President Donald J. Trump delivers his first State of the Union address of his second term during a joint session of Congress at the U.S. Capitol on Tuesday, February 24, 2026. Seated behind him are Vice President JD Vance and Speaker of the House Mike Johnson. [Kenny Holston/Reuters]

President Donald Trump began his first State of the Union address of his second term on Tuesday night, February 24, at the U.S. Capitol by declaring, "Our nation has risen again," adding, "It is bigger, better, richer, and stronger than it has ever been."

President Trump's speech lasted approximately one hour and 47 minutes, breaking the record for the longest congressional address he set last year.

Declaring that "this is America's golden age," President Trump stated, "In just one year, I have achieved changes and historical turning points that no one has ever seen before."

This declaration was based on facts such as: secure borders (zero illegal entries over nine months), falling inflation (the lowest in five years, along with lower gas prices), a booming economy, strengthened military and police forces, a respected America, a record decrease in fentanyl influx (56%), and the lowest murder rate in 125 years.

President Trump noted, "Within a year of taking office, the typical cost of a new mortgage has dropped by nearly $5,000," adding, "We will protect the asset value for those purchasing their first homes."

Signs of a booming economy include: growth in the 401(k) accounts of millions of Americans, the attraction of over $18 trillion in new investment, the creation of 70,000 construction jobs (new factories, power plants, and research facilities), an increase in U.S. oil production by over 600,000 barrels per day, and a record number of people in the workforce.

President Trump stated, "Every job created under my administration has come 100% from the private sector," and added, "We have abolished DEI policies." He noted that by easing regulations that kill jobs, "in just one year, 2.4 million Americans—the largest number in history—have been removed from food stamp dependency."

The central message permeating the start of the address was that by correcting the mistakes of the Biden administration, a dramatic success and transition have been achieved.

President Trump then declared "victory." Inviting male Olympic ice hockey gold medalists to the stage, he said, "We will win again. We will win big. We will win much bigger than ever before."

President Trump announced that the U.S. would host both the Olympics and the World Cup in time for its 250th anniversary, and spoke about the role of government while introducing several heroic citizens.

He said he is building a country "where the government is accountable to the people, not the powerful, and where the interests of hardworking American citizens are always the top priority and ultimate concern." He emphasized, "This is what we owe to the heroes who came before us, and it is the promise we must keep to America for our 250th anniversary."

President Trump cited the passage of the largest tax cut in American history as his greatest achievement from the past year. The "Big Beautiful Bill" (OBBB) includes the elimination of taxes on tips, overtime pay, and social security pensions, as well as making auto loan interest tax-deductible only for vehicles produced in the U.S.

President Trump pointed out, "One of the main reasons our economy has seen such an incredible recovery—the greatest in history—is tariffs." He described the recent ruling of unconstitutionality by the Supreme Court as "a truly unfortunate decision."

He added, "But the fortunate thing is that almost all countries and companies want to maintain the agreements they have already made. Since they know that my legal authority as President to strike new deals could be much more unfavorable to them, they will continue to follow the successful path we negotiated before the unfortunate intervention of the Supreme Court."

President Trump added that "Congressional approval is not required" to maintain tariffs under existing law, and that he "believes tariffs will significantly replace the modern income tax system and greatly alleviate the financial burden on the people I love."

President Trump criticized the Biden administration and Democratic lawmakers, pointing out that the "Green New Deal hoax and open borders" have increased crime rates and inflation. He slammed the "affordable prices" claimed by the Democrats as a "dirty, rotten lie."

Criticism of Obamacare followed. He called it an "unaffordable healthcare law," noting that major insurance companies have accumulated massive wealth through it. He stated, "I want to end all subsidies to big insurance companies and provide that money directly to the people so they can receive better healthcare at a much lower cost."

President Trump claimed that his proposed "healthcare reform plan" demands "maximum price transparency," adding, "I am drastically lowering costs in all areas, including healthcare."

Renewing his promise to lower drug prices, President Trump said, "I now urge Congress to codify the Most-Favored-Nation program I have proposed."

He stated that AI data centers can build their own power plants, and declared that he would ensure the burden of electricity costs is not passed on to local residents.

He also announced that he had signed an executive order prohibiting large investment firms from purchasing single-family homes, and requested that Congress make it "permanent" to help ordinary people afford their own homes.

Furthermore, President Trump promised to "always protect Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid," and, referring to 401(k) plans, announced that starting next year, all American workers would be offered the same type of retirement plan currently provided to federal employees.

President Trump stated that an "Insider Trading Prevention Act" must be passed immediately to prevent members of Congress from profiting from non-public information. This remark was met with applause from both sides of the aisle.

He noted that the Somali community in Minnesota is "estimated to have embezzled approximately $19 billion," adding that "the situation is far more severe in other states like California, Massachusetts, and Maine." He declared that "this kind of corruption shakes the very foundation of the nation," and that he is doing his utmost to resolve it.

President Trump announced, "I am officially declaring a 'War on Fraud,' which will be led by our great Vice President JD Vance." He said that by cutting off corrupt practices, "we will achieve a balanced budget."

President Trump introduced Dalilah Coleman, who was struck at age five by a trailer driven by an illegal immigrant, and urged Congress to pass the 'Dalilah Act' to "prohibit any state from issuing commercial driver's licenses to illegal immigrants."

He further emphasized why the deportation of illegal criminal aliens is necessary, criticizing, "Democrats have slashed the entire budget for the Department of Homeland Security. Completely slashed it. They have caused another Democratic-led shutdown."

"Isn't that truly shameful? You who remain silent should be ashamed of yourselves," he said. "Drug lords and murderers are running rampant across the country. They are stopping us from kicking them out of the country. You should be ashamed of yourselves."

President Trump then pointed out that the issue of election fraud is "very serious." He said, "Every voter must present a voter ID. Every voter must present proof of citizenship to vote. And, except for special cases like illness, disability, military service, or travel, fraudulent mail-in voting will no longer be allowed."

President Trump emphasized that the reason Democrats oppose voter ID requirements is "to commit fraud," adding, "They make all sorts of excuses... they intend to commit fraud, and they have done so. Their policies are so terrible that they can only win through fraud. We must stop this."

President Trump said, "I am very proud to say that during my four years in office, and especially over the past year, religion, faith, Christianity, and belief in God have experienced a remarkable renewal," and mentioned Charlie Kirk.

Describing Kirk's assassination as "martyrdom," he introduced his wife, Erika Kirk.

"In memory of Charlie, we must all reaffirm together that America is one nation under God," President Trump said, adding, "We must absolutely reject all forms of political violence."

He continued, pointing out that "dangerous repeat offenders are being continuously released by Democratic politicians who defend crime," and urged, "I call on Congress to pass a strong bill that keeps violent and dangerous repeat criminals in prison, and more importantly, ensures they stay there."

President Trump noted that he ended eight international conflicts within 10 months of returning to office, spoke of the efforts to recover the remains of Hamas victims, and discussed efforts to end the war in Ukraine.

"As President, I will strive for peace as much as I can, but if there is a threat to America, I will not hesitate to confront it where necessary," he said, before addressing the Iran issue.

He stated that at least 32,000 protesters have lost their lives in Iran over the past two months, and pointed out that Iran is developing missiles capable of reaching the U.S. and is attempting to restart its nuclear weapons development following "Operation Midnight Hammer."

"No nation should doubt America's resolve," President Trump said, announcing that he would invest $1 trillion in the defense budget. He emphasized, "We must be strong, because I hope the occasions to use this mighty force we have built together will be rare."

He stated that he "ended the rule of illegal dictator Nicolás Maduro in Venezuela and brought him to face American justice," calling it "a tremendous victory for American security."

President Trump announced he is working closely with the new President of Venezuela, Delcy Rodriguez, and said, "We are striving to bring remarkable economic results to both countries and to inspire new hope for those who have suffered extreme pain."

During the speech, President Trump recounted the heroism of Chief Warrant Officer Eric Slover, who flew a helicopter despite suffering gunshot wounds during the operation to arrest Maduro, and awarded him the Congressional Medal of Honor, the nation's highest military decoration.

He then awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor to Royce Williams, a Navy fighter pilot who flew over 220 missions in the Korean War. First Lady Melania Trump presented the medal to the 100-year-old Colonel.

President Trump emphasized the status of America 250 years after its founding, describing it as "Divine Providence."

"When God needs a nation to perform miracles, He knows exactly who to turn to for help. There is no challenge Americans cannot overcome, no vast frontier we cannot conquer, no bold dream we cannot pursue, and no distant horizon we cannot reach. For our destiny is written by the hand of Divine Providence."

President Trump concluded his speech by saying, "America’s golden age has arrived. The revolution that began in 1776 is not over. The revolution continues because the flame of freedom and independence still burns in the hearts of every American patriot, and our future will be bigger, better, brighter, bolder, and more glorious than ever before."

U.S. NNP = Representative Journalist Sung Ku Hong / NNP Special Correspondent info@newsandpost.com