WASHINGTON, Feb. 25 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday night delivered his first State of the Union address of his second presidential term, seeking to project confidence in the nation's economic trajectory against a backdrop of sliding approval ratings and mounting midterm anxiety.
The address, the longest by any U.S. president since the American Presidency Project began keeping records in 1964, came at a moment marked by economic strain, legal setbacks and deep partisan divides, while the public's concern over affordability dominates the landscape.
NATIONAL AFFORDABILITY CONCERN
"Our nation is back," Trump opened his speech, declaring his administration has started a "golden age of America" while describing the first year of his second term "a transformation like no one has ever seen before, and a turnaround for the ages."
The president cited tax cuts, tariffs and immigration enforcement as successes during his first year, declaring that inflation was plummeting and that incomes were rising rapidly, portraying the U.S. economy as "roaring like never before."
The public may not see the president's economic feats the same way. Only about one-third of Americans approve of Trump's handling of inflation, according to a recent ABC News/Washington Post/Ipsos poll. Associated Press-NORC polling issued this month also found just 39 percent approval of his economic performance.
Data show that the U.S. economic growth in 2025 stood at 2.2 percent, slightly below the previous year's 2.3 percent.
On tariffs, Trump called the Supreme Court's ruling four days ago that the tariffs were unlawful "unfortunate" and "totally wrong," claiming his tariffs could substantially replace the income tax as a way to fund the federal government. He added that continuing the global tariffs he has imposed means that "congressional action will not be necessary."
The New York Times noted that tariffs function as a regressive tax, potentially shifting the burden from wealthier Americans to lower-income households. Economists broadly reject the idea that tariffs could meaningfully replace federal income tax revenue or eliminate annual budget deficits.
Trump also repeatedly demonized immigrants and boasted about his administration's sweeping efforts to dismantle Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) programs nationwide, declaring DEI has "ended." For the past 150 years, immigrants overall have been less likely to commit crimes than people born in the United States, a 2023 study concluded.
PARTISAN DIVISIONS
Partisan divisions were stark inside the chamber as Trump delivered his speech, which lasted about one hour and 48 minutes. Republicans applauded repeatedly, while dozens of Democrats boycotted or protested. Some Democrats shouted "shame on you" as Trump touted tax cuts, along with thumbs-down gestures.
Trump used the peak time address to launch broad attacks on Democrats, accusing them of obstructing his immigration crackdown, weakening national security and refusing to cooperate on funding the U.S. Department of Homeland Security unless new limits were imposed on federal agents.
The president also blamed Democrats for economic problems, rising costs and legislative gridlock, portraying them as driven by partisan politics rather than public safety, while positioning his own agenda as focused on law, order and prosperity.
Critics argued the country faces rising costs and policy instability.
"Donald Trump called this the 'golden age of America.' For who? Grocery prices are up. Rent is up. Utility costs are up. Health care costs are up," Democratic Senator Elizabeth Warren panned Trump's claim in a post on X.
"Higher costs, tariff taxes, higher healthcare premiums-how is this making life more affordable for Americans?" Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer also pushed back in a post on X against Trump's claims that his administration is lowering living costs.
Virginia Governor Abigail Spanberger, who delivered the Democratic rebuttal following Trump's speech, argued that Trump "lied, scapegoated, and distracted."
"His reckless trade policies have forced American families to pay more than 1,700 U.S. dollars each in tariff costs," she said.
Trump's policies and actions in the first year of his second term have reinforced partisan divisions across the country, from foreign policy to immigration to the economy, according to a report by National Public Radio.
As affordability concerns persist and polarization deepens, the address is unlikely to bridge the partisan divide ahead of a consequential midterm election cycle, analysts say. ■