- Trump declares “gilded age” at the start of his speech.
- His popularity rating fell sharply before the midterm elections.
- Poll shows 60% of Americans view Trump as erratic.
WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump declared “this is the golden age of America” at the start of his State of the Union address on Tuesday, seeking to project an aura of success at a difficult time for his presidency and his Republican Party.
“Our nation is back – bigger, better, richer and stronger than ever,” he said after taking the stage to cheers of “USA, USA” from his party’s members of Congress.
The annual speech carries huge stakes for the president, with his approval ratings falling, concerns growing about Iran and Americans grappling with the cost of living as the November midterm elections approach.
The prime-time televised address to Congress, his second in 13 months since returning to the White House, offers Trump a chance to persuade voters to keep his fellow Republicans in power. But the president faces serious political difficulties at home and abroad.
Just days ago, the Supreme Court struck down his global tariff regime, and new data showed the economy slowed more than expected while inflation accelerated.
The Department of Homeland Security is largely closed due to a dispute between congressional Republicans and Democrats over the administration’s aggressive immigration tactics, following the fatal shootings of two U.S. citizens in Minneapolis.
Meanwhile, Trump is struggling to turn the page on the scandal surrounding convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Opposition Democrats invited to the speech several people who accuse Epstein of abusing them.
A Reuters/Ipsos poll showed that six in 10 Americans, including 30% of Republicans, think Trump, 79, has become erratic as he gets older. Only 40% of those surveyed approved of her job performance, compared to 58% who disapproved.
A public trial against Iran
Trump, who has openly coveted the Nobel Peace Prize and created his own “Peace Council,” also appears to be moving closer to military conflict with Iran over its nuclear program.
Tuesday’s speech could provide Trump with the opportunity to make a public plea for military intervention for the first time. Two White House officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Trump would discuss his plans but did not provide details.
He will also tout his track record in negotiating peace deals, they said. Tuesday marked the fourth anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, a reminder that the country has yet to resolve the war it once said it could end in 24 hours.
The president was expected to reverse the Supreme Court’s decision on the tariffs, arguing that the court erred and outlining alternative laws he could use to restore most of the levies.
Trump reacted furiously to last week’s ruling, targeting several judges with personal attacks. A repeat performance on Tuesday could lead to some difficult moments, with four of the court’s nine judges in attendance.
White House aides and Republican campaign advisers, ahead of a tough congressional midterm election, have urged Trump to focus on Americans’ economic concerns. Trump’s victory in the 2024 election hinges largely on his promises to lower the cost of living, but opinion polls show voters are unconvinced by his efforts so far.
Trump has struggled to stay on message, moving in his public speeches from the economy to his long list of grievances, while declaring at other times that he had already solved the problem.
One of the White House officials said Trump would “claim victory on the economy,” a message Republican lawmakers running for re-election are unlikely to appreciate. He will argue that he inherited a poor economy from his Democratic predecessor Joe Biden and that Democrats overstated their affordability concerns, the two officials said.
Trump will cite stock market gains, private sector investment and his tax-cut legislation as evidence that he has helped the economy, the officials said. The president will also tout his tough border policy and deportation campaign, despite polls showing most Americans believe his administration has gone too far in rounding up undocumented immigrants.
A long expected speech
Trump, who has a propensity for improvisation, said Monday his speech would be long. His 100-minute speech last March — technically not a State of the Union address, but otherwise similar — was the longest presidential address to Congress in modern history.
White House officials said this year’s edition was designed to leave room for unforeseen moments.
“We are planning accordingly,” an official said.
Last year, some Democrats interrupted Trump’s speech with jeers before walking out in protest. This time, more than 20 Democrats in the House and Senate skipped the speech altogether in favor of an outdoor rally on the National Mall.
Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger, whose decisive victory in November was seen as a midterm wake-up call for Republicans, will deliver the Democrats’ official response to the speech.
