President Donald Trump, in his Thursday night State of the Union address, described it as a “new Golden Age” in US power and prosperity, but he also targeted Democrats for what he called obstructionism.
Speaking before a joint session of Congress, Trump pointed to what he framed as major accomplishments during the first year of his second term. He cited a “fully secure” southern border, falling inflation, lower gas prices and declining crime rates. He also highlighted gains in the stock market and retirement accounts, tax relief measures for working families and what he described as renewed respect for U.S. military power abroad.
In one of the most charged moments of the night, Trump called out Democrats who remained seated during portions of his speech, including when he discussed policies aimed at restricting gender-transition treatments for minors. “These people are crazy,” Trump said, criticizing lawmakers who did not applaud.
A White House statement released after the address accused congressional Democrats of refusing to stand for a series of initiatives, including border enforcement, law enforcement support, efforts to reduce fentanyl trafficking and protections for children. The administration also cited what it called a historic drop in the murder rate, lower prescription drug prices and a 56% reduction in fentanyl flows across the border.
The president framed his second term as a course correction after what he described as years of economic and security failures under Democratic leadership. He argued that inflation had finally subsided, that American families were seeing relief at the pump and that businesses were expanding as a result of tax changes and regulatory rollbacks.
Trump also continued to make his case on foreign policy, saying his team has provided the country with “peace through strength,” resolving several foreign conflicts and cracking down on narcotics traffickers, even going after the leader of Venezuela, Nicolás Maduro.
Another constant in the address was the president’s emphasis on American citizens. He declared that the government’s “first duty” was to protect Americans, not undocumented immigrants, and that he would continue to do so.
The Democrats contested many of the president’s assertions in the address, criticizing his rhetoric and policy proposals, especially on immigration and transgender health care. The address was an indication of the political divide in the country as the administration seeks to advance its policy proposals in an election year.
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