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Trump set to deliver first State of the Union of his second term in a divided America

Trump set to deliver first State of the Union of his second term in a divided America
By Joseph Stepansky and Brian Osgood
Published On 24 Feb 2026

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25 Feb 2026 - 05:00
 (05:00 GMT)

Thanks for joining us

If you’d like to read more about ongoing tensions between the US and Iran, you can read our coverage here.

You can also find our coverage about Trump’s plan for further tariffs after the US Supreme Court’s recent ruling here.

25 Feb 2026 - 04:55
 (04:55 GMT)

Here’s what happened today

We will be closing the live page soon. Here’s a brief recap of the day’s main events:

  • President Donald Trump sought to project an image of triumph and confidence in the longest State of the Union address in the country’s modern history, stating that he has overseen a “transformation” of the US, despite polls showing that he is facing slumping approval ratings.
  • Trump called a recent Supreme Court ruling striking down a large swath of his tariff regime “unfortunate”, but said he would press forward with tariffs under alternative statutes without consulting Congress.
  • The president’s intentions regarding a possible attack on Iran remain unclear, with Trump waiting until near the end of his speech to mention relations with the country he has frequently threatened with military strikes over the last several weeks.
  • Trump repeated previous claims that the US “obliterated” Iran’s nuclear programme during strikes in June and stated that Tehran is developing missiles capable of striking the US, a claim for which he offered no evidence.
25 Feb 2026 - 04:38
 (04:38 GMT)

Spanberger says Trump’s immigration raids have sown fear in communities

The Democratic governor says immigration raids have included widespread civil liberties violations and struck fear into immigrant communities.

“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. And they have done it without a warrant,” she said.

“They have sent children to far-off detention centres, and they have killed American citizens in our streets. And they have done it all with their faces masked from accountability,” she added.

“Our broken immigration system is something to be fixed, not an excuse for unaccountable agents to terrorise our communities,” she stated.

25 Feb 2026 - 04:31
 (04:31 GMT)

Spanberger says communities have ‘suffered’ under Trump’s tariffs

The governor says the economic damage of Trump’s tariffs has “already been done”, despite a recent Supreme Court ruling declaring many of the president’s tariffs illegal, and that Trump continues to threaten further tariffs using alternative statutes.

“Meanwhile, the president is planning for new tariffs, another massive tax hike on you and your family. And Republicans in Congress? They remain unwilling to assert their constitutional authority to stop him,” she said, adding that Democrats are “laser-focused” on issues of affordability.

25 Feb 2026 - 04:24
 (04:24 GMT)

Virginia governor gives Democratic rebuttal

Governor Abigail Spanberger is delivering the Democratic rebuttal speech, hitting out at Trump for his policies on immigration and the cost of living.

“Americans, you at home, know you can demand more, and that we are working to lower costs. We are working to keep our community and our country safe, and we are working for you,” she said.

25 Feb 2026 - 04:20
 (04:20 GMT)

Trump breaks record for longest State of the Union in modern history

He spoke for more than 100 minutes. That length surpasses former President Bill Clinton’s 2000 State of the Union, which held the previous record at just under 90 minutes, according to The American Presidency Project.

Trump also beat his own former record for longest remarks before Congress, surpassing the nearly 100-minute-long joint address he gave last March in the early stages of his second term.

A joint address is often given by a president who has recently begun their term, in place of a State of the Union address.

25 Feb 2026 - 04:06
 (04:06 GMT)

Trump ends speech pointing to looming 250th US anniversary

Trump has finished his speech much as he started it, pointing to the 250th anniversary of the US, which will be celebrated in July, and what he described as a bright future ahead.

“The revolution that began in 1776 has not ended. It still continues, because the flame of liberty and independence still burns in the heart of every American patriot,” Trump said.

“And our future will be bigger, better, brighter, bolder and more glorious than ever before,” he added.

[Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP]
25 Feb 2026 - 03:58
 (03:58 GMT)

Democrats file out as speech continues

Dozens of Democrats boycotted Trump’s speech, and several more have filed out since the speech started, leaving empty chairs in the chamber.

They included Rashida Tlaib and Ilhan Omar, who appeared to have an exchange with Trump as he hailed his mass deportation drive.

“You have killed Americans,” Omar, who represents a district in the state of Minnesota where two US citizens have been killed by immigration agents, yelled at one point.

25 Feb 2026 - 03:52
 (03:52 GMT)

Trump says crime is down in Memphis, New Orleans, Washington, DC

Trump says crime is down in major cities like Memphis, New Orleans, and Washington, DC, thanks to his controversial deployment of the National Guard and federal law enforcement over the past year.

“I deployed our National Guard and federal law enforcement to restore law and order to our most dangerous cities, including Memphis, Tennessee, New Orleans, and our nation’s capital itself, Washington, DC, where we have almost no crime any more,” Trump said.

City data shows that crime is down across the three cities, although the downward trend appears to predate Trump’s deployment, according to recently released crime statistics.

  • The Memphis Police Department reported a 41 percent drop in crime in 2023 compared with 2022 levels, including a 30 percent drop in violent crime.
  • New Orleans Police reported that armed robberies fell by 28 percent, while murders fell by 3 percent between 2024 and 2025.
  • New Orleans data is much more impressive on a three-year trajectory: Murder fell by 22 percent between 2022 and 2025, while armed robbery fell by 70 percent during the same period.
  • Washington, DC’s Metropolitan Police Department reported a 17 percent drop in crime between 2024 and 2025, including a 29 percent drop in violent crime.
25 Feb 2026 - 03:51
 (03:51 GMT)

Trump introduces released Venezuelan prisoner

Trump has hailed the US abduction of Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro.

“This was an absolutely colossal victory for the security of the United States, and it also opens up a bright new beginning for the people of Venezuela,” Trump said.

He then introduced Enrique Marquez, an opposition lawmaker in Venezuela who was freed from prison in the days after Maduro’s abduction.

“Alejandra”, Trump said to a woman he identified as Marquez’s niece, “I’m pleased to inform you that not only has your uncle been released, but he is here tonight. We brought him over to celebrate his freedom with you in person”.

Trump then awarded Chief Warrant Officer Eric Slover, who was wounded in the Maduro abduction raid, the Congressional Medal of Honor.

25 Feb 2026 - 03:50
 (03:50 GMT)

Trump says Iran developing missiles that could hit US

The US president says, without offering evidence, that Iran is working on missiles capable of striking the country.

“They’ve already developed missiles that can threaten Europe and our bases overseas, and they’re working to build missiles that will soon reach the United States of America,” Trump said.

An enormous concentration of US forces in the Middle East has stoked speculation that Trump could be preparing to launch a war against Iran if the country does not accept a series of US demands. An unprovoked attack on Iran, which the US bombed in June, would likely violate international law.

25 Feb 2026 - 03:43
 (03:43 GMT)

Trump says US strikes ‘obliterated Iran’s nuclear weapons programme’

Trump has again said that the US strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities last year “obliterated” the country’s “nuclear weapons programme”.

The statement contradicts US envoy Steve Witkoff’s statement earlier this week that Iran could be a “week away” from developing a nuclear weapon.

The US has deployed the largest collection of military assets to the Middle East since the war in Iraq.

Trump said his “preference” was to resolve the standoff with Iran through diplomacy, but that Tehran had not committed to not developing nuclear weapons.

“We haven’t heard those secret words: We will never have a nuclear weapon,’’ Trump said.

Iranian officials have repeatedly denied that the country seeks to develop nuclear weapons, saying its nuclear programme is only for civilian use. Iran’s top diplomat, Abbas Araghchi, in a post on X hours before Trump’s speech, said that “Iran will under no circumstances develop a nuclear weapon”.

25 Feb 2026 - 03:40
 (03:40 GMT)

Trump says vice president will oversee anti-fraud effort

The US president says that JD Vance will lead a “war on fraud”.

“He’ll get it done, and if we’re able to find enough of that fraud, we’ll actually have a balanced budget overnight,” Trump said.

US Vice President JD Vance gives a thumbs up as Trump delivers the State of the Union address [Brendan Smialowski/AFP]
25 Feb 2026 - 03:37
 (03:37 GMT)

Trump says Gaza ‘ceasefire’ has been a success, but Israeli strikes have killed hundreds of Palestinians

Repeating his claim that he has ended eight wars since he returned to office, Trump has pitched the “ceasefire” between Israel and Hamas in Gaza as a success, even as Israeli forces continue to bomb the Strip and kill hundreds of Palestinians.

“And of course, the war in Gaza, which proceeds at a very low level, it’s just about there,” Trump said, adding that all remaining Israeli captives were released because of the deal.

But Israeli forces have continued to carry out constant strikes in Gaza since the “ceasefire” began in October, killing more than 600 Palestinians in that time period. Israel has also continued to severely restrict access to humanitarian aid, which was meant to flow into Gaza in large quantities as part of the agreement.

25 Feb 2026 - 03:31
 (03:31 GMT)

Trump guests include family members of Irina Zarutska, Sarah Beckstrom

Trump used two of his guests to underscore what he has characterised as the need for cracking down on both crime and refugee resettlement.

He addressed the mother of Irina Zarutska, a Ukrainian refugee who was stabbed to death on a train in Charlotte, North Carolina. Trump appeared to suggest that Zarutska’s killer came into the US “through open borders”, although the man, who had a history of violent crime, was actually a US citizen.

Trump also welcomed the family of Sarah Beckstrom, a National Guard soldier deployed to Washington, DC, under Trump, who was shot dead by Rahmanullah Lakanwal, an Afghan national relocated to the US in the wake of the US military withdrawal from Afghanistan.

25 Feb 2026 - 03:24
 (03:24 GMT)

Trump honours ‘martyred’ right-wing influencer Charlie Kirk

The US president has praised Charlie Kirk, a right-wing activist and social media personality whose September killing sparked outrage on the right and shocked the country. Trump also greeted Charlie’s widow, Erika Kirk, who rose for a round of applause.

“Last year, Charlie was violently murdered by an assassin, and martyred, really, martyred for his beliefs,” Trump said. “His wonderful wife, Erika, is with us tonight.”

25 Feb 2026 - 03:20
 (03:20 GMT)

Trump calls on lawmakers to pass voting legislation

Trump has called on lawmakers to pass the SAVE Act, legislation that would create new requirements for voters, including providing forms of identification documentation that rights groups say would be prohibitive to some communities.

Trump claimed that “cheating is rampant in our elections. It’s rampant”. The statement contradicts the facts, with even the right-wing Heritage Foundation finding only a negligible amount of fraud cases across decades of US elections.

Voting advocates are already raising concerns about Trump’s actions leading up to the midterm elections.

You can read more about those concerns here.

25 Feb 2026 - 03:12
 (03:12 GMT)

Trump asks attendees to stand up if they agree with his immigration enforcement drive

The US president has called on lawmakers to pass funding for the Department of Homeland Security. Democrats have been blocking the funding while demanding more aggressive immigration enforcement policies.

“If you agree with this statement, then stand up and show your support,” he said. “The first duty of the American government is to protect American citizens, not illegal aliens.”

Many of Trump’s Republican colleagues stood up, while Democrats remained seated.

25 Feb 2026 - 03:06
 (03:06 GMT)

Trump again takes aim at Somali Americans

Trump has continued his months-long targeting of Somali Americans in Minnesota, which he has framed as part of a wider crackdown on fraud.

Trump referred to “the Somali pirates who ransacked Minnesota”, saying they showed that “importing these cultures through unrestricted immigration and open borders brings those problems right here to the USA, and it is the American people who pay the price and higher medical bills, car insurance rates, rent, taxes and, perhaps most importantly, crime”.

Critics have previously decried such statements from Trump as blatantly racist.

The Trump administration has repeatedly tied legal immigration to fraud and strains on social welfare, using the pretext to suspend immigrant visa processing for 75 countries.

25 Feb 2026 - 03:05
 (03:05 GMT)

Trump says companies must use own power for new AI data centres

Addressing an issue of growing resonance with voters, Trump says he will tell major tech companies building large, energy-intensive AI data centres that they will have to power the facilities with their own power.

“We’re telling the major tech companies that they have the obligation to provide for their own power needs,” Trump said.

A November Morning Consult poll suggested a growing backlash against a surge in data centre construction that many fear will lead to an increase in energy prices, with 41 percent of respondents saying they would support banning AI data centres in the area where they live, while 36 percent were in opposition.

Trump didn’t provide details of the arrangement, including whether it would take the form of an enforceable regulation or a voluntary arrangement with the tech sector. He called the measure a “pledge”.