During his State of the Union address on Feb. 24, President Donald Trump highlighted the economy and said the U.S. was undergoing, after just one year, “a transformation like no one has seen before.” He said during his speech that it was “a turnaround for the ages.”
President Trump said, “Our nation is back: bigger, better, stronger than ever before.”
The president said the border is secure and the nation’s spirit is restored. “Inflation is plummeting. Incomes are rising fast. The roaring economy is roaring like never before,” he stated.
He promised that the U.S. will always allow people to come in legally, work hard, and love the nation.
The president stated that more Americans work today than ever in history and touted the end of “job-killing regulations.”
President Trump stated, “For all of these reasons … the state of our union is strong,” and described the U.S. as “winning again.”
Among those victories, President Trump included the One Big Beautiful Bill, and noted how it resulted in no tax on tips and no tax on overtime. In addition, it expanded the annual employee contribution limit for dependent care flexible spending accounts.
“Parents can activate brand new Trump accounts … tax-free investment accounts for every American child,” he added.
While President Trump said tariffs had led to a boom in the U.S. stock market, boosting workers’ 401(k) account balances, he called the U.S. Supreme Court’s Feb. 20 decision striking down his tariffs under the authority of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act “very unfortunate.” But he said that despite the ruling, alternative statutes authorizing his imposition of tariffs would be relied upon and that eventually tariffs would replace the modern-day system of income tax.
Jobs are pouring into the U.S., President Trump said, because “we finally have a president who puts America first.”
President Trump criticized Democrats for using the word “affordability” and said he was the one to bring prices down. Egg, hotel, car, rent, beef, and especially energy prices all are down, he said. “It’s like another big tax cut.”
The president called on Congress to enact his health care reform plan proposal, which he described as redirecting money from insurers and giving it directly to individuals. “My plan requires maximum price transparency,” he added.
President Trump said one price that already has dropped is that of prescription drugs due to his most-favored-nations agreements. He asked Congress to codify the agreements into law.
He also praised First Lady Melania Trump for leading the Presidential AI Challenge, aimed at helping students succeed in the future and foster AI interest and competency.
The president concluded by saying, “There’s no challenge Americans can’t overcome. … Our destiny is written by the hand of providence, and these first 250 years were just the beginning.”
Democratic Response
In a Democratic response to the State of the Union, Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger said that Democrats across the nation are “laser-focused on affordability.”
She posed three questions:
- Is the president making life more affordable?
- Is the president making you more safe?
- Is the president working for you?
Spanberger said that “costs are too high” and said the answer to each question was “no.”
Not just this year, but for the next 250 years, Americans have “the power to demand more of our nation,” she said.
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