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The State of the Union Address (SOTU) is an annual message delivered by the president of the United States, and Trump delivered the 2026 SOTU on Feb. 24, with a record-breaking near two-hour speaking time.
First, with midterms approaching and Trump’s approval ratings declining since this time last year, this address was an important way to gauge the future of this administration. Democrats praised neither Trump nor first lady Melania Trump as is customary, with Sen. Chuck Schumer and Sen. Dick Durbin even turning their backs.
When Trump celebrated the men’s Olympic hockey team, it was the first time Democrats stood during his speech, something which Trump commented on: “That’s the first time I’ve ever seen them get up. And actually, not all of them did get up.” The men’s team was present in the audience, on the balcony occupied by reporters.
The women’s team, which also won a gold medal overtime game against Canada, was not present, having declined the invitation. Currently, a video is circulating of Trump’s phone call with the men’s team, where he said he would “have” to invite the women’s team, otherwise “I would probably be impeached.”
He followed this by addressing the upcoming 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. The Epstein files, which he never mentioned in the speech, haunted the narrative as the leader of the 2028 Olympic Committee, Casey Wasserman, is receiving criticism for his appearances in the files.
When addressing the economy, Trump described it as “roaring like never before.” While the economy did grow by 2.2% in 2025, that is lower than in any year of the previous Biden Administration. He also touted passing the “largest tax cuts in American history,” in reference to a bill that has amounted to an estimated $4.8 million of the nation’s gross domestic product, according to the Congressional Budget Office analysis. However, that does place it seventh in terms of the greatest tax cuts.
He also claimed that “more people are working today than ever before in the history of our country,” a true statement. However, it’s important to note that the number of people working rises over time as the U.S. population rises. While true, this claim is not the best representation of the labor market. In his commentary on the economy, he claimed that average gas prices are “below $2.30 a gallon in most states.” However, no state had an average below $2.37 on Feb. 24, and only two states were below $2.50, according to the American Automobile Association. While his figures were inaccurate, gas prices have decreased from a national average of $3.12 to $2.95 during his presidency.
Tariffs, a large part of Trump’s current administration, were brought up as well. He addressed the recent Supreme Court ruling, which declared his tariffs illegal. According to CNN reporter Manu Raju, there was no reaction from Justice Amy Coney Barrett or any of the other Supreme Court justices in attendance. Trump has temporarily imposed a 15% tariff, which will only last for 150 days.
Other common talking points for Trump were addressed. He implied that his current term should, in fact, be his third term, a false claim that he makes alongside unsupported allegations that the 2020 election was rigged. During this time, Rep. Rashida Tlaib walked out of the chamber.
“[Democrats] policy is so bad that the only way they can get elected is to cheat, and we’re going to stop it,” Trump said. Both Republicans and Democrats have tried to move the election in their favor by redrawing congressional maps in states such as Texas, North Carolina, California, and Virginia.
Iran was expected to be a big topic at the address. However, it wasn’t until 90 minutes in that the topic was addressed, and he only spent three minutes on it. He largely repeated previous talking points, assuring that he wishes to “solve this problem through diplomacy,” referring to Iran as the “world’s number one sponsor of terror.”
Trump claimed to have “ended eight wars” during his first 10 months in office, but this is an exaggeration. Feb. 23 marked four years since Russia invaded Ukraine, a conflict he promised to resolve but has not.
“Together, we’re building a nation where every child has the chance to reach higher and go further, where government answers to the people, not the powerful,” Trump said, “and where the interests of hardworking American citizens are always our first and ultimate concern.” The government will answer to the people in the upcoming midterm elections, where majority control of the House and Senate could change.
Author Note: Since the writing of this article, the conflict with Iran has escalated, with President Trump referring to it as a war. Israel and the US have begun strikes on Iran that killed Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. This story is actively developing, and the OWL encourages you to educate yourself.
