President Donald Trump used his State of the Union address Tuesday night to highlight his administration’s progress in securing America’s borders, fighting inflation, and protecting the nation’s stability and security. The night included two Medal of Honor presentations, a family reunion connected to Venezuela, and repeated clashes with Democrats in the chamber.

The speech, which ran approximately one hour and 48 minutes — the longest State of the Union on record — opened with Trump declaring that “our nation is back” and closed by recognizing American service members and honorees.

In between, the President drew sharp contrasts with Democrats on immigration, inflation, energy, health care, fraud, and election integrity – often directly from the podium. Roughly a dozen Democratic lawmakers even boycotted attending the speech entirely.

Border & Immigration

Trump opened by touting what he described as the “most secure border in American history,” and referenced throughout the night what he described as progress in tightening restrictions on illegal immigration and securing the southern border.

“Today, our border is secure,” he told Congress. The President then cited a 56% drop in fentanyl trafficking cases and claimed that “in the past nine months, zero illegal aliens have been admitted to the United States.”

Trump would then introduce the “Delilah Law,” named for a five-year-old girl left severely injured after an illegal alien with a commercial driver’s license plowed into her stopped vehicle at 60 miles per hour. The proposed legislation would ban states from granting commercial driver’s licenses to illegal aliens. Delilah and her father Marcus were present in the gallery, and the young girl – still healing from those injuries – could be seen smiling and waving to the crowd.

Trump also called on Congress to pass the SAVE Act, requiring voter ID and proof of citizenship at the ballot box, and demanded penalties for public officials who block the removal of criminal aliens. He also called for an immediate end to sanctuary cities and demanded Democrats restore DHS funding, which he said they had cut entirely – triggering what he called “another Democrat shutdown.”

Crime & Repeat Offenders

Trump also referenced the murder of Iryna Zarutska, saying the suspect had been arrested multiple times before the killing. He called on Congress to ensure violent repeat offenders are put behind bars and “must stay there.”

As some Democrats remained seated, Trump asked, “How do you not stand? How do you not stand?”

Democrat Protests

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Rep. Al Green of Texas was escorted from the chamber within the first few minutes of the speech after standing and holding a sign reading “Black people are not apes.”

Rep. Ilhan Omar also drew attention around an hour into the speech for consistent outbursts from her seat in the crowd.

Throughout the night, especially when Trump referenced fraud in Minnesota and immigration issues, Rep. Ilhan Omar (D–Minn.) reacted from her seat.

“You should be ashamed of yourself,” Trump said in response to the Democrat jeers.

Economy & Inflation

Trump side-stepped those distractions to focus in on economic data, claiming that inflation had dropped to 1.7% in the final quarter of 2025 – its lowest level in more than five years. He added gasoline now runs “below $2.30 a gallon in most states,” annual mortgage costs are down nearly $5,000 since he took office, and the stock market has set 53 all-time records since the election.

He referred to the “great, big, beautiful bill” for delivering no tax on tips, no tax on overtime, and no tax on Social Security. The President would also promote his “Trump Accounts” — tax-free investment accounts seeded for every American child — mentioning that Michael and Susan Dell have committed $6.25 billion to fund accounts for 25 million children.

Trump also announced a ban on large Wall Street investment firms purchasing single-family homes, signed by executive order last month, and called on Congress to make it permanent. “Homes for people,” he said. “Not for corporations.”

On tariffs, he credited them as a core driver of growth, dismissing “22 Nobel Prize winners in economics” who he said wrongly predicted failure.

National Security, Venezuela, And Energy

American oil production is reportedly up more than 600,000 barrels per day, Trump said, with natural gas at an all-time high. He announced the U.S. recently received more than 80 million barrels of oil from Venezuela following Maduro’s “removal” and credited his “drill, baby, drill” mandate for the new surge in resources.

Trump would once again speak on “Operation Midnight Hammer,” a strike on Iranian soil that he said “obliterated Iran’s nuclear weapons program,” while also warning Tehran against any attempt to rebuild: “My preference is to solve this problem through diplomacy, but one thing is certain, I will never allow the world’s number one sponsor of terror to have a nuclear weapon.”

On Venezuela specifically, Trump described what he said was a January military raid on Maduro’s heavily fortified compound — calling it dangerous but vital for America’s safety and stability.

In a moment that drew a sustained reaction in the chamber, Trump revealed that Alejandra Gonzales — a Venezuelan woman in the gallery whose uncle had been imprisoned by the Maduro regime – would be reunited with her uncle live in the chamber. The man, Enrique, walked down the aisle to give her an emotional hug in front of the cheering crowd.

Patriotism And Honoring American Heroes

The U.S. men’s Olympic hockey team, fresh off a gold medal victory over Canada, was welcomed into the chamber with sustained applause, before Trump announced that he will award goaltender Connor Hellebuyck the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

He also recognized Erika Kirk, widow of Charlie Kirk, who Trump said was “violently murdered by an assassin and martyred, really martyred for his beliefs.” Kirk could be seen tearing up, saying “God Bless You” in response to the President’s acknowledgement.

The President ended the night by honoring Navy Capt. Royce Williams, a 100-year-old American war hero who served in World War II, Korea, and Vietnam, celebrating his legendary dogfight where his aircraft was struck by 263 bullets and he shot down four enemy aircraft. As the First Lady placed the Medal of Honor around his neck, the chamber rose for a standing ovation that lasted several minutes.

However, Williams wasn’t the only Medal of Honor recipient on Tuesday evening. Chief Warrant Officer Five Eric Slover also received the prestigious award for piloting the Chinook helicopter during what Trump described as the January raid that captured and removed Nicolás Maduro from Venezuela. He continued flying the aircraft after being shot in both legs, keeping the helicopter airborne and landing it safely out of harm’s way.

The President also awarded Petty Officer 2nd Class Scott Ruskan, a U.S. Coast Guard rescue swimmer, the Legion of Merit for saving 165 people during the devastating Texas floods in July 2025, standing beside one of the girls he helped rescue.

As the address came to a close, Trump returned to a broader message of national pride and resilience, telling Americans that “the golden age of America is now upon us.” Lawmakers rose as he concluded, bringing the longest State of the Union address on record to an end with sustained applause in the chamber.