President Donald Trump gave his State of the Union address Tuesday. He was slated to champion his immigration crackdowns, his slashing of the federal government, his push to preserve widespread tariffs that the Supreme Court just struck down and his ability to direct quick-hit military actions around the world, including in Iran and Venezuela.

Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger gave the Democratic Party response following Trump’s speech. California Sen. Alex Padilla, who made national headlines last year after being forced to the ground and handcuffed by federal agents, delivered the party’s response in Spanish.

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Trump makes scant mention of immigration, long a favorite issue

Immigration helped carry Trump to victory in 2024 and he took giant steps toward reshaping the system during his first year in office.

Yet he scarcely mentioned immigration during his speech, possibly a reflection of his slipping poll numbers on the issue. He spoke about the steep drop in arrests for illegal border crossings but didn’t talk about two key initiatives that will cost nearly $100 billion combined: expanding immigration detention and building border wall.

He didn’t talk about major policy changes like attempting to end birthright citizenship, denying bond to people who are in immigration custody or suspending asylum at the border.

And he didn’t discuss his mass deportation campaign — just weeks after Minnesota’s largest cities turned into battlegrounds between immigration officers and protesters and resulted in U.S. officials fatally shooting two U.S. citizens.

Spanberger calls immigration crackdown a drain on law enforcement

The flood of immigration agents into cities like Minneapolis is unnecessary, wasteful and spreads fear, Spanberger said.

“Every minute spent sowing fear is a minute not spent investigating murders, crimes against children, or the criminals defrauding seniors of their life savings,” she said. “Our broken immigration system is something to be fixed, not an excuse for unaccountable agents to terrorize our communities.”

Spanberger slams ‘poorly trained’ immigration officers

“Our president has sent poorly trained federal agents into our cities, where they have arrested and detained American citizens and people who aspire to be Americans.”

Spanberger is criticizing how Trump’s mass deportation agenda is being carried out in places like Chicago and Minneapolis.

Her comments come just a day after a whistleblower told Congress about how new ICE recruits are being trained and the problems with that training.

Ryan Schwank accused the Department of Homeland Security of dismantling the training program for new deportation officers and lying about what they were doing.

DHS has said that there’s been no compromise or corner cutting when it comes to preparing new deportation officers.

Spanberger poses questions about Trump’s second term in Democratic rebuttal

“Is the president working to make life more affordable for you and your family? We all know the answer is no”

Throughout her Democratic response to Trump’s address, Spanberger posed a series of questions to Americans, asking whether they feel life has improved since he returned to office.

The Democrat, who flipped a Republican-held office last year, is hoping voters across the country will share that assessment when they head to the polls in November.

Spanberger takes on affordability message in Democratic response to Trump

Spanberger is arguing in her Democratic rebuttal that costs remain high for many Americans more than a year into his second term.

Her message, that families are still struggling under Trump’s policies, is one Democrats plan to carry nationwide ahead of the midterm elections. Party leaders point to Spanberger’s double-digit victory in Virginia last November as validation of a disciplined, cost-focused campaign they now hope to replicate across the country.

Speech time breaks record

Trump’s 108-minute speech broke his own record for longest presidential address to Congress.

The prior record was his own 100-minute speech last year. Before 2025, President Bill Clinton had the record with speeches clocking in at 89 minutes in 2000 and 85 minutes in 1995.

Lawmakers leap to their feet with starkly divided responses as Trump concludes his address

Republicans gave the president their final standing ovation of the night as he concluded his remarks. GOP lawmakers then proceeded to mingle in the chamber. Some walked up to congratulate the president on the celebratory mood in the chamber.

Democrats also immediately leapt to their feet, though with no fanfare. The caucus almost immediately turned and streamed out of the chamber without applause. Some could be seen scoffing and shaking their heads shortly after Trump wrapped his remarks and descended from the House dais.

First lady presents Medal of Honor to 100-year-old veteran

Trump asked First Lady Melania Trump to present Royce Williams a Medal of Honor for his actions in a secret mission during the Korean War.

A military aide was seen bringing the esteemed award down the stairs of the House gallery where Melania Trump and Williams were sitting before she put it around his neck while a standing ovation took over the chamber.

“He didn’t even want to tell his wife. But the legend grew and grew,” Trump said about the clandestine mission. “But tonight, at 100 years old, this brave Navy captain is finally getting the recognition he deserves.”

Trump mentions killing of Mexican drug lord

Trump appeared to reference the killing of Jalisco New Generation Cartel leader Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, better known as “El Mencho.”

The Mexican army killed Oseguera Cervantes Sunday in an attempt to capture him in the western state of Jalisco. Both Mexico and the United States confirmed that there was U.S. intelligence support for the operation.

Trump said “We’ve also taken down one of the most sinister cartel kingpins of all. You saw that yesterday.”

Some 70 people died in the operation and violence that erupted after it.

Trump touts shaky ceasefire deal in Gaza

Among the several conflicts he claims to have ended, Trump mentioned the ongoing, fragile ceasefire deal in Gaza. “I negotiated every single hostage, both living and dead, has been returned home. Can you believe that? Nobody thought it was possible.” the president said during his speech. While the U.S.-brokered deal between Israel and Hamas has halted major military operations, freed the last hostages held by Hamas and ramped up aid deliveries to Gaza, a lasting resolution to the two-year war ignited by Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attack into Israel remains elusive.

Trump says Homeland Security shutdown is impacting snow cleanup

“We’d love to give you a hand at cleaning it up, but you gave no money. Nobody’s getting paid.”

Trump said the DHS shutdown was preventing the federal government from “helping people clean up their snow,” referring to the massive snowstorm that impacted much of the northeastern U.S. this week.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency, housed under DHS, rarely helps states with snow cleanup, except in some instances of record snowfall or near-record snowfall, or when an ice storm causes catastrophic damage. States first request a disaster declaration that the president must approve.

A government shutdown also doesn’t necessarily stop FEMA disaster response: The more than 10,000 staff who make up the bulk of FEMA’s disaster response and recovery force continue to work and be paid during a government shutdown, and disaster spending can continue for as long as the agency’s non-lapsing Disaster Relief Fund has money.

Trump highlights case of Ukrainian woman killed on North Carolina train

“We will ensure justice for your magnificent daughter, Iryna.”

Among those in the audience was the mother of 23-year-old Iryna Zarutska, an Ukrainian refugee who was fatally stabbed by a man on a North Carolina commuter train last August.

Her killing captured on camera in Charlotte sparked intense criticism over why the suspect, Decarlos Brown Jr., was on the street despite 14 prior criminal arrests.

The Trump administration has pointed to the killing to argue that local leaders, judges and policies in Democratic-led cities are failing to protect their residents from violent crime.

Brown has been charged with a federal crime that could carry the death penalty.

Trump falsely claims voter fraud is ‘rampant’

“I’m asking you to approve the Save America Act to stop illegal aliens and other who are unpermitted persons from voting in our sacred American elections. The cheating is rampant in our elections.” Experts say voter fraud is extremely rare, and very few noncitizens ever slip through the cracks. For example, a recent review in Michigan identified 15 people who appear to be noncitizens who voted in the 2024 general election, out of more than 5.7 million ballots cast in the state. Of those, 13 were referred to the attorney general for potential criminal charges. One involved a voter who has since died, and the final case remains under investigation.

Trump tells Democrats they’re responsible for high costs

“You caused that problem.”

Trump directly addressed Democrats, blaming them for the high costs that are troubling voters. This has been a major theme of Trump’s speech tonight and is also an argument he makes frequently when talking about the economy.

Recent polling shows rising frustration with Trump’s approach to the economy.

He went on to directly blame Democrats for health care costs, a problem he told them is “caused by you.” He cited the Affordable Care Act, former President Barack Obama’s health care law that Republicans have tried and failed to repeal.

Drug prices can’t be cut by more than 100%

“I took prescription drugs, a very big part of health care, from the highest price in the entire world to the lowest. That’s a big achievement. The result is price differences of 300%, 400%, 500%, 600% and more.”

This is impossible. Although the Trump administration has taken steps to lower drug prices, cutting them by more than 100% would theoretically mean that people are being paid to take medications.

Geoffrey Joyce, director of health policy at the University of Southern California’s Schaeffer Center, said in August that this claim is “total fiction” made up by the president. He agreed that it would amount to drug companies paying customers, rather than the other way around.

Broadcast network newbies leading State of the Union coverage

Showing the rapid pace of change in legacy media, two of the three broadcast networks covering the president’s speech were led by chief anchors on duty at the event for the first time.

Tom Llamas led NBC News’ live coverage, with Tony Dokoupil was in the lead at CBS News. Llamas has replaced Lester Holt at the helm of “NBC Nightly News,” while Dokoupil was the “CBS Evening News” replacement for the short-term team of John Dickerson and Maurice DuBois.

They’re both chasing ABC News veteran David Muir, whose “World News Tonight” leads in the ratings.

Trump touts his health care proposal, which hasn’t made headway in Congress yet

“That’s why I introduced the Great Healthcare Plan. I want to stop all payments to big insurance companies and instead give that money directly to the people so they can buy their own health care.”

Trump is referring to a health care proposal he pitched to congressional Republicans in January, in hopes that they would turn it into legislation to make health care more affordable. No such legislation has gotten enough momentum to pass yet.

His pitch, a general outline of ideas he wants turned into law, calls for sending money directly to Americans in health savings accounts so they can handle health costs as they see fit.

Democrats have rejected the idea as a paltry substitute for Affordable Care Act tax credits that had helped lower monthly premiums for many people before the Republican-led Congress let them expire in the new year.

Tariffs won’t replace income taxes

“Tariffs paid for by foreign countries will, like in the past, substantially replace the modern day system of income tax.’’

Not likely. Under Trump, tariff revenues have swelled — to $195 billion in the budget year that ended Sept. 30 from $77 billion the year before.

But the import taxes accounted for less than 4% of federal revenue. Income taxes and payroll taxes that finance Social Security and Medicare account for 84%.

House Democrat leaves chamber shaking head during Trump’s speech

Rep. Lauren Underwood, the head of the House Democrats’ campaign arm’s candidate recruitment efforts, left the chamber during Trump’s speech. Underwood shook her head as she stood with her purse and coat.

The Illinois Democrat waved goodbye to some of her Democratic women colleagues. The women, who were each wearing white as an homage to the suffragist movement, exchanged chuckles before Underwood quietly darted out the back.

Trump misleadingly claims that tariff revenues are ‘saving’ the US

“It’s saving our country, the kind of money we’re taking in.”

Trump has imposed massive tax hikes on imports, but they’re not sizable enough to make a dent in the government’s annual budget deficits. Nor have the tariffs corresponded with manufacturing job gains.

Before the Supreme Court struck down Trump’s tariffs based on an emergency declaration, the Congressional Budget Office estimated that his new taxes would raise $3 trillion over 10 years, or $300 billion annually.

That’s not enough to cover the cost of his $4.7 trillion in tax cuts, including additional interest cuts, that favored companies and the wealthy. Nor is it enough to pay down an annual budget deficit that last year was $1.78 trillion.

Tariffs have been paid by US firms and consumers

“The tariffs, paid for by foreign countries … “

Nearly every study finds otherwise.

The Congressional Budget Office, the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, the Kiel Institut in Germany and two economists from Harvard and the University of Chicago have looked at who is paying the tariffs, and all have concluded that nearly all the costs have been paid by U.S. firms and consumers.

U.S. importers write the checks to pay the tariffs. The only way overseas companies could pay is if they cut their prices to make up for the cost of the duties, but all the studies cited above find that that’s not happening.

“This nonsense has lasted long enough and no one should tolerate any further discussion of the notion that foreigners are paying the tariff bill,” Douglas Holtz-Eakin, president of the right-leaning American Action Forum and a top economist in George W. Bush’s White House, said last week.

Trump’s big tax breaks bill divides the Congress

Republicans jumped to cheer on their side of the aisle when Trump praised the GOP majority in Congress that “delivered so beautifully” in passing the bill last year.

And when Trump criticized Democrats for voting against it, they too stood and cheered.

The bill that became law is the most significant legislative achievement for the president and his party, so far, in his second term.

It extended many tax cuts that had been approved during Trump’s first term and were about to expire. The package also offered new tax breaks including no taxes on tips, overtime pay and others.

Trump repeats claim that tax law contains ‘no tax on social security’

“And with the great big beautiful bill, we gave you no tax on tips, no tax on overtime and no tax on Social Security.”

Trump frequently says his big tax cut bill means no tax on Social Security.

But that’s not true for everyone. Not all Social Security beneficiaries will be able to claim the deduction, which lasts four years until 2029. Those who won’t be able to do so include the lowest-income seniors who already don’t pay taxes on Social Security, those who choose to claim their benefits before they reach age 65 and those above a defined income threshold.

The deductions also phase out as income increases.

Trump promises to allow migrants who ‘love our country’

“We will always allow people to come in legally, people that will love our country and will work hard to maintain our country.”

Trump has actually taken steps to restrict who can emigrate to the U.S. often in the name of protecting national security.

He suspended the refugee program on his first day in office and in October resumed the program but only in limited numbers for white South Africans.

Trump has also placed restrictions on who can travel or emigrate to the U.S. from nearly 40 countries. Many of those countries are in Africa.

Trump investment accounts for kids get a shoutout

“Tax free investment accounts for every American child. This is something that’s so special. It has taken off and gone through the roof.”

Part of Trump’s tax legislation, Trump Accounts are meant to give $1,000 to every newborn, so long as their parents open an account.

That money is then invested in the stock market by private firms, and the child can access the money when they turn 18.

Parents can contribute up to $2,500 annually in pretax income, and yearly contributions are capped at $5,000. Some of the country’s wealthiest businesspeople have contributed tens of billions of dollars to the initiative, including billionaires Michael and Susan Dell and hedge fund founder Ray Dalio and his wife Barbara.

Several major companies announced plans to add Trump Accounts contributions to their benefits packages, including Uber, Intel, IBM, Nvidia and Steak ’n Shake.

Trump touts falling fentanyl seizures as sign of policy success

“The flow of deadline fentanyl across our border is down by a record 56% in one year.”

Trump appears to be referring to fentanyl seizures, not the amount of fentanyl that got through undetected, which is unknown.

Fentanyl seizures at U.S. land borders and airports started dropping in 2023 and have continued to fall during Trump’s first year in office. Fentanyl seizures on the Mexican border dropped at 50% annual clip in October and at a 22% annual clip in January, the latest data available.

Monthly seizures were regularly above a half-ton before Trump took office but fell below that mark for 10 of his first 12 months as president. Trump has heavily pressured Mexico to increase enforcement but it’s unclear what is driving the decline.

Adam Isacson, a policy analyst at the Washington Office of Latin America, has said other possible explanations include less demand in the United States, infighting among Mexican cartels and new scanners that were installed at border crossings during Joe Biden’s presidency.

Trump says he will make LA safe as he made Washington

“We’re going to do a good job in Los Angeles. And Los Angeles is going to be safe, just like Washington, D.C., is now one of the safest cities in the country.”

Trump declared a crime emergency in Washington in August 2025 and has credited it with lowering crime to historic lows.

Crime did go down after a surge of federal authorities and National Guard members onto the streets. But Mayor Muriel Bowser maintained it was already trending down at the time. Trump and Republicans argued that local police were cooking the books and not giving the surge the true credit it merited.

A House Committee and U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro issued reports supporting the fixed crime data claim. Bowser challenged those findings and asked for an inspector general review, which is underway.

Overall violent crime fell 29% in 2025 from 2024. It is currently down 29% so far this year from the same time in 2025. Federal authorities and more than 2,200 Guard members are still on the streets.

Outside of the Capitol, Democratic lawmakers respond to Trump’s address

A number of Democratic lawmakers chose to skip the president’s address, with some gathering just outside the Capitol on the National Mall for a “People’s State of the Union.” Standing alongside activists, they argued that Trump’s speech would not offer an accurate portrayal of the state of the nation.

“We know our state of the union. We know it is under attack,” said Sen. Chris Van Hollen of Maryland. Democrats held other counterprogramming as well, including a “State of the Swamp” event. The party’s formal rebuttal, however, was scheduled to come from Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger following Trump’s address.

Trump touts Republicans’ massive tax and spending law

“I urged this Congress to begin the mission by passing the largest tax cuts in American history, and our Republican majorities delivered so beautifully. Thank you Republicans.”

Republicans’ tax and spending package that Trump signed into law last summer includes various provisions that eliminate federal income taxes on tips for people working in jobs that have traditionally received them, a deduction for older Americans and the creation of Trump accounts.

Trump says he’ll give Medal of Freedom to Team USA hockey goalie

“I will soon be presenting Connor with our highest civilian honor.”

Trump announced that he will award the Presidential Medal of Freedom to Team USA hockey goalie Connor Hellebuyck. Trump said the award has been given to “many athletes over the years.”

Hellebuyck made 41 saves, many of them spectacular, during the United States’ 2-1 victory over Canada for the gold medal at the Milan Cortina Games.

In his first term, Trump honored athletes including golfer Tiger Woods and football players Alan Page and Roger Staubach with the Medal of Freedom. He also awarded it posthumously to baseball great Babe Ruth.

US Men’s Olympic Hockey team receives standing ovation and chants of ‘USA’ after Trump shoutout

In a rare display of bipartisanship, members of the Men’s Olympic Hockey team received a standing ovation as they entered the House chamber after a shoutout from Trump.

The players received multiple rounds of applause, chants of “USA” and pumped fists from lawmakers. Rep. Lisa McClain, the Republican House Conference Chair, shouted “Love you!”

Members of the team stood in the gallery seats overlooking the House floor after Trump praised them. Several smiled and waved at the crowd.

Trump then gave a shoutout to the women’s team, who also received a standing ovation despite not being in attendance. Both teams won gold at the Winter Olympics in Milan.

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