- 10:56PM EST – “It’s an honor to be in the same room with you,” a clearly moved President Trump tells Royce.
- 10:53PM EST – Trump announces Royce Williams, who was part of the longest aerial engagement in U.S. Navy history when he fought seven Soviet MiG fighter jets, shooting down four, during a half-hour dogfight in 1952 in the skies over the Korean Peninsula. Royce is 100 years old. Trump calls him “a legend long before this evening,” as First Lady Melania Trump gives him the Congressional Medal of Honor. A standing ovation for Royce, from both sides of the chamber, lasted well over a minute.
- 10:47PM EST – The President is highlighting the hard work of helicopter pilot Eric Slover, whose harrowing tale of bravery helped American troops complete their mission in Venezuela despite his being wounded in the process. Slover received the Congressional Medal of Honor live in the chamber tonight.
- 10:42PM EST – President Trump is talking about the ouster of Nicolas Maduro in Venezuela. He introduces Enrique Gonzales, a former political prisoner of the Venezuelan regime.
- 10:35PM EST – “We have the most powerful military on Earth,” Trump says, talking about the DOD’s trillion-dollar budget. “It’s called peace through strength, and it’s been very, very effective.”
- 10:32PM EST – Trump is talking about the terrorism of the Iranian regime – “They’ve killed and maimed” hundreds of thousands, he said. “They were the kings of the roadside bombs,” he says. He is highlighting thousands of protesters killed by the regime during recent protests.
- 10:31PM EST – The State of the Union has been going for over an hour now, in a speech that many have speculated might be one of the longest ever. Folks on Capitol Hill have been prepared to work into the early hours of the morning, with Democrat Abigail Spanberger, the newly elected governor of Virginia, expected to deliver the response after the President finishes speaking.
- 10:30PM EST – The President highlights the work of his foreign policy team, including Steve Witkoff, Jared Kushner, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio. He talks about retrieving the hostages from Hamas.
- 10:25PM EST – Trump highlights the National Guard he has deployed in several cities around the nation.
- 10:17PM EST – The President welcomes Erika Kirk, widow of Charlie Kirk, who is his personal guest. Chants of “Charlie!” erupt in the chamber – “We must totally reject political violence of any kind,” he says.
- 10:16PM EST – Trump lauds a renewal in Christianity, faith, and belief in God in recent years, saying it’s especially true in young people. He begins talking about his friend, Charlie Kirk.
- 10:13PM EST – Trump points at the Democrats, who didn’t stand up for Sage Blair, who is in the chamber, and says, “These people are crazy, I’m telling you.”
- 10:11PM EST – President Trump talks about Sage Blair, who was “transitioned” without her parents’ knowledge at the age of 14 in Virginia.
- 10:08PM EST – Trump touts the SAVE America Act, declaring, “All voters must show voter ID.”
- 10:06PM EST – “You should be ashamed of yourselves!” Trump blasts at Democrats, with Representatives like Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib screaming at him from their seats. A chant of “USA!” erupts from Republicans.
- 10:05PM EST – Trump dares Congressional Members to stand up if they believe the first duty of legislators is to protect U.S. citizens, not illegal aliens. Most Democrats did not stand. This is a stand out moment of the night, with Trump’s ovation from half the chamber lasting around a minute, if not longer, as Democrats remained in their seats.
- 10:00PM EST – Trump tells Congress to pass the “Delilah Law”, stopping states from granting commercial driver’s licenses to illegal aliens.
- 9:58PM EST – Rep. Ilhan Omar (D) looks crestfallen as Trump announces the “war on fraud.”
- 9:57PM EST – Trump says Somalis pillaged $19bn from America in Minnesota, naming other states like California, Massachusetts, and Maine – “We are working on it like you wouldn’t believe.” He declares a “war on fraud” led by Vice President J.D. Vance.
- 9:56PM EST – Trump heckles Nancy Pelosi as he touts his Insider Trading Act to stop Members of Congress profiteering from their political positions.
- 9:54PM EST – Trump talks social security and Medicare, Medicaid, pledging to “always protect it.” Typical 401K balances are up by $30,000, he says.
- 9:52PM EST – Trump says tech companies have to underwrite electricity prices for data centers around the country, calling it a “unique strategy” for an “old grid.” He says companies will have to build their own plants, which in turn will lower prices for ordinary consumers.
- 9:49PM EST – Trump is touting his prescription drug price policies, describing how his TrumpRX website works, which is explained in full here.
- 9:47PM EST – The President says insurance companies got rich under Obamacare, “that’s why I introduced the Great Healthcare Plan,” which gives the money back to the people so they can purchase their own healthcare at lower costs.
- 9:44PM EST – Trump reiterates that tariffs should replace income tax, “Taking a great financial burden off the people that I love.”
- 9:43PM EST – The President is now talking about his tariffs, saying countries that ripped America off were paying hundreds of billions until the recent “unfortunate” Supreme Court ruling, which Democrats in the Chamber are applauding.
- 9:40PM EST – President Trump highlights his recently announced “Trump Accounts,” which we explained in detail here.
- 9:38PM EST – President Trump explains auto loans tax deductions for cars that are made in America.
- 9:35PM EST – Petty Officer Scott Ruskin, who rescued 164 people in the Texas floods last year, is awarded the Legion of Merit for Extraordinary Heroism live on the balcony of Congress.
- 9:32PM EST – President Trump hails near 100-year-old veteran George ‘Buddy’ Taggart, who fought in Manila 81 years ago. His birthday is July 4th.
- 9:29PM EST – Trump says hockey goaltender Connor Hellebuyck will receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
- 9:26PM EST – Trump says the U.S. women’s team will also be coming to the White House after their Olympic success.
- 9:25PM EST – President Trump introduces the men’s Olympic gold-winning hockey team. Congress bursts out into “USA!” chants, with even news reporters in the gallery cheering them on.
- 9:24PM EST – “The State of our Union is strong!” Trump declares.
- 9:22PM EST – Trump reveals that America has received over 80 million barrels of oil from “our new friend and partner, Venezuela.”
- 9:20PM EST – “We are the hottest country anywhere in the world,” Trump declares.
- 9:18PM EST – Core inflation is down to 1.7%, President Trump says, adding that gasoline is now “below $2.30 a gallon” in most states.
- 9:16PM EST – President Trump says “ZERO illegal aliens have been admitted to the United States” in the past 9 months, stressing that he believes in legal migration.
- 9:15PM EST – Rep. Al Green is leaving the chamber, holding his sign and screaming at a female Member of Congress, while Republicans chant, “USA!” to drown him out.
- 9:13PM EST – President Trump opens by discussing America’s 250th anniversary: “You’ve seen nothing yet. We’re going to do better and better and better. This is the Golden Age of America.”
- 9:09PM EST – Rep. Al Green (D) is holding up a sign that says, “Black people aren’t apes.” A reference to a Trump Truth Social post that included parody images of Barack and Michelle Obama as jungle animals, posted in error a few weeks back.
- 9:06PM EST – The President has entered the chamber and is shaking hands with Congressional members and others in attendance.
- 9PM EST – The First Lady, Vice President, Supreme Court Justices, and the President’s Cabinet are in the room for the speech.
President Donald J. Trump delivered a lengthy and combative State of the Union address, declaring “The State of our Union is strong” while outlining a sweeping domestic and foreign policy agenda focused on border security, economic nationalism, election integrity, and military strength.
Opening with America’s upcoming 250th anniversary, Trump promised, “You’ve seen nothing yet. We’re going to do better and better and better. This is the Golden Age of America.” He later added, “We are the hottest country anywhere in the world.”
Tariffs Over Taxes and Economic Nationalism.
Trump reiterated his proposal to replace the federal income tax with tariff revenue, saying it would lift a “great financial burden” off the American people. He argued foreign nations had been paying “hundreds of billions” under his trade policies before a recent Supreme Court ruling he described as “unfortunate,” prompting applause from Democrats in the chamber.
He promoted “Trump Accounts,” auto loan tax deductions for vehicles made in America, and a “Great Healthcare Plan” designed to move consumers away from Obamacare era insurance structures. Trump touted his TrumpRX prescription drug pricing platform and said tech companies would be required to support electricity infrastructure for data centers by building their own power plants, which he said would help lower consumer prices.
The President pledged to “always protect” Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid, while claiming typical 401(k) balances are up by $30,000.
He announced a “war on fraud” led by Vice President J.D. Vance, alleging billions in taxpayer funds were siphoned through states including Minnesota, California, Massachusetts, and Maine. Rep. Ilhan Omar appeared frustrated as Trump detailed the initiative. Trump also targeted Nancy Pelosi while promoting his Insider Trading Act aimed at preventing members of Congress from profiting from their political positions.
Border, Immigration, and Election Integrity.
Trump declared that “ZERO illegal aliens have been admitted to the United States” in the past nine months and emphasized that he supports legal immigration.
In one of the most dramatic moments of the night, Trump challenged members of Congress to stand if they believed their first duty was to protect U.S. citizens rather than illegal aliens. Most Democrats remained seated as Republicans delivered a sustained ovation.
He urged Congress to pass the “Delilah Law” to prevent states from issuing commercial driver’s licenses to illegal aliens and promoted the SAVE America Act, stating, “All voters must show voter ID.”
Tensions escalated when Trump blasted Democrats, shouting, “You should be ashamed of yourselves!” as members, including Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib, yelled from their seats. Earlier, Rep. Al Green held up a protest sign referencing a recent social media controversy and later exited the chamber while shouting, as Republicans chanted “USA!”
Trump also spotlighted Sage Blair, who he said was “transitioned” at age 14 in Virginia without parental knowledge, criticizing Democrats for not standing in recognition. “These people are crazy, I’m telling you,” he said, pointing toward their side of the chamber.
Faith, Political Violence, and Honors.
The President spoke of what he described as a renewal of Christianity and faith in God, particularly among young Americans. He introduced Erika Kirk, widow of Charlie Kirk, as his personal guest, prompting chants of “Charlie!” from parts of the chamber. “We must totally reject political violence of any kind,” Trump said.
The speech included several honors. Trump saluted near 100-year-old World War II veteran George “Buddy” Taggart, awarded Petty Officer Scott Ruskin the Legion of Merit for rescuing 164 people during Texas floods, introduced the men’s Olympic gold-winning hockey team to chants of “USA!” and announced that goaltender Connor Hellebuyck will receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom. He said the U.S. women’s Olympic team would also visit the White House.
Energy, Foreign Policy, and Military Strength
Trump revealed that the United States has received more than 80 million barrels of oil from “our new friend and partner, Venezuela,” and praised his foreign policy team, including Steve Witkoff, Jared Kushner, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio. He referenced efforts to retrieve hostages from Hamas and highlighted National Guard deployments in several American cities.
Turning to Iran, Trump described the regime as a sponsor of terrorism that has “killed and maimed” hundreds of thousands and said, “They were the kings of the roadside bombs,” while referencing thousands of protesters killed during recent uprisings.
“We have the most powerful military on Earth,” Trump declared, referencing the Department of Defense’s trillion dollar budget. “It’s called peace through strength, and it’s been very, very effective.”
The address stretched beyond an hour and is expected to rank among the longest in modern history. Lawmakers prepared to remain on Capitol Hill into the early morning hours, with newly elected Virginia Governor Abigail Spanberger slated to deliver the Democratic response following the President’s remarks.
