President Donald Trump delivered his 2026 State of the Union address Tuesday night in Washington, D.C., opening with the declaration, “Our nation is back, bigger, better, richer and stronger than ever before.” The speech, delivered before a joint session of U.S. Congress, comes as Trump seeks to make his case ahead of the November midterm elections.
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Trump highlighted what he called transformative achievements in the economy, including ending the “wildly inflated cost of prescription drugs” and proposals to make permanent a ban on investment firms buying single-family homes. He also emphasized border security, demanding the “full and immediate restoration” of funding for the Department of Homeland Security amid a partial government shutdown.
President Donald J. Trump’s 2026 State of the Union Address https://t.co/UqD2fvZOWV
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) February 25, 2026
The president underscored his foreign policy approach, pledging, “As president, I will make peace wherever I can—but I will never hesitate to confront threats to America wherever we must,” referencing heightened tensions with Iran. U.S. military assets have been mobilized to the Middle East in recent weeks, and Trump’s address highlighted the administration’s strategy to secure a nuclear deal with Tehran.
The event drew a mix of support and protest. First lady Melania Trump and members of the Trump family attended, along with notable guests such as the Artemis II NASA crew and families of Jeffrey Epstein survivors. Some Democrats, including House Minority Whip Katherine Clark, chose to skip the address in protest, criticizing the president’s policies and record.
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House Republican leaders emphasized the political stakes, framing the address as a message of economic progress, tax cuts, and affordability. The State of the Union remains one of the year’s most widely watched presidential speeches, allowing Trump to speak directly to lawmakers and the American public amid a politically polarized environment.