On Tuesday, February 24th, President Trump delivered his first State of the Union address for his second term at 9 PM Eastern Time in the Capitol building.
In this highly anticipated speech, Trump claimed that in his first year in office, the United States had made unprecedented transformations, labeling it as a “Turnaround for the Ages”.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt stated that the core of the speech would revolve around reclaiming the “American Dream” for hardworking American people and introducing several significant policies aimed at alleviating the burden on people’s lives.
This year marks the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States, and to highlight this historical significance, House Speaker Mike Johnson used a historic gavel from 1793 that was once used by President George Washington to open the session.
However, the speech faced resistance from Democratic lawmakers.
At least 50 Democratic lawmakers collectively boycotted the event, instead participating in a protest event named the “People’s State of the Union” at the National Mall. The Democratic members who remained inside planned to express their dissatisfaction through silent protest as a form of resistance.
In terms of specific policies, Trump announced a significant economic indicator initiative called the “Taxpayer Protection Commitment”, which involved reaching agreements with major tech giants to require their data centers to bear a higher proportion of electricity costs to alleviate the pressure of rising electricity bills for ordinary households.
Additionally, he would request Congress to legislate the executive order prohibiting investment institutions from purchasing single-family homes, insisting that houses should belong to people rather than corporations.
In the field of diplomacy, with the increase of U.S. troops in the Middle East, Trump would also need to provide clear explanations to the public and Congress regarding the Iran nuclear issue and military objectives.
Trump had previously indicated that this would be a “lengthy speech” and likely challenge the historical record of the longest speech set in 2025, which lasted for 99 minutes.
With special guests such as the crew of Artemis II present, this marathon-style speech was becoming the focus of attention across the United States and globally.
Here are the real-time updates from the speech:
Trump announced that U.S. men’s ice hockey team goalkeeper Connor Hellebuyck would be awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian honor in the United States, for his outstanding performance in the Olympics where he successfully blocked 41 out of 42 shots in the game against Canada.
Trump paid tribute to the U.S. men’s ice hockey team, who entered the House chamber wearing jerseys with “USA” printed on them and carrying their gold medals. This team defeated Canada to win the gold in the Olympic tournament on Sunday.
Chants of “USA! USA!” echoed through the venue, with even some Democratic lawmakers standing up and applauding.
The President mentioned that the women’s ice hockey team, which also won gold, would be visiting the White House while they politely declined attending the State of the Union address.
With a declaration, Trump opened his State of the Union address, stating, “Our country is back. Stronger, wealthier, more powerful than ever before.”
President Trump made a declaration about the state of the nation, saying, “Our country’s condition is vigorous.”
President Trump entered the House chamber, ascended the podium, and began his State of the Union address.
Trump stated that this would be a longer address.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, and other members of Trump’s cabinet arrived in the House chamber to attend Trump’s State of the Union address.
Of the nine Supreme Court Justices, four were present in the House chamber to listen to President Trump’s State of the Union address. They included Chief Justice John Roberts and Justices Elena Kagan, Amy Coney Barrett, and Brett Kavanaugh, the same four justices who attended Trump’s speech to the joint session of Congress last year.