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President Trump set to deliver first State of the Union address of his second term

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− Danielle Kurtzleben President Trump opened his State of the Union address Tuesday night by putting his presidency in grand historic terms — acknowledging the nation's upcoming 250th anniversary while also declaring it is the "golden age of America." "Tonight, after just one year, I can say with dignity and pride that we have achieved a transformation like no one has ever seen before, and a turnaround for the ages," he said.
+ Danielle Kurtzleben President Trump delivers the State of the Union address during a joint session of Congress in the House Chamber at the Capitol on Feb.
− "We will never go back to where we were just a short time ago." Americans may see that as a celebration or a threat, depending on their party.
+ 24 in Washington, D.C.
− Trump's speech comes as the public is intensely divided.
+ Kenny Holston/Pool/Getty Images hide caption President Trump opened his State of the Union by putting his presidency in grand historic terms — acknowledging the nation's 250th anniversary while also declaring the "golden age of America." "Tonight, after just one year, I can say with dignity and pride that we have achieved a transformation like no one has ever seen before, and a turnaround for the ages," he said.
− The president's policies and actions in his first year of his second term have reinforced those divisions – from foreign policy to immigration to the economy.
+ "We will never go back to where we were just a short time ago." Politics Read NPR's annotated fact check of President Trump's State of the Union Americans may see that as a celebration or a threat, depending on their party. Trump's speech came as the public is intensely divided, and as his net approval rating has continued to fall. With midterms approaching, Trump faced the task of outlining an agenda that Americans — and narrow Republican majorities in Congress — could get behind. The challenge is all the more pressing, as the president's party tends to lose seats in midterm elections.
− The speech comes as the president faces negative approval ratings, including on immigration, the topic that twice helped propel him to the White House.
+ While Trump did outline some future policy objectives, the speech was also a mix of Trump touting his first-year record, slamming Democrats, and creating made-for-TV moments like when he reunited a woman with her Venezuelan uncle who had been kidnapped by Nicolas Maduro's government, or when he opened the evening by welcoming the gold-medal-winning U.S.
− It also comes just days after the Supreme Court delivered a blow to his tariff policy and weeks after federal agents the administration sent into Minneapolis shot and killed two U.S.
+ Olympic men's hockey team.
− citizens.
+ It ended up being the longest State of the Union ever, at more than one hour, 45 minutes.
− Politics Read NPR's annotated fact check of President Trump's State of the Union Amid those challenges, Trump will be celebrating his achievements, paying particular attention to the economy.
+ Trump spent a substantial portion of his speech talking about the economy. That included defending the many tariffs he imposed over the last year, despite the Supreme Court ruling last week that found a swath of those import taxes to be unconstitutional. He repeated his vow to impose replacement tariffs, authorized under different laws from those the Supreme Court struck down.
− "The president is, of course, going to tout his administration's record-setting accomplishments over the past year while laying out an ambitious agenda to continue making the American dream more attainable and affordable for working-class people across the country," press secretary Karoline Leavitt told Fox News on Tuesday morning.
+ Business These small-business owners are owed tariff refunds. Will they ever get them? "As time goes by, I believe the tariffs paid for by foreign countries will, like in the past, substantially replace the modern day system of income tax, taking a great financial burden off the people that I love," he said.
− She added that Trump will be "making a few new policy announcements as well," aimed at the topic of affordability.
+ This isn't the first time Trump has said tariffs could replace income taxes.
− The White House has told reporters, including NPR, that one proposal will be "ratepayer protection pledges." These would require tech companies building data centers, which use massive amounts of energy, to pay more for electricity to mitigate price spikes for the communities where those centers are built.
+ Experts have repeatedly disputed that this is either possible or advisable.
− The president, for his part, has promised the speech will be lengthy.
+ Trump has promised these new tariffs while he has also been mocking Democrats for their focus on affordability and instead making the case that he can ease the cost of living. Studies show that Trump's tariffs have increased prices for businesses and consumers, and a majority of Americans disapprove of his tariff increases, according to a recent Pew Research Center poll.
− "It's going to be a long speech because we have so much to talk about," he said at a Monday White House event honoring families of those killed by people in the country without legal status.
+ Trump also touted the tax cuts Republicans passed last year in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, but not without attacking Democrats for opposing them.
− Politics Poll: Two-thirds of Americans say ICE has 'gone too far' in immigration enforcement Politics Poll: Most say the state of the union is not strong and the U.S.
+ "All Democrats, every single one of them voted against these really important and very necessary massive tax cuts," he said. While Trump spent much of his speech celebrating his first year in office, he also announced policies he wants to put into place, including "ratepayer protection pledges." These would require tech companies building new data centers, which use massive amounts of energy, to pay more for electricity to mitigate price spikes for the communities where those centers are built. He also said he wants to create retirement accounts for people without access to retirement plans with matching employer contributions.
− is worse off As Tuesday night's speech approaches, more than half the country — 55% — thinks Trump is changing the nation "for the worse," according to the latest NPR/PBS News/Marist poll. That's a marked increase from around this point in his first presidency, when 42% of Americans believed the same.
+ The government, he added, would match up to $1,000 per year in these accounts.
− Recent polls also show the president has a deeply negative approval rating, including negative numbers on immigration and the economy.
+ Trump also leaned into the issue of immigration, which propelled him to two presidential wins.
− Those numbers are highly partisan — Republicans still overwhelmingly approve of the president, while Democrats overwhelmingly disapprove. Multiple polls show that a majority of independents disapprove of the job Trump is doing.
+ Among Trump's guests were the mother of a young woman killed by a person who was in the country illegally, as well as a young girl who was injured in a car accident involving someone in the country illegally.
− On economic issues, Trump has been making the case to Americans for months — especially since Democratic wins in November's elections — that he is working to ease the cost of living.
+ At one point, Trump asked attendees to stand if they agreed with the statement: "The first duty of the American government is to protect American citizens, not illegal aliens." When Democrats did not stand, Trump angrily and repeatedly told them, "You should be ashamed of yourself." The moment led to some of Trump's most inflammatory and divisive language of the night as Trump castigated Democrats.
− Business These small-business owners are owed tariff refunds.
+ "These people are crazy.
− Will they ever get them?
+ I'm telling you, they're crazy," he added.
− However, at the same time, he has remained committed to his tariff policy, saying he will impose new ones after the Supreme Court last week declared many of his tariffs unlawful.
+ "We're lucky we have a country with people like this.
− Tariffs have increased prices for businesses and consumers, and a majority of Americans disapprove of his tariff increases, according to a recent Pew Research Center poll.
+ Democrats are destroying our country, but we've stopped it just in the nick of time, didn't we?" While immigration was once a strength for Trump, his approval on the topic has turned negative amid his mass deportations and the deployment of federal agents to Minneapolis. In January, agents killed two American citizens.
− Leavitt said Trump has chosen guests to emphasize his economic programs, including a couple who has benefited from the One Big Beautiful Bill Act passed last year, which allows workers to deduct income from tips and overtime from their annual incomes. Trump will also be leaning into the administration's ongoing message that former President Joe Biden is to blame for any current cost-of-living problems — Leavitt told Fox that Trump's new policies will address "the affordability crisis that Joe Biden created." However, more than one year into Trump's second term, this raises the question of how long the administration can blame economic problems on Biden. Politics Democrats tap Spanberger and Padilla to respond to State of the Union In addition to everyday Americans, Trump has invited the U.S.
+ Politics Poll: Most say the state of the union is not strong and the U.S.
− men's Olympic hockey team, which just days ago won the gold medal in the Winter Olympics.
+ is worse off Foreign policy focus Late in his speech, Trump turned to foreign policy, focusing on two main topics: the first was celebrating the freeing of Israeli hostages by Hamas, which his administration had pushed for. The second was Iran, where a U.S. military buildup has the world wondering what his next moves are.
− Meanwhile, Democratic members of Congress are approaching the speech in different ways.
+ Trump provided little new to answer that question.
− Some will not be attending, in protest against the president, while others are bringing survivors of abuse at the hands of sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and his associates.
+ He said that after the U.S.
− An NPR investigation has found that in its release of Epstein investigation materials, the administration has removed documents related to allegations that Trump sexually abused a minor.
+ attacked Iran nuclear facilities last year, Iran is still "pursuing their sinister ambitions." "My preference is to solve this problem through diplomacy. But one thing is certain, I will never allow the world's number one sponsor of terror, which they are by far, to have a nuclear weapon," he said. "Can't let that happen. And no nation should ever doubt America's resolve." In the Democratic rebuttal, Virginia Democratic Gov. Abigail Spanberger emphasized topics Trump did not bring up, including the Epstein files, federal agents sending children to detention centers, Trump's White House ballroom project, and the DOGE mass firings of government employees.
− Follow for more coverage:📧 NPR Politics newsletter: Breaking down the big stories and why they matter🎧 The NPR Politics Podcast: Our experts provide insights into what's happening Sponsor Message Become an NPR sponsor
+ But she paid special attention to the cost of living, a topic that helped carry her and other Democrats to election wins in November. She criticized Trump's tax and tariff policies and praised new candidates running this year: "Those who are stepping up now to run will win in November, because Americans, you at home, know you can demand more and that we are working to lower costs." Follow for more coverage:📧 NPR Politics newsletter: Breaking down the big stories and why they matter🎧 The NPR Politics Podcast: Our experts provide insights into what's happening Sponsor Message Become an NPR sponsor