Trump State of the Union Address Highlights: Trump calls Iran World No 1 sponsor of terrorism, warns it for making nukes

Virginia Governor Abigail Spanberger offered a pointed rebuttal to President Donald Trump’s description of the US as entering a “golden age,” arguing that many Americans are still struggling with high costs more than a year into his second term.

“Democrats across the country are laser-focused on affordability — in Washington, in state capitals, and in communities nationwide,” Spanberger said, adding that Americans deserve leaders who address the issues that affect their daily lives.

Spanberger delivered her response from Colonial Williamsburg, a living-history museum featuring restored 18th-century buildings, invoking its role in early resistance to British rule and linking that legacy to today’s political moment.

(with inputs from AP)

US President Donald Trump has set a new record for the longest State of the Union address, surpassing the mark previously held by Bill Clinton for his final speech in 2000.

Trump’s address stretched to about one hour and 48 minutes, making it the longest such speech since at least 1964, according to data compiled by The American Presidency Project at the University of California, Santa Barbara.

US President Donald Trump declared that a “Golden Age of America” has begun as he delivered his longest-ever State of the Union address – approximately 1 hour and 48 minutes.

The upcoming 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence was a recurring theme throughout the speech, with Trump joking about a possible $1,776 tax dividend and repeatedly praising “250 years in the life of a nation.” He said this year’s July Fourth celebrations would mark a renewed sense of national pride.

Painting a sweeping picture of the country, Trump said, “From the rugged border towns of Texas to the heartland villages of Michigan, from the sun-kissed shores of Florida to the endless fields of the Dakotas, the Golden Age of America is now upon us.”

US President Donald Trump issued a fresh warning to Iran over its nuclear programme during his address, saying Tehran continues to pursue nuclear ambitions despite past US action.

Referring to last year’s US operation, dubbed Operation Midnight Hammer, which targeted Iran’s nuclear facilities, Trump said Iran had been warned against rebuilding its weapons programme. “Yet they continue, and at this moment are again pursuing their sinister nuclear ambitions,” he said.

US President Donald Trump paid tribute to his aide and right-wing activist Charlie Kirk, who was assassinated last year. He honoured Charlie Kirk's wife, Erika, who attended his State of the Union address.

“Charlie Kirk was murdered for his beliefs,” Trump said, calling on Americans to unite as “one nation under God” and to completely reject all forms of political violence.

US President Donald Trump on Tuesday praised a series of security operations he said had weakened global drug networks and authoritarian regimes.

Trump referred to the killing of El Mencho, one of the world’s most wanted drug traffickers, during an operation in Mexico earlier this week. He also highlighted strikes on alleged drug-smuggling boats off the coast of South America, claiming they had helped curb the flow of narcotics into the US.

The President further pointed to the arrest of Nicolas Maduro last month, saying the operation had brought an end to what he described as the rule of an “outlaw dictator” in Venezuela.

During his State of the Union address, US President Donald Trump said the Save America Act would mandate proof of citizenship in order to vote — a provision that is not explicitly included in the current version of the legislation. He said the Act would help to curb what he called "rampant cheating" in elections.

In his State of the Union address, US President Donald Trump said he would prefer a diplomatic solution to rising tensions with Iran, and called Tehran the “world’s number one sponsor of terrorism.” The remarks come as the two sides prepare for a final round of talks in Geneva on Thursday.

Trump said he was open to resolving differences through negotiations but insisted the US would not allow Iran to obtain nuclear weapons.

The US President also said that Iranian authorities were responsible for the deaths of 32,000 people following protests against the clerical establishment that erupted in December 2025.

US President Donald Trump dropped a bombshell during his State of the Union address, saying Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif told him that 35 million people in his country would have been killed during India’s Operation Sindoor last year had he not stepped in. READ MORE

US President Donald Trump, for the nth time, claimed he ended eight wars, including the four-day India-Pakistan conflict in May 2025, and that he was working hard to end the "killings of the Russians and Ukrainians".

US President Donald Trump has urged Congress to pass the proposed “Delilah Law,” which would bar US states from issuing commercial driving licences to undocumented immigrants. The measure is named after Dalilah Coleman, a first-grade student who was critically injured in a crash involving a semi-truck driven by an undocumented migrant holding a commercial licence.

“Many, if not most, illegal aliens do not speak English and cannot read even basic road signs,” Trump said, arguing that stricter rules are needed to improve road safety.

According to the White House, the child suffered a traumatic brain injury and cerebral palsy and will require lifelong medical care. 

The driver involved, Partap Singh, is an immigrant from India who entered the US in 2022. He was released during the Joe Biden administration.

US President Donald Trump targeted Democratic Representative Ilhan Omar, repeating his claim that “Somali pirates ransacked Minnesota” through “bribery, corruption and lawlessness”.

“Importing these cultures through unrestricted immigration and open borders brings those problems right here to the USA,” Trump asserted.

Omar, who represents Minnesota, responded from her seat in the audience, calling the president a “liar”.

US President Donald Trump dared Democrats to stand up and support him as he asserted that his administration's first duty is to protect American citizens and not illegal aliens.

He asserted that illegal immigrants were behind "violent crimes" in the US and that he would leave no stones unturned to "send them back home."

US President Donald Trump claimed that countries which had “ripped off” the United States for decades are now paying hundreds of billions of dollars following trade deals struck by his administration. He said the agreements had benefited all sides, insisting that foreign governments were “happy” with the outcomes, just as the US was.

Trump claimed that he had correctly anticipated economic trends that, according to him, were misjudged by 22 Nobel Prize–winning economists.

He maintained that the impact of the Supreme Court ruling on his global tarffs would be limited, adding that most countries and corporations still want to stick with the agreements already in place.

US President Donald Trump has called the ruling on his global tariffs unfortunate in front of Supreme Court Justices who attended his State of the Union address. He claimed that the tariffs will remain in place under legal measures following the court order.

The Supreme Court, in a 6-3 ruling, struck down Trump's global tariffs, calling them illegal. In defiance, Trump announced new 15% tariffs on all countries.

President Donald Trump said he believes tariffs imposed on foreign countries could eventually take the place of income tax in the United States.

“As time goes by, I believe the tariffs paid for by foreign countries will, like in the past, substantially replace the modern-day system of income tax, taking a great financial burden off the people that I love,” Trump said in his State of the Union address speech.

He argued that revenue generated through tariffs would ease the tax burden on Americans by reducing reliance on income tax.

Democrats rose from their seats to honour the US men’s hockey team, prompting a jibe from President Donald Trump.

For much of Trump’s address, Democratic lawmakers had remained seated, but the chamber stirred when the US men's hockey team, which won a Winter Olympic gold after 46 years, was acknowledged. Seizing the moment, Trump remarked, “That’s the first time I’ve seen them get up.”

US President Donald Trump highlighted easing inflation and accused his predecessor, Joe Biden, of presiding over what he called the “worst inflation in the history of our country”.

Addressing Congress, Trump said that within 12 months his administration had brought core inflation down to its lowest level in more than five years.

He also claimed that the stock market has logged 53 all-time record highs since the election and said his government had attracted more than USD 18 trillion in investment during its first year in office.

US President Donald Trump spoke about the US economy, saying it was "roaring like never before" and asserted that the nation was earlier called a dead country. "Now, we are the hottest," he said.

He said that American natural gas production is at an all-time high, saying he kept his promise to drill, baby, drill – a slogan used by the US President and other Republican leaders to call for expanded oil and gas drilling in the US.