President Donald Trump delivers his first State of the Union address of his second term at a joint session of Congress in the House of Representatives chamber at the U.S. Capitol. [Photo: The White House]

Political commentator Jean Cummings revealed the secret behind President Donald Trump's high approval ratings, along with the full transcript of his first State of the Union address ( 연두교서) of his second term, delivered at a joint session of Congress in the House of Representatives chamber at the U.S. Capitol on the 24th (local time).

On the 26th, Jean Cummings posted on Facebook, "I was deeply moved and shed tears, but my colleagues at work today also said they cried while watching the speech. The speech yesterday touched the hearts of Americans to that extent."

He added, "Many Americans consider President Trump a messenger sent by God out of compassion for America. He is a leader established to set the country right in a time of crisis," thereby correcting the true value of the figure of Trump, which has been distorted by the Korean media.

He also pointed out that through Trump's speech, one should learn "what kind of mindset a national leader should have when running state affairs."

Jean Cummings stated, "A president's responsibility is to work for the people and dedicate themselves to the nation's prosperity, security, and world peace," conveying the core message of Trump's speech, and then compared him to Lee Jae-myung, who said, "I became president because I wanted to do what I wanted to do."

"Regimes and politicians who do not consider the people and only think about maintaining power must seriously learn where President Trump's leadership comes from. Love the people first. Cherish the nation. What is the reason for supporting forces that lead the world down a path of chaos and ruin? Is it truly for the sake of the people, or is it a choice for greed and power?"

U.S. President Donald Trump delivers his first State of the Union address of his second term at a joint session of Congress in the House of Representatives chamber at the U.S. Capitol on Tuesday, the 24th. [Photo: The White House]

He further stated that the biggest problem in Korean politics is the lack of "emotion," lamenting, "There is no sincerity that resonates with the hearts of the people, nor a vision for the nation's future. Only calculations, vested interests, and the advantages and disadvantages of power are exchanged. Politics is inherently a realm of cold numbers and systems, but the power that drives a nation ultimately comes from the hearts of the people."

He also emphasized, "A leader's words should give courage to the people, and a speech should give them the conviction that 'there is still hope for this country.' However, such moments are hard to find in Korean politics. Politics is not a skill for wielding power, but a position to bear the weight of responsibility towards the people." He urged, "I hope those blinded by power and greed, and the media that covers for them, feel shame. It is time to come to our senses."

The White House stated, "Two-thirds of those who watched the State of the Union address believe we are heading in the right direction. We will not stop here. President Trump has reclaimed American exceptionalism."

CNN, classified as a far-left media outlet, also stopped its attacks on Trump and reported, "64% of the speech's viewers responded that President Trump's policies would lead America in the right direction."

Here are the highlights from President Trump's State of the Union address.

U.S. President Donald Trump enters the House of Representatives chamber at the U.S. Capitol on Tuesday, the 24th. [Photo: The White House]

America is now greater, more magnificent, more prosperous, and stronger than ever before. We are leading progress and freedom in this most amazing and special country that has ever existed on Earth. You haven't seen anything yet. We will do better and better and better. This is the golden age of America.

Twelve months ago, when I entered this chamber, I inherited a nation in crisis from the Biden administration, with a stagnant economy, inflation at an all-time high, a border that was essentially out of control, severe recruitment shortfalls in our military and police, rampant crime at home, and war and chaos across the globe.

Inherited a government in crisis, achieved a great transformation

But tonight, in just one year, I can say with dignity and pride that I have achieved a transformation never before seen, a great transformation that will go down in history. This is truly a historic transformation.

We do not want to go back to where we were just a short time ago. We will not go back. Today, our borders are secure. Today, our borders are secure, our spirit is revived, inflation is falling rapidly, and incomes are rising quickly.

The booming economy is firing on all cylinders, and our enemies are fearful. Our military and police have been strengthened, and America is respected again. Perhaps more than ever before.

For years, millions of illegal immigrants have crossed our borders without any screening or control. Now, we have the strongest and safest border in American history, by far. Not a single illegal immigrant has entered the United States in the last nine months.

However, we will always welcome those who come legally. Those who love our country and will work hard to protect it.

Deadly fentanyl entering through the border has decreased by a record 56% in just one year. And the murder rate last year fell by the largest margin in recorded history. Think about it, the largest drop on record. It's the lowest since 1900, the lowest in over 125 years.

Oil prices, which exceeded $6, stabilized at 1.7%

The Biden administration and its congressional allies left us with the worst inflation in our nation's history. However, in 12 months, our administration has brought core inflation to its lowest level in over five years. And in the last three months of 2025, it fell to 1.7%.

Oil prices, which exceeded $6 per gallon in some states during the Biden administration, were frankly a disaster, but now they have fallen below $2.30 per gallon in most states, and in some areas, $1.99. And when I visited the great state of Iowa a few weeks ago, I saw gas prices at $1.85 per gallon.

It's the lowest in four years and falling fast, and the annual cost of a typical new mortgage has decreased by nearly $5,000 in just one year since I took office. In just one year.

This will solve the housing problems caused by Biden, while also protecting the asset values of existing homeowners who are feeling true wealth for the first time in their lives. We want to protect that value. We want to maintain that value. We will do both. And we will keep it that way.

The stock market has hit record highs 53 times since the election. Think about it. In just one year. This has caused the pensions, 401(k)s, and retirement accounts of millions of Americans to soar. Everything is going up. It's going up a lot.

New investments increased 18-fold to $18 trillion

Over the last four years, the previous administration attracted less than $1 trillion in new investment in the United States. When I say 'less than,' I mean significantly less. However, in 12 months, I have secured promises of over $18 trillion in investments from around the world.

Compare less than $1 trillion over four years with over $18 trillion in just one year. See what a big difference a president can make. Just a short time ago, we were a dead country. Now we have become the hottest country in the world. No, we are now the hottest country.

Thousands of new businesses are being created, and factories, manufacturing facilities, and research labs are being built. We have added 70,000 new construction jobs in a very short period. We are getting bigger and stronger. People can't believe what they are seeing.

U.S. oil production has increased by over 600,000 barrels per day, and we have received over 80 million barrels of oil from our new friend and partner, Venezuela.

U.S. natural gas production is at an all-time high because I have kept my promise of "Drill, baby, drill!" The number of people working in the United States today is higher than ever before in our nation's history.

Think about it. More people are working today than at any other time in history. And 100% of the jobs created under my administration have come from the private sector.

We have ended DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) in the United States. We have also eliminated job-killing regulations at a record pace, and in just one year, we have lifted 2.4 million Americans off food stamps. This is a record number.

And for all these reasons, I tell you tonight, members of Congress, our federal government is strong. Our country is winning again. In fact, we are winning so much that we don't know what to do with ourselves.

People tell me, "Please, please, please, Mr. President, we are winning too much. We can't take it anymore. Before you came along, we weren't used to winning. We only lost. But now we are winning too much."

Then I say, "No, no, no. You will win again. You will win big. You will win bigger than ever before."

Tax cuts and introduction of Trump accounts for children

From 1776 to this day, every generation of Americans has stepped forward to protect life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. And they have done so for the next generation.

Now it is our turn. Together, we are building a country where every child has the opportunity to reach higher and challenge further. A country where the government is accountable to the people, not the powerful, and where the interests of hardworking American citizens are always our first and ultimate concern.

That is the debt we owe to our ancestors, and that is the promise we must keep for America's 250th anniversary.

Last year, I urged Congress to pass the largest tax cut in American history to begin that mission. And our Republican majority did a tremendous job of that. Thank you, Republicans.

However, every single one of the Democrats voted against this very important and necessary large tax cut. Instead, they wanted massive tax increases that would burden the people.

But we held firm, and with that great, big, beautiful bill, we eliminated taxes on tips, taxes on overtime pay, and taxes on Social Security benefits for our great seniors. For the first time, we eliminated car taxes. Only if that car was made in America.

The 'Trump Account' is a tax-free investment account for every American child (this name was not created by me). This is a very special program and is having a huge impact. Millions of accounts will be pre-funded with contributions from the U.S. Treasury and private donors like Michael and Susan Dell.

They have donated $6.25 billion to create Trump accounts for 25 million American children. They are truly wonderful people.

When asked how he made so much money, he said, "I was sitting in my dorm room at school, and I started building computers and selling them to people. And I kept selling and selling and selling." It's a truly amazing story. That is the American Dream. He sold countless computers, countless laptops. And he donated them for young children.

I will also create a Trump account for every newborn child. These children's accounts can grow to over $100,000 by the time they turn 18. Think about it. Over $100,000 for someone who started with nothing. It could be much more than that.

To participate in this investment for the future of our children, go to trumpaccounts.gov. Many people are already participating. It's breaking all records. It's hugely popular.

People know what this means. I am very proud of them. I am also very proud of the people who started this. It's just exploding.

Imposing hundreds of billions of dollars in tariffs on countries that exploited the U.S.

One of the primary reasons for our country's incredible economic turnaround, the greatest turnaround in history, has been tariffs. The Dow Jones Industrial Average surpassed 50,000 four years ahead of schedule, and the S&P index reached 7,000, which was expected to take many more years.

I have leveraged these tariffs to bring in hundreds of billions of dollars for our country and negotiate excellent deals, both economically and from a national security perspective. Everything was working perfectly.

Countries that have exploited us for decades are now paying us hundreds of billions of dollars. They have taken advantage of us severely. You all know it. Everyone knows it. The Democrats know it. They just don't want to say it.

But now, those countries are satisfied, and we are satisfied. We negotiated, and all negotiations are complete. We are not making as much money as before, but we are making a lot of money now. There was no inflation, and growth was tremendous.

And the big news was that Donald Trump predicted the economy correctly, and 22 Nobel laureates in economics were wrong. They were completely wrong. Truly wrong.

However, just four days ago, an unfortunate decision was made by the U.S. Supreme Court. It was a very unfortunate decision. But the good news is that almost every country and company wants to maintain the agreements they have already entered into. Isn't that right, Scott (Secretary of the Treasury)?

Since I know that, as president, I have the legal authority to enter into new agreements, and since I know that it can be much more disadvantageous to them, they will continue to follow the successful path we negotiated before the Supreme Court's unfortunate intervention.

Despite the disappointing ruling, these great powers are contributing to protecting our country with the vast sums of money we are collecting. The wars I resolved were also made possible by the pressure of tariffs. Without them, they could not have been resolved.

And these measures have been implemented under other legal bases that have already been fully approved and validated. Provisions that have been tested for a long time. Although they are a bit more complex, they can lead to even better results and a more powerful solution than before. No further action from Congress is needed. It's a system that has already been tested and approved.

In time, I believe that tariffs paid by foreign countries will largely replace the modern income tax system, as they did in the past. Then, we can alleviate the heavy financial burden placed on the people I love.

Jobs, investments, and trillions of dollars in capital will continue to flow into the United States. This is because we finally have a president who puts America first, a president who puts America first. I love America.

Consumer prices for items like cars have fallen to the 60% range

For decades before I came along, we experienced the exact opposite. From trade to healthcare, from energy to immigration, everything was manipulated and distorted to steal the wealth of the productive and hardworking people who make our country great and move it forward.

Under Biden, Congress, and their corrupt accomplices, things reached a breaking point with the "Green New Scam" and open borders for all. Millions, millions of people poured out of prisons and mental institutions. There were murderers too. 11,888 murders have entered our country.

You Democrats allowed that to happen. And due to record inflation, ordinary households have been burdened with $34,000 in a short period.

Now, the very people who voted for those disastrous policies in this chamber are suddenly using the word "affordability." They use the word because someone told them to. Even though they know better than anyone that they caused the price increases that everyone had to endure. You (Democrats) created that problem. You (Democrats) caused that problem.

But they lie. They knew it too. They knew their sanctions were vile and rotten lies. They knew their policies caused high prices. Our policies are ending it quickly. We are doing a very good job. Because prices are falling rapidly.

Prices have now fallen by 60%. Thank you, Mr. Secretary.

The cost of chicken, butter, groceries, hotels, cars, and rent is much lower today than when I took office. And beef prices, which were very high, have also started to come down significantly. Just wait a little longer. We are lowering prices further.

Soon, you will see figures that hardly anyone thought possible just a short time ago, especially when you see energy prices drop so much. It's like another huge tax cut.

Repealed Obamacare and lowered prescription drug prices

I am also tackling one of the biggest "rip-offs" of our time, the enormous burden of healthcare costs that you have caused. Since the passage of the Affordable Care Act, also known as "Obamacare," large insurance companies have made huge profits.

It was not a law for the people, but for the insurance companies. While the government paid them hundreds of billions of dollars annually, their stock prices soared by 1000%, 1200%, 1400%, and even 1700%. It was incomparable to anything else.

So, I have presented a great healthcare reform plan. I will stop all payments to large insurance companies and pay that money directly to the people, so they can choose their own health insurance. This way, they will receive better healthcare at a much lower cost.

Also, I demand maximum price transparency. This is a very important issue. I implemented this during my first term, but the Democrats immediately stopped it, even though they knew it was very bad for the people. As a result, costs skyrocketed, and they did.

I am also ending the absurdly inflated prescription drug prices to an unprecedented extent. Other presidents have tried but never succeeded. They tried. In fact, most didn't even try. But they claimed they did. It was just talk. They didn't do it. They didn't even come close. Just empty words and no action.

But I did it. Under the "Most Favored Nation" agreement I just implemented, Americans, who have paid the most expensive drug prices in the world for decades, will now purchase drugs at the lowest prices in the world. Anywhere in the world. The lowest price.

In the first year of my second term, actually, it should be my third term. It's crazy. (A joke targeting election fraud)

I have turned prescription drug prices, which represent a very large portion of healthcare costs, from the world's highest to the world's lowest. This is a tremendous achievement.

As a result, there are price differences of 300%, 400%, 500%, 600%, and more, and all these benefits can be checked immediately on a new website called 'TrumpRx.gov.' Oh, by the way, the name of that site was not given by me either.

So, I am now urging Congress to codify my "Most Favored Nation" program into law. Of course, I'm not sure if it's really necessary, because it would be very difficult for someone coming after me to say, "Let's raise drug prices by 700% or 800%."

But John, Mike, if it's okay, please codify it into law anyway. They might do it. Codify it anyway. Thank you.

Lowering electricity bills by having companies build their own power plants

Many Americans are also concerned that the energy demand from AI data centers could unfairly increase electricity bills.

Tonight, I am pleased to announce that we have renegotiated a new 'rate payer protection pledge.' You know what that means. We are telling large tech companies that they have an obligation to be responsible for their own power demands.

They can build their own power plants as part of their facilities, and that way, no one's electricity bill will go up. In many cases, the electricity bills in local communities will actually go down, and significantly. This is a unique strategy that has never been used in this country before.

Our power grid is old and cannot meet the enormous power demands that are currently required. So, I am telling them to build their own power plants. They will produce their own electricity.

This ensures that companies have the power they need, while also having the effect of lowering your electricity bills, which can be very beneficial to cities and communities. You will see good things happen in the coming years.

Real estate policies and policies for retirees

Homeownership, which was another pillar supporting the American Dream, has also come under attack. Today, Rachel Wiggins, a mother of two from Houston, is with us.

She bid on 20 houses but was outbid by giant investment firms on all of them. They skipped the inspection process, bought with all cash, and then converted those houses into rentals, taking away her "American Dream." She felt a great sense of loss.

Because of cases like this, I signed an executive order last month prohibiting large Wall Street investment firms from buying thousands of single-family homes.

This cannot be a temporary measure. Because what we want are homes for people. That's right. We want homes for people, not homes for corporations. Corporations are doing very well already. Thank you very much. Good luck to all of you. Good luck.

We are also working to make it easier for Americans to save for retirement. And under this administration, we will always protect Social Security and Medicare. They are not protecting it for our seniors. We will always protect Social Security and Medicare.

Since I took office, the average 401(k) balance has increased by at least $30,000. This is a large amount. Millions and millions of people are benefiting. Your 401(k) has also grown significantly because the stock market has performed very well and set many records.

Nevertheless, half of American workers still do not have access to an employer-matched retirement plan. To address this serious gap, I announce that next year, my administration will provide access to a retirement plan for American workers who have often been overlooked, the great people who built this nation, the same type of retirement plan provided to all federal employees.

We will match your contributions up to $1,000 annually.

We must ensure that all Americans benefit from the rising stock market, while also ensuring that members of Congress do not unfairly profit from insider information.

The Democrats in Congress are standing up on this. But I can't believe it. I really can't believe it.

Now, pass the 'Stop Insider Trading Act' without delay (audience cheers and applause, Democrats also give a standing ovation for this part).

Thank you very much. It's surprising that the Democrats are also applauding this part.

Will eliminate tax plunderers through the war on corruption

But when it comes to corruption that is plundering America, it is truly plundering America. No case is more shocking than that of Minnesota.

There, it is estimated that members of the Somali community have defrauded American taxpayers of approximately $19 billion. We have all the information. In reality, the amount is much higher. And California, Massachusetts, Maine, and many other states are in worse situations.

This is the kind of corruption that tears at the fabric of the nation, and we are responding with unprecedented strength.

So tonight, I officially declare war on fraud and deception, led by the great Vice President J.D. Vance, whom I spoke about four months ago in Ohio.

If we uncover enough such fraud, we can achieve a balanced budget virtually overnight. It will happen very quickly. That's the magnitude of the money you're talking about. We will balance the budget.

The Somali pirates who plundered Minnesota are a reminder that bribery, corruption, and lawlessness are the norm, not the exception, in many parts of the world. When this culture is imported through unlimited immigration and open borders, those problems enter the United States. And the price is paid by the American people in the form of higher healthcare costs, car insurance premiums, rent, taxes, and most importantly, increased crime.

We will solve this problem. We will definitely solve it. We are not playing games. Thank you very much.

Prevent harm from illegal immigrants

Many illegal immigrants do not speak English and cannot even read the most basic road signs regarding direction, speed, danger, or location.

So tonight, I urge Congress to pass a bill we call the "Delilah Law" (Delilah was a victim who suffered paralysis from a vehicle driven by an illegal immigrant). This law prohibits any state from issuing a commercial driver's license to an illegal immigrant.

Perhaps you've seen it at the White House, but I hosted an event with Americans who have lost loved ones due to the harms of illegal immigration. How did we allow this to happen? People entered our country through open borders.

These are the so-called "Angel Moms" and their families, who have been betrayed by our government for decades and completely ignored by the media. It was truly terrible and, in fact, unbelievable.

In 2023, a 16-year-old high school cheerleader named Lizbeth Medina was scheduled to perform at her hometown's Christmas parade but never made it. Her mother, Jacqueline, returned home to find her daughter dead in the bathtub, bleeding profusely, having been stabbed 25 times.

The perpetrator of Lizbeth's murder was an illegal immigrant with a prior arrest record who broke into their home and brutally and violently extinguished the brightest light in their family's life. Her grieving mother is in the gallery of this chamber tonight.

This is to remind everyone why we are deporting illegal alien criminals at record rates and getting them out of this country as quickly as possible. We don't want them.

We must never forget that many in this room not only allowed border incursions to happen before I intervened but would do so again if given the chance.

If they are re-elected, they will open the borders to the most heinous criminals from anywhere in the world.

At this moment, the only thing standing between the American people and a completely open border is President Donald J. Trump and the great Republican patriots in Congress. Thank you.

Democrats' trick of blocking homeland security budget and opposing voter ID

Democrats in this Congress have cut off all funding for the Department of Homeland Security. Completely blocked. They have caused another Democrat-style shutdown, and with the first shutdown, we lost 2% of GDP. A 2% loss of GDP. Perhaps they were quite satisfied with that.

Now they have shut down the agency that protects Americans from terrorists and murderers. Tonight, I demand the full and immediate restoration of all funding for America's border security and homeland security. This also includes funding to help people with snow removal. Because of the Democrats, we have no one.

Even if we want to help, even if we want to shovel snow, we haven't been given the budget. No one is getting paid. It's shameful. Think about it. If you didn't know, there's a big blizzard going on outside right now.

One of the good things about the State of the Union is that it gives Americans an opportunity to see clearly what their representatives truly believe.

So tonight, I ask all members of Congress to reaffirm one fundamental principle with our administration. If you agree with this statement, please stand up and show your support. The first duty of the U.S. government is to protect American citizens, not illegal immigrants (everyone cheered, but only Democratic members were silent).

You Democrats should be ashamed of not giving a standing ovation for this part. You should really be ashamed.

So, I also call for an end to the deadly "sanctuary cities" policies that protect criminals, and for severe penalties for public officials who obstruct the deportation of illegal immigrants who have committed crimes. Many Democrats are preventing these people from being deported from our country, even though there are drug lords and murderers all over our country. You should be ashamed of that.

Why don't you Democrats want that? Why would someone oppose a voter ID system? There is only one reason. Because they want to cheat and they are cheating. That is the only reason.

They make all sorts of excuses. They call it racism. They come up with arguments that can only be described as imaginative.

They want to cheat in elections. And they have been cheating. Because their policies are so bad, they think cheating is the only way to get elected. And we will stop it. We must stop it, you know.

Prohibition of gender transition that defies God and parental will

And here is another opportunity to show common sense in government. No state should allow children to be taken from their parents against their parents' will to undergo gender transition to a new gender. It is unbelievable that we are even having this conversation. We must ban it, and ban it immediately.

Again, no one from the Democratic side is standing up for this. These Democrats are out of their minds. I'm telling you. They are really out of their minds. This makes no sense. Oh, my.

It's fortunate that we haven't lost the country with people like these around. The Democrats are ruining our country. But we narrowly avoided it at a very precarious moment. You know?

No one has shown more concern for the protection of American youth than our great First Lady. She is now also a movie actress. A movie actress, can you believe it? Who would have imagined that?

Over the past year, she has shown an amazing impact, advocating for AI-related legislation, promoting a groundbreaking executive order on foster care, and helping to secure $30 million to launch the "Melania Trump Foster Youth to Independence" initiative.

This was truly a tremendous effort and received a lot of bipartisan support. Much more bipartisan support than me. I hardly get any, but she gets a lot. She'll have to tell me how she did that someday (audience laughs).

Also, students and educators in all states are joining the First Lady's efforts in the "Presidential AI Challenge," preparing America's next generation to succeed and thrive in the future.

I am very proud to say that there has been a great restoration of religion, faith, Christianity, and belief in God, not only during my first four years in office but especially over the past year. There has been a tremendous revival.

This has been particularly evident among the younger generation, and a large part of that is thanks to my great friend. I would like to introduce him. Charlie Kirk (audience gives a standing ovation, only Democratic members remain silent).

So Charlie Kirk was brutally murdered by an assassin, effectively martyred for his beliefs. His wonderful wife, Erika, is here tonight. Erika, please stand up. Thank you. It's not easy (audience gives a standing ovation, Democratic members remain silent).

In his memory, we must all come together to reaffirm that America is one nation under God, and that we must reject political violence of any kind in its entirety.

And we love getting it back. It's coming back to a level that no one thought possible. It's a beautiful thing.

Above all, to fully realize America's potential, we must keep our communities safe. We have made incredible progress, but dangerous repeat offenders continue to be released by pro-crime Democratic politicians.

Ended wars in 8 countries in 10 months

Last summer, I deployed the National Guard and federal law enforcement agencies to restore law and order in some of our most dangerous cities. It was a great success in Memphis, Tennessee. It was a great success in New Orleans, Louisiana. And in our capital, Washington, D.C., it was also a success. There is virtually no crime in Washington, D.C. now.

U.S. President Donald Trump awards U.S. Army Chief Warrant Officer Eric Slover with the Medal of Honor, the nation's highest military decoration, for his heroic actions during Operation Absolute Resolve, during the State of the Union address. [Photo: The White House] How was this possible? Crime rates have now reached record lows. And in January of this year, murders in Washington, D.C. decreased by nearly 100% compared to the same period last year.

In my first 10 months, I ended eight wars, including in Cambodia. Isn't that interesting? Strange people.

Cambodia and Thailand, Pakistan and India were on the brink of nuclear war. The Prime Minister of Pakistan said that 35 million people would have lost their lives if I had not intervened. Kosovo and Serbia, Israel and Iran, Egypt and Ethiopia, Armenia and Azerbaijan, Congo and Rwanda, and of course, the war in Gaza, which is now at a very low level. It's almost over.

I want to thank Steve Witcraft and Jared Kushner for their help. Thank you, Steve. Thank you, Jared.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio, I am proud to report to you. People love you.

Marco received 100% of the votes when he was in a difficult situation. I think the next was around 54%. And now some Democrats are saying, "I can't believe we approved that guy." He said he considers it an honor that they feel that way.

But you have done a great job as Secretary of State. I think you will go down as one of the greatest Secretaries of State of all time.

In all negotiations, whether survivors or deceased, every single hostage returned home. Can you believe it? No one thought it was possible. Not just living hostages, but deceased hostages too.

Parents who lost their sons always said, "My son." They wanted to bring their son back, whether he was alive or not. It was a very special time. We brought back all the living hostages, and many hostages before that.

But I always said, "The last 20 will be very difficult." Still, we brought back hundreds more. I said the last 20 would be difficult, but in the end, we brought them back.

Of the 28 deceased, we returned the remains of 14 or 15. Unbelievably, Hamas cooperated with Israel. United Rentals. They went through all the bodies, having to go through 100 bodies to find one. It was a difficult task.

Eventually, we found up to 27, and then Steve and Jared found the 28th. We found all 28. No one thought it was possible, but we did it.

I remember the families of those 28. They were in deep sorrow, but at the same time, they looked as happy as possible. They got their sons back. The brothers said, "Mr. President, we got our sons back."

It was a very special time. But we got everyone back. I sincerely thank both of you. Thank you.

And we are working very hard to end the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine, the killing and slaughter that is happening day and night. 25,000 soldiers are losing their lives every month. Think about it, 25,000 a month. This war would never have happened if I were president. It would never have happened.

As president, I will make peace wherever possible. But at the same time, I will never hesitate to confront threats to America anywhere if necessary.

So last June, in a groundbreaking operation, the U.S. military completely destroyed Iran's nuclear weapons program through an attack within Iranian territory called "Operation Big Bang."

For decades, U.S. policy has been to never allow Iran to possess nuclear weapons. It has been that way for a long time.

Since they seized power in that proud country 47 years ago, that regime and their murderous proxies have spread only terror, death, and hatred. They killed or injured thousands of American soldiers with so-called "roadside bombs," and they killed or injured hundreds of thousands, even millions, of people. They were the kings of roadside bombs.

And during my first term, we eliminated Soleimani. That had a tremendous impact. He was the father of roadside bombs.

In connection with the protests in the last few months, they appear to have killed at least 32,000 protesters. 32,000. They are their own citizens. They shot them and executed them. We warned them with a strong military response and prevented the execution of many people. They are truly terrible people.

They have already developed missiles that can threaten Europe and our bases overseas, and they are trying to develop missiles that can reach the U.S. mainland soon. After "midnight hammer," they were warned not to make any attempt to rebuild their weapons program, especially their nuclear weapons program.

If they start again, even though we have completely eliminated it, if they try to start again, they are pursuing their sinister ambitions at this very moment. We are negotiating with them. They want negotiations. But we have not yet heard the secret phrase, "We will never have nuclear weapons." But I hope to hear that.

My mission is to resolve this issue through diplomacy. But one thing is clear. I will never allow Iran, the world's largest state sponsor of terrorism, to possess nuclear weapons. That must never happen.

And no country should doubt America's resolve. We have the most powerful military on Earth. I rebuilt the military during my first term, and I will continue to do so.

Peace through strength has been very effective

We have also just approved a defense budget of $1 trillion. There is no choice. We must be strong. Because we hope to use the immense power we have built together as little as possible. This is "peace through strength," and it has been very effective.

Thanks to Republican economists, we are investing billions of dollars in the U.S. military on a record scale, creating many jobs in the process. But that is not the main purpose. As I said, today we have the most jobs in history.

Also, NATO countries, our friends and allies, have agreed to spend 5% of their GDP on military defense, not 2%, at my strong request. Previously, they did not even pay 2% properly, and we bore almost all of it. Now they are paying 5%.

And getting that 5% is something everyone said was impossible. They said never. But we did it very easily with just one meeting. It's a big difference from not even paying 2% properly. We were paying for many of those countries, and only some were paying properly. Now they are paying 5%, and they are actually paying.

All the aid we send to Ukraine is delivered through NATO, and they pay us in full. Fully in full.

All branches of our military are now setting records in recruitment. It's very exciting. And all military personnel recently received $1,776 as an annual dividend. We created that system from my desk. That money came from tariffs and other revenues.

Originally, it was $1,775 and was awaiting my approval. When I asked, "What is the amount?" they said, "It's $1,775." So I said, "Wait a minute. If we add just $1, it becomes $1,776, doesn't it? Let's do that." (July 4, 1776, is the date the U.S. declared its independence).

We love our military. We love our law enforcement agencies. We love our firefighters. Firefighters don't seem to get enough mention. We love our firefighters. And we are also ensuring America's security and leadership in the Western Hemisphere. We are taking action to protect our national interests and defend our homeland from violence, drugs, terrorism, and foreign interference.

For years, vast territories in this region, especially large parts of Mexico, have been controlled by murderous drug cartels. So I designated these cartels as foreign terrorist organizations and declared illegal fentanyl a weapon of mass destruction.

Through our non-military campaign, we have intercepted record amounts of drugs entering our country, and we have virtually completely stopped drugs from entering, especially by sea. You may have noticed. We have also dealt a major blow to the fishing industry. No one wants to go fishing anymore.

We also eliminated one of the most notorious cartel leaders. So in January, elite U.S. warriors carried out an operation that showcased the most complex and brilliant military capability and power in world history. No one has ever seen anything like it. A truly impressive military. Everyone watched and saw what happened.

This is a combat unit completely different from the battles we fought in the past. I am very proud of them. Look. The Space Force. The Space Force is like my child. It may sound funny, but I think it's fantastic.

This operation was a natural and huge victory for American security, and at the same time, it opened a bright new beginning for the Venezuelan people.

We are working closely with the new Venezuelan president, Delsi Rodríguez, to achieve tremendous economic progress for both countries and bring new hope to those who have suffered extreme hardship. They have suffered greatly.

Tonight, Alejandro González-Irugua is with us. She is from a Venezuelan family and was particularly close to her beloved uncle Enrique.

But when Enrique ran for election against Maduro, he was kidnapped by Maduro's security forces and imprisoned in the infamous regime prison in Caracas. Alejandro feared she would never see her uncle again and felt her own life was also threatened.

However, we have been working with the new leadership, and they have ordered the closure of "Narcos" facilities and have already released hundreds of political prisoners, with more to come.

The last 250 years have been just the beginning; America's golden age is now

The two people I met tonight in the gallery took their first breaths exactly 100 years ago. And 100 years before that, on July 4, 1826, Thomas Jefferson, the author of the Declaration of Independence and a towering figure, breathed his last.

Only a single human lifespan lies between the giants who declared and won our independence and the heroes standing here today. Everything our nation has accomplished, everything we have achieved, has been accomplished through those few generations of great lives.

In those short chapters, Americans started from 13 humble colonies and built the pinnacle of human civilization and freedom, the strongest, wealthiest, most powerful, and most successful nation in history.

Americans pushed across a rugged and dangerous continent. We blazed trails through harsh wilderness, pioneered the endless frontier, and tamed the beautiful but very dangerous West.

Upon empty swamps and vast plains, we built the world's greatest cities. Together, we dominated the world's most powerful industries, overthrew monstrous tyrannies of history, and liberated millions from the chains of fascism and communism, oppression and terror.

Americans lifted humanity into the sky on wings of aluminum and steel, and propelled humanity into the stars on rockets powered by pure American will and unyielding pride.

We have connected the world with our ingenuity. AI has connected the world with customers and American culture, and now we are the pioneers forging the next great American innovation that will change the world.

All of this, and all of the above, is the enduring legacy of the hardworking patriots who built and protected this country, and its unparalleled glory. They still carry the hope and freedom of all mankind.

For years, they have been forgotten, betrayed, and cast aside. But that great betrayal has ended, and they will never be forgotten again. Because when the world needs courage, boldness, vision, and inspiration, it still looks to America. And when God needs to perform a miracle, He knows exactly who to call.

There is no challenge that Americans cannot overcome. There is no frontier too vast for us to conquer, no dream too bold for us to pursue, and no horizon too distant for us to claim. Our destiny is written by the hand of providence, and the last 250 years have been just the beginning.

From the rugged border towns of Texas to the heartland villages of Michigan, from the sunny coasts of Florida to the endless plains of Dakota, from the historic streets of Philadelphia to right here, our capital, Washington, D.C., America's golden age is unfolding before us.

The revolution that began in 1776 has not ended. It continues because the flame of freedom and independence still burns in the heart of every American patriot.

And our future will be bigger, better, brighter, bolder, and more glorious than ever before. Thank you. May God bless you, and may God bless America.

President Donald J. Trump