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5 takeaways from Trump's State of the Union
President Trump has been facing difficult poll numbers, as Americans fret aboutprices and the cost of living. But in his first State of the Union address of his second term, Trump ignored those economic warts.
Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images
Instead, he boasted that “our nation is back” and that it had achieved a “turnaround for the ages.” It all amounted to a long speech — record-setting, in fact — that hit familiar Trump notes on immigration and culture, with a healthy amount of the usual showmanship.
1️⃣ Trump ignored the difficulties people are facing with the economy. Voters continue to say it’s their top concern, but Trump had no “I feel your pain” moment. And he doubled down on his unpopular tariffs, criticizing Supreme Court justices sitting feet away for ruling that most of his tariffs were illegal.
2️⃣ The midterm message is … what Trump talks about all the time. Gory stories of immigrants causing crime and the culture wars. It’s a tactic long employed by Trump, the GOP and conservative media. His message worked in 2024, but now he owns the economy and has a record on immigration.
3️⃣ There was no legislative agenda. There was no laundry list of things Trump wants Congress to do this year. No surprise, given that Trump has spent the better part of the last year trying to consolidate power.
4️⃣ The Democratic response had a wide range. From outbursts, silent stares and boycotts to Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger’s official response, which was sharply focused on the economy, Democrats will have a choice to make on which direction the party will go. But not in 2026, with midterm elections so heavily focused on Trump.
5️⃣ None of this will likely matter much politically because views of Trump are “baked in.” Views of Trump haven’t changed much in the last decade, and they likely won’t as a result of this speech. Trump used prime time to put on a show, from gold medals to medals of honor, and the show will go on for roughly three more years.
President Trump delivered the first official State of the Union address of his second term on Tuesday night. The speech gave Trump the opportunity to tout accomplishments and outline his agenda for his administration's second year.
It comes at at time when Americans are divided on whether Trump's first year has been a success. A new NPR/PBS News/Marist poll shows that six in 10 believe the country is worse off than last year and that a majority think the state of the union is not strong.
Reporters from across NPR's newsroom fact checked his speech and offered context on topics like immigration, the economy, tariffs and trade and foreign policy.
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Trump cheered himself and Republicans while scolding Democrats. "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. "We will never go back to where we were just a short time ago."
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