes singling out certain countries or goods. The issue was only exacerbated when the Supreme Court decided to strike down Trump's sweeping tariffs on Friday.
The full impacts of the ruling are yet to be seen, but the Trump administration maintains that the tariffs — despite being a cost incurred by U.S. retailers, which is often then passed to the consumer — is improving the economy.
"After years of hardship under Biden — soaring costs, eroding wages, and lost opportunities — American families are finally experiencing real turnaround: wages climbing, prices easing, and jobs expanding," the White House fact sheet reads. "More relief is coming — and even greater prosperity awaits — as the Trump Administration’s policies continue to unleash the full potential of the American economy."