President Donald Trump delivered the longest State of the Union address in US history, clocking in at approximately one hour and 48 minutes. This marathon speech broke his own record from the previous year and surpassed the long-held record set by Bill Clinton in 2000.
On Tuesday night, he promised to deliver a long speech for his State of the Union address. Trump began by painting an optimistic picture declaring that America was “bigger, better, richer, and stronger than ever before.”
“Tonight, after just one year, I can say with dignity and pride that we have achieved a transformation like no one has ever before, and a turnaround for the ages.”
He was determined for the primetime speech, which was broadcast across all major networks. The coverage will help him to sell his message to voters following a profoundly polarized first year back in power.
Trump used key moments in his address to appeal to bipartisan patriotic sentiments introducing a series of surprise guests. These included US military heroes: a former political prisoner released after his administration toppled Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, and the Olympic gold-medal winning US men’s hockey team. During the ceremony, he also presented Medals of Honor-the nation’s highest military award-to Chief Warrant Officer Eric Slover, a helicopter wounded during January’s operation in Venezuela, and to E.Royce Williams, a 100-year-old Korean War veteran.
Trump faces heckling while defending policies in record-length State of the Union
Trump advocated for his immigration crackdown and his push to preserve widespread tariffs that the Supreme Court just struck down. He was applauded only by Democrats while describing the high court’s decision to overturn his policies. Undeterred, the President pledged to plow ahead by using alternative laws to impose the taxes on imports, telling lawmakers that congressional action would not be necessary. He maintained that in the future, tariffs would substantially replace the modern income tax system.
Trump turned to foreign policy later in his speech, specifically highlighting his preference to solve the ongoing problems through diplomacy. He stated that he would never allow the world’ number one sponsor of terror, – a title he claimed to hold by far-to possess a nuclear weapon.
Trump dedicated a substantial part of his speech talking about the economy, defending the tariffs over the last year despite the Supreme Court ruling. He repeated his vow to impose replacement tariffs authorized under different laws from those the Supreme Court struck down.
In this connection, he said: “As time goes by, I believe the tariffs paid by foreign countries will, like in the past, substantially replace the modern-day system of income tax.”
Trump’s speech included key details on topics ranging from economic policy to foreign and immigration policies. He highlighted his economic record and the impacts of his “America first” agenda. The State of the Union provided a critical opportunity to reset the national agenda, coming at a moment when most Americans are looking for clarity on the country’s direction.
