President Donald Trump in his Tuesday State of the Union address took credit for economic gains and his roles in international conflicts.
Trump spoke as polls indicate his support is sinking on issues including the economy ahead of the midterm elections that loom less than nine months away. Those elections threaten to change control of Washington by Republicans.
Trump spoke days after the Supreme Court overruled the tariffs that have underpinned much of his economic policy and as he awaits another decision from the high court on how much authority he has over the Federal Reserve. Trump is also weighing military action in Iran and contending with a lingering shutdown of the Homeland Security Department spurred by Democratic concerns about overreach by the department’s law enforcement.
Democrats are hammering Trump and the incumbent Republicans on affordability, a tactic that worked well in off-year elections in 2025 after the GOP used it to its advantage in 2024. The president’s speech is focusing heavily on the economy.
Tuesday night marked Trump’s first official State of the Union of his second term after delivering a joint address to Congress last year, as is customary for a president’s first year in office.
