GEOFF BENNETT: Welcome to this PBS News special coverage of the State of the Union address delivered by President Donald Trump and the Democratic response delivered by Virginia Governor Abigail Spanberger.

I'm Geoff Bennett.

AMNA NAWAZ: And I'm Amna Nawaz.

The president has promised tonight's speech will be a long one, because, as he says, there's a lot to talk about.

A lot has certainly changed since Mr.

Trump reentered the White House 401 days ago, from his immigration crackdown in U.S.

cities to tariffs on many foreign goods.

Just days ago, that cornerstone of his second-term economic policy was blocked by the Supreme Court in its sharpest rebuke so far.

Several of the justices are inside the House chamber tonight, the first time they will be eye to eye with the president since that decision.

GEOFF BENNETT: Of course, the president will hear plenty of cheers from his Republican allies tonight, while, on the other side of the aisle, many Democrats are skipping the speech entirely.

And for the millions of Americans watching at home, there are some growing concerns.

The latest poll from PBS News, NPR and Marist finds that six in 10 people say the country is worse off than a year ago.

AMNA NAWAZ: The president will tonight have an opportunity to hit the reset button as he delivers this first State of the Union address of his second term, live from Capitol Hill, where our team is standing by.

Our White House correspondent, Liz Landers, is right outside the House floor.

So, Liz, we have gotten some excerpts from the White House in terms of what we expect to hear from the president tonight.

What's the message the White House wants to deliver?

LIZ LANDERS: That's right, Amna.

Within the last few minutes, we have started to get some excerpts from the president's speech.

And, largely, what we're seeing right now are more of those messages about the economy, focused on cost of living in particular, and what President Trump and this administration has tried to do so far to bring down costs on things like prescription drugs.

He's going to talk about the inflated prescription drug prices that he has worked on through this most favored nations policy to bring down some of those drug prices on everything from GLP-1s to in vitro fertilization medications.

He's also going to talk about some of the Wall Street buy-ups that he has tried to ban of single-family homes.

He's also going to call on Democrats directly to fund the Department of Homeland Security.

Our viewers may remember that we're in a partial shutdown right now with the Department of Homeland Security's funding on pause, as Democrats try to get some negotiating on some of the ICE tactics that we have seen used across the country.

The president is going to call directly on Democrats shortly here in the chamber to fund border security and the department.

And he is going to end on a note talking and hearkening back to the fact that this is America's 250th anniversary, saying that the revolution that began in 1776 has not ended and it still continues, Amna.

GEOFF BENNETT: Let's turn now to our congressional correspondent, Lisa Desjardins, who is inside the House chamber.

Lisa, what are you seeing and hearing there?

We just saw members of the Cabinet.

We saw the White House chief of staff, Susie Wiles, make her way in.

We should point out to our viewers that you have a choice spot there in the gallery just atop the rostrum from where the president will be speaking tonight.

What are you seeing?

LISA DESJARDINS: It is an incredible privilege.

And I have never seen a State of the Union look quite like this.

It is a tale of two political parties.

Before me, I see Republicans, many women wearing red, eager, enthusiastic for their president, on the other side, Democrats more somber and solemn, and many empty seats, as many -- we can see dozens of Democrats are boycotting.

Also, the U.S.

Supreme Court, just four of the nine members are here tonight.

Not the entire court, not even the majority of the court is here.

To my left, in the first lady's box, I can see that the entire Trump family, the Trump five children are in the front row sitting next to Melania Trump.

She received a big round of applause when she came in.

But many other guests in the galleries here are going to be notable, also to my left, several Epstein survivors wearing butterfly pins, wondering if the president will address them and the need that they see for more release of the Epstein files.

What I don't see yet, guys, is the U.S.

hockey team, the gold-winning hockey team, not in the chamber yet.

My understanding is they will enter during the speech and leave during the speech.

They are not seated.

GEOFF BENNETT: All right, our thanks to Lisa and Liz.

Well, with us at the table here all evening, and it could be a long evening, even longer than last year perhaps, are Amy Walter of The Cook Political Report, Republican strategist Kevin Madden, Democratic strategist Faiz Shakir, and Tiffany Smiley, former Republican Senate candidate in Washington state.

And, Tiffany, we will start with you.

The president comes into tonight's speech objectively weakened.

He's got the Supreme Court set back on tariffs.

He's got his slumping approval numbers.

You have got warning signs for Republicans in the midterms.

How does he use this speech as a moment to reset?

TIFFANY SMILEY (R), Former Washington Senatorial Candidate: Yes, I mean, this is Trump dominating once again, and he will make it a very strong speech, a speech that certainly paints a picture for hope and vision into the future of what -- as of what he will deliver on.

This summer, he passed the historic No Tax on Tips act.

That is huge for the American people, no tax on tips, no tax on overtime, increased child credit tax, amongst other things that are in there.

And the American people will start to feel that in the coming months as they file their taxes and they start to see more money coming back into their pockets, they see gas prices coming down.

Recent -- just today, consumer index has bumped up a little bit.

Those are good trends going in -- sort of the wind in Trump's sails heading into this speech.

I think it will be a powerful speech, a strong speech, and a speech about not just today, but perhaps a better future for our children's children.

AMNA NAWAZ: Let's take a listen in on the House chamber floor, because it looks like the sergeant at arms making the announcement.

MAN: Mr.

Speaker, the president of the United States!

(CHEERING) AMNA NAWAZ: We see the president there entering the chamber now, going to make his way down that aisle.

For sure, he's going to greet people along the aisle in those choice aisle seats, as he makes his way up to the front, followed, of course, by Republican congressional leadership behind him.

We will continue to watch the president as he makes his way to deliver this State of the Union address.

And, Amy Walter, as we continue to watch this unfold here, this is, of course, his first State of the Union since returning to the White House over a year ago.

Geoff sort of told us a little bit about the public he's speaking to, where the American people are at this moment, how they're viewing his first year in office.

Tell us a little bit about the message he should try to send tonight.

AMY WALTER, The Cook Political Report: Right.

Well, when I look at some of these excerpts, this 0:07:11:03 is the kind of message that I think Republicans, especially Republicans who are on the ballot next year, would like to see him talk about over and over again, things that the administration has been doing on these cost of living issues.

To me, the ultimate challenge for the president and for Republicans in this upcoming election isn't what he says tonight, but it's whether he will continue to say this tomorrow, a week from now, two months from now, right?

Will he stay as focused on this?

One thing that I found really interesting in looking back -- and it wasn't officially a State of the Union last time.

It was an address to Congress, but it felt very much like this.

This is polling -- I think this was CNN polling where they asked, do you think the president has the right priorities or hasn't paid enough attention to the most important things for people?

At that time, he -- 43 percent said he had the right priorities, 57 percent had the wrong priorities, was focused on the wrong things.

Today, that's twice as high, that gap.

More people than ever think he's not focused on the right priorities.

So this is really the moment he has to focus on those things people say they want the president to talk more about and focus on more, which is cost of living.

But, again, whether he can do that day in and day out from here through November is the real challenge.

GEOFF BENNETT: And you see there the president shaking hands with the chief justice of the Supreme Court and the three other members of the court that we heard Lisa mention.

Kevin, Kevin Madden, when does -- what does a president do when the issues that powered his rise - - in President Trump's case, it's the economy and the immigration -- immigration -- are now effectively liabilities?

KEVIN MADDEN, Republican Strategist: Well, I think he has to -- I think one of the key things here is that this is a speech that's going to be provided in the context of the reality of what the American people are feeling.

So, if you want -- as every single president, I think every single politician who ultimately answers the question, does this person understand the problems of people like me affirmatively, they're always in a better position.

They have more political capital.

He's lost that political capital, I think, in the last couple of months, and he needs to regain it.

So one of the most important things he can do tonight is avoid talking -- avoid talking to the room and the theatrics and the pageantry of the room and talk directly to the American people about the anxieties they have about rising costs, about the cost of health care, about the future, and really start to maybe sow a little bit more of an optimism, and with that optimism gain back that political capital.

AMNA NAWAZ: Faiz Shakir, how are -- how are you looking at this address tonight?

How are Democrats looking at this address?

And from the excerpts we have seen, there's a lot of focus on affordability.

That's one of the Democrats key messages right now, right?

FAIZ SHAKIR, Democratic Strategist: Yes.

I mean, reality bites, to jump off Kevin's point that this is the president who's acted on behalf of the oligarchy, and he will have a hard time trying to convince people otherwise.

But he's going to try to do it in the speech.

He's going to suddenly return to his populist roots and suggests that he cares about the working class, but the whole last year of tax cuts, looking out for A.I., data center development.

This is a president, when Amy talks about the prioritizations, he has indicated for the better part of a year that the priorities have been generally on the wealthy class, the well-connected class.

His relationships with the billionaires has never been better.

His actions on their behest, whether you look at the SEC, the FTC, all of his administration actions has been for them.

He's lost the country on what he's trying to do on immigration.

He's made choices budget-wise to spend money on things that people just disagree with.

So he's going to have a hard time trying to reconcile the fact that he's been a president for a year, and the reality and the proof is in the pudding, and people don't like it.

GEOFF BENNETT: Amy, you were emphasizing the importance of message discipline... which we have not yet seen from President Trump.

What do you expect from this speech?

Is this going to be a rally speech or a governing speech?

REP.

MIKE JOHNSON (R-LA): Members of Congress, I have the high privilege and distinct honor of presenting to you the president of the United States.

AMY WALTER: That is an excellent question.

It's usually a combination of both.

GEOFF BENNETT: Let's listen in.

(CHEERING) CHAMBER: USA!

USA!

USA!

DONALD TRUMP, President of the United States: Well, thank you very much, everybody.

It's really an honor.

Speaker Johnson, Vice President Vance, first lady of the United States.

(CHEERING) DONALD TRUMP: Second lady of the United States.

(APPLAUSE) DONALD TRUMP: Members of Congress.

And our nation is back, bigger, better, richer, and stronger than ever before.

(CHEERING) DONALD TRUMP: Less than five months from now, our country will celebrate an epic milestone in American history, the 250th anniversary of our glorious American independence.

This July 4, we will mark 2.5 centuries of liberty and triumph, progress and freedom in the most incredible and exceptional nation ever to exist on the face of the Earth.

And you've seen nothing yet.

We're going to do better and better and better.

This is the golden age of America.

(APPLAUSE) DONALD TRUMP: When I last spoke in this chamber 12 months ago, I had just inherited a nation in crisis with a stagnant economy, inflation at record levels, a wide-open border, horrendous recruitment for military and police, rampant crime at home, and wars and chaos all over the world.

But, tonight, after just one year, I can say with dignity and pride that we have achieved a transformation like no one has ever seen before and a turnaround for the ages.

It is indeed a turnaround for the ages.

(APPLAUSE) (CHEERING) DONALD TRUMP: And we will never go back to where we were just a very short time ago.

We're not going back.

Today, our border is secure.

CROWD: USA, USA, USA.

(CHANTING) DONALD TRUMP: Thank you.

Today, our border is secure.

Our spirit is restored.

Inflation is plummeting.

Incomes are rising fast.

The roaring economy is roaring like never before.

And our enemies are scared.

Our military and police are stacked.

And America is respected again, perhaps like never before.

(APPLAUSE) DONALD TRUMP: After four years in which millions and millions of illegal aliens poured across our borders, totally unvetted and unchecked, we now have the strongest and most secure border in American history, by far.

(CHEERING) (APPLAUSE) DONALD TRUMP: In the past nine months, zero illegal aliens have been admitted to the United States.

(CHEERING) (APPLAUSE) DONALD TRUMP: But we will always allow people to come in legally, people that will love our country and will work hard to maintain our country.

(APPLAUSE) DONALD TRUMP: The flow of deadly fentanyl across our border is down by a record 56 percent in one year.

(APPLAUSE) DONALD TRUMP: And last year, the murder rate saw its single largest decline in recorded history.

This is the biggest decline, think of it, in recorded history.

The lowest number in over 125 years.

Year 1900.

In fact, substantially before my wonderful father -- I had a wonderful father, Fred, before he was born.

Substantially before he was born.

That's a long time ago.

He wouldn't like me to say that, but that's a long time ago.

The Biden administration and its allies in Congress gave us the worst inflation in the history of our country.

But in 12 months, my administration has driven core inflation down to the lowest level in more than five years.

And in the last three months of 2025, it was down to 1.7 percent.

(CHEERING) (APPLAUSE) DONALD TRUMP: Gasoline, which reached a peak of over $6 a gallon in some states under my predecessor it was, quite honestly, a disaster.

It's now below $2.30 a gallon in most states, and in some places $1.99 a gallon.

And when I visited the great State of Iowa just a few weeks ago, I even saw $1.85 a gallon for gasoline.

(CHEERING) (APPLAUSE) DONALD TRUMP: Mortgage rates are the lowest in four years and falling fast.

And the annual cost of a typical new mortgage is down almost $5,000 just since I took office.

One year.

(APPLAUSE) DONALD TRUMP: And low interest rates will solve the Biden-created housing problem well, at the same time protecting the values of those people who already own a house that really feel rich for the first time in their lives.

We want to protect those values.

We want to keep those values up.

We're going to do both.

(APPLAUSE) (APPLAUSE) DONALD TRUMP: And we are going to keep it that way.

The stock market has hit 53 all-time record highs since the election.

Think of that.

One year boosting pensions, 401(k)s, and retirement accounts for the millions and millions of Americans.

They're all gaining everybody's up way up.

In four log years, the last administration got less than $1 trillion in new investment in the United States.

And when I say less.

Substantially less.

In 12 months, I secured commitments for more than $18 trillion pouring in from all over the globe.

(APPLAUSE) (CHEERING) DONALD TRUMP: Think of it much less than $1 trillion for four years versus much more than $18 trillion for one year.

What a difference a president makes.

(APPLAUSE) DONALD TRUMP: A short time ago we were a dead country.

Now we are the hottest country anywhere in the world.

The hottest.

(CHEERING) (APPLAUSE) DONALD TRUMP: As thousands of new businesses are forming in factories, plants and laboratories are being built, we have added 70,000 new construction jobs in just a very short period of time.

It's getting bigger and bigger and stronger.

Nobody can believe what they're watching American oil production is up by more than 600,000 barrels a day, and we just received from our new friend and partner Venezuela, more than 80 million barrels of oil.

(APPLAUSE) DONALD TRUMP: American Natural Gas production is at an all-time high because I kept my promise to drill baby drill.

(APPLAUSE) DONALD TRUMP: More Americans are working today than at any time in the history of our country.

Think about that.

Any time in the history of our country, more working today and 100 percent of all jobs created under my administration have been in the private sector.

(APPLAUSE) DONALD TRUMP: We ended DEI in America.

(APPLAUSE) DONALD TRUMP: We cut a record number of job killing regulations, and in one year we have lifted 2.4 million Americans a record off of food stamps.

(APPLAUSE) DONALD TRUMP: And for all of these reasons, I say tonight, members of Congress, the state of our union is strong.

(CHEERING) (APPLAUSE) DONALD TRUMP: Our country is winning again.

In fact, we're winning so much that we really don't know what to do about it.

People are asking me, please, please, please, Mr.

President, we're winning too much.

We can't take it anymore.

We're not used to winning in our country until you came along.

We're just always losing, but now we're winning too much.

DONALD TRUMP: And I say, no, no, no, you're going to win again.

You're going to win big.

You're going to win bigger than ever.

And to prove that point, to prove that point here with us tonight is a group of winners who just made the entire nation proud.

The Men's Gold Medal Olympic Hockey team.

Come on in.

(CHEERING) (APPLAUSE) CHAMBER (in unison): USA!

USA!

USA!

USA!

USA!

USA!

USA!

USA!

USA!

(CHEERING) DONALD TRUMP: Go ahead.

That's the first time I've ever seen them get up.

(LAUGHTER) DONALD TRUMP: And actually, not all of them did get up, but they beat a fantastic Canadian team in overtime, as everybody saw, as did the American women who will soon be coming to the White House.

(CHEERING) DONALD TRUMP: They were in the Oval Office before.

And I just want to say a second very big congratulations to Team USA.

But I have to say that, and I told them this, and we took a vote of the team.

I said, anybody votes no, I'm not doing it.

So they stood there, and they weren't about to say no.

Because I've never seen a goaltender play as well as goalie Connor Hellebuyck.

(CHEERING) DONALD TRUMP: Think of it, 46 shots on gold.

And I asked him, the one shot, the one where you put your stick in the back and it hit the neck of your stick and bounced off, do you practice that or was that a little lucky?

(LAUGHTER) DONALD TRUMP: He refused to answer that question.

(LAUGHTER) DONALD TRUMP: But I just want to tell you that the members of this great hockey squad will be very happy to hear, based on their vote and my vote, and in this case my vote was more important.

(LAUGHTER) DONALD TRUMP: That I will soon be presenting Connor with our highest civilian honor, which we will be given, and which has been given to many athletes over the years.

But when I say many, not too many, like 12.

It's called the highest civilian honor in our country, the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

(CHEERING) DONALD TRUMP: Great athletes have gotten that.

Very great.

The best.

And I thought he deserved it.

And I did take a vote.

Every single one of them.

I said, I'm not giving it if anybody goes, no.

And every single one of them rapidly put up their hand.

So, I want to thank you all.

What a special job you did, what special champions you are.

Thank you very much.

(CHEERING) DONALD TRUMP: I'm also pleased to say that the next time the Olympic torch is lit, it will be here in America for the 2028 Olympics.

And it's the summer version, right in Los Angeles.

We're going to do a good job in Los Angeles.

(APPLAUSE) DONALD TRUMP: And Los Angeles is going to be safe, just like Washington, D.C., is now one of the safest cities in the country.

(CHEERING) DONALD TRUMP: And this year -- and I must say, I got them both.

I got them in the first term, and I was disappointed, because I didn't think I'd be the president when this happened.

But strange things took place, and now I have got them, because I got the Olympics, I got the 2026 FIFA World Cup, and I wanted to claim the 250th, but I didn't get away with that one.

I couldn't claim that one for myself.

But we're getting the World Cup.

So we have the World Cup and the Olympics coming, and that is exciting news.

(APPLAUSE) DONALD TRUMP: So, this will be a year to celebrate our country and the heroes who have kept it free, men like Buddy Taggart.

At age 17, Buddy volunteered to defend America in World War II, serving in the Pacific under the great General Douglas MacArthur.

He fought bravely in the famous Battle of Manila, worked so hard.

He was badly wounded and almost killed by enemy machine guns in Luzon.

And 81 years ago this month, he liberated the largest internment camp in the Philippines, one of the largest anywhere in the world.

But he earned many honors, including a Purple Heart and a Bronze Star, came home, started a family.

And, tonight, he is in the gallery looking forward to July 4, 2026, his 100th birthday.

(CHEERING) DONALD TRUMP: So, Buddy, you're a brave man, and we salute you.

Even in times of challenge, setback, and immense heartache, the spirit of 1776 has always shone through very brightly.

It was July 4 of last year when floodwaters tore through a girls summer camp in Central Texas, one of the worst things I have ever seen -- I was there -- rising 26 feet in the matter of minutes, tragically claiming many, many lives.

You all remember that one.

As the waters threatened to sweep her away, 11-year-old Milly Cate McClymond closed her eyes and prayed to God.

She thought she was going to die.

Those prayers were answered when Coast Guard rescue swimmer Scott Ruskan descended from a helicopter above.

Nobody knew where he came from.

It was Scott's first ever rescue mission, a young guy, but very brave, very, very top, always top in his class, and he lifted not just Milly Cate, but 164 others to safety.

(CHEERING) DONALD TRUMP: People watched Scott from a distance, and they couldn't believe what they were seeing.

The winds were blowing.

The rain was pouring.

Everything was going.

And that rapid water, nobody had ever seen anything like it.

They said, wow, that's something.

Tonight, Scott and Milly Cate are here together, reunited for the very first time.

Thank you, Scott, Milly Cate.

(APPLAUSE) (CHEERING) DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: And, Petty Officer Ruskan, I'm pleased to inform you that I am now awarding you the Legion of Merit for extraordinary heroism, which is what it was.

Extraordinary heroism.

Thank you.

(CHEERING) (APPLAUSE) DONALD TRUMP: And I'd like to have the military aide to please come down and take care of the service -- military aide.

Thank you very much.

Take care of that very important service.

Thank you very much.

From 1776 to today, every generation of Americans has stepped forward to defend life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

And they're really doing it for the next generation.

But now, it's our turn.

Together, we're building a nation where every child has the chance to reach higher and go further, where government answers to the people, not the powerful, and where the interests of hardworking American citizens are always our first and ultimate concern.

That is the debt we owe to the heroes who came before us.

And that is the promise we must keep to America for our 250th year.

Last year, I urged this Congress to begin the mission by passing the largest tax cuts in American history, and our Republican majorities delivered so beautifully.

Thank you, Republicans.

(APPLAUSE) DONALD TRUMP: All Democrats, every single one of them voted against these really important and very necessary massive tax cuts.

(CHEERING) (APPLAUSE) DONALD TRUMP: They wanted large scale tax increases to hurt the people, instead.

But we held strong and with the great Big, Beautiful Bill, we gave you no tax on tips, no tax on overtime, and no tax on Social Security for our great seniors.

(CHEERING) (APPLAUSE) DONALD TRUMP: And we also made interest on auto loans, tax deductible the first time, but only if the car is made in America.

(APPLAUSE) DONALD TRUMP: Recently in Pennsylvania, I met Megan Hemhauser, a devoted mom who homeschools her children -- beautiful two children -- during the day while waiting tables at night as her husband works overtime, operating very heavy equipment.

Megan is here this evening and she's happy to tell you that she is so, so much richer because with no tax on tips, no tax on overtime, and our expanded child tax credit done again by Republicans, Megan and her husband will take home more than $5,000 extra just for the year, cutting her tax bill in more than half.

(APPLAUSE) DONALD TRUMP: Megan, please stand up.

We're fighting for you, Megan.

(APPLAUSE) DONALD TRUMP: Thank you.

Thank you, Megan.

We're fighting for you, Megan.

Under our bill, parents like Megan can also activate their children's brand new Trump Accounts and I didn't name it.

(APPLAUSE) DONALD TRUMP: I didn't name it.

I did not name that.

(APPLAUSE) DONALD TRUMP: Nobody believes me, but I did not name it.

It was named by a very tall man sitting right there in the third row.

Nice man.

A good man.

Tax free investment accounts for every American child.

This is something that's so special and has taken off and gone through the roof.

Millions will be pre-funded courtesy of the U.S.

Treasury and private individuals like Michael and Susan Dell, who have donated $6,250,000,000 to fund the Trump accounts for 25 million American children.

(APPLAUSE) They're great people.

(APPLAUSE) You know, I asked Michael Dell, how did you make all that money?

He said, well, I just sat on my dorm in school and I made computers and I'd sell them to people.

And I just kept selling and selling and selling and pretty amazing story.

That's called the American dream.

He sold a lot of computers, a lot of those laptops.

So I congratulate him on that.

But I really thank him and Susan, as well as others like Brad Gerstner, very tremendous guy.

He was behind it right from the beginning.

Brad Gerstner, thank you, Brad.

(APPLAUSE) So with modest additional contributions, these young people's accounts could grow to over $100,000 or more by the time they turn 18.

Think of it, how much money is that for somebody that started with nothing?

Over 100,000, could be much more than that.

To make this investment in our children's future, go to TrumpAccounts.gov, TrumpAccounts.gov.

And a lot of people are doing it.

It's setting every record in the book.

It's popular.

They knew what was going to - - what it was going to take.

I'm so proud of them.

I'm so proud of the people that got it started.

And now it's just taken off.

One of the primary reasons for our country's stunning economic turnaround, the biggest in history, where the Dow Jones broke 50,000 four years ahead of schedule, and the S&P hit 7,000, where it wasn't supposed to do it for many years, were tariffs.

I used these tariffs, took in hundreds of billions of dollars to make great deals for our country both economically and on a national security basis.

Everything was working well.

Countries that were ripping us off for decades are now paying us hundreds of billions of dollars.

They were ripping us so badly.

You all know that.

Everybody knows it.

Even the Democrats know it, they just don't want to say it.

And yet these countries are now happy and so are we.

We made deals.

The deals are all done.

And they're happy.

They're not making money like they used to but we're making a lot of money.

There was no inflation, tremendous growth.

And the big story was how Donald Trump called the economy correctly.

And 22 Nobel Prize winners in economics didn't.

They got it totally wrong.

They got it really wrong.

And then just four days ago, an unfortunate ruling from the United States Supreme Court, it just came down.

It came down.

Very unfortunate ruling.

(APPLAUSE) But the good news is that almost all countries and corporations want to keep the deal that they already made, right, Scott?

Knowing that the legal power that I as president have to make a new deal, could be far worse for them, and therefore they will continue to work along the same successful path that we had negotiated before the Supreme Court's unfortunate involvement.

So despite the disappointing ruling, these powerful, country-saving -- it's saving our country the kind of money we're taking in, peace-protecting, many of the wars I've settled was because of the threat of tariffs, I wouldn't have been able to settle them without, will remain in place under fully approved and tested alternative legal statutes.

And they have been tested for a long time.

They're a little more complex, but they're actually probably better, leading to a solution that will be even stronger than before.

DONALD TRUMP: Congressional action will not be necessary.

It's already time-tested and approved.

And 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.

(APPLAUSE) Right?

(APPLAUSE) Moving forward, factories, jobs, investment, and trillions and trillions of dollars will continue pouring into the United States of America because we finally have a president who puts America first.

I put America first.

I love America.

(APPLAUSE) DONALD TRUMP: For decades, before I came along, we had the exact opposite.

From trade to health care, from energy to immigration, everything was stolen and rigged in order to drain the wealth out of the productive, hardworking people who make our country great who make our country run.

Under Biden and his corrupt partners in Congress and beyond, it reached a breaking point with the Green New Scam, open borders for everyone.

They poured in by the millions and millions from prisons, from mental institutions.

They were murderers, 11,888 murders.

They came into our country.

You allowed that to happen.

And record-setting inflation that cost the typical family $34,000 in just a speck of time.

Now, the same people in this chamber who voted for those disasters suddenly used the word affordability, a word, they just used it.

Somebody gave it to them, knowing full well that they caused and created the increased prices that all of our citizens had to endure.

You caused that problem.

You caused that problem.

(APPLAUSE) DONALD TRUMP: They knew their statements were a lie.

They knew it.

They knew their statements were a dirty, rotten lie.

Their policies created the high prices.

Our policies are rapidly ending them.

We are doing really well.

Those prices are plummeting downward.

(APPLAUSE) DONALD TRUMP: The price of eggs is down 60 percent.

Madam Secretary, thank you.

The cost of chicken, butter, fruit, hotels, automobiles, rent is lower today than when I took office by a lot.

And even beef, which was very high, is starting to come down significantly.

Just hold on a little while.

We're getting it down.

And soon you will see numbers that few people would think were possible to achieve just a short time ago.

Nobody can believe when they see the kind of numbers, and especially energy.

When they see energy going down to numbers like that, they cannot believe it.

It's like another big tax cut.

I'm also confronting one of the biggest rip-offs of our times, the crushing costs of health care caused by you.

Since the passage of the Unaffordable Care Act, sometimes referred to as Obamacare, big insurance companies have gotten rich.

It was meant for the insurance companies, not for the people.

With our government giving them hundreds and hundreds of billions of dollars a year as their stock prices soared 1,000, 1,200, 1,400, and even 1,700 percent, like nothing else.

That's why I introduced the great health care plan.

I want to stop all payments to big insurance companies and instead give that money directly to the people so they can buy their own health care, which will be better health care at a much lower cost.

(APPLAUSE) DONALD TRUMP: In addition, my plan requires maximum price transparency.

That's a big deal.

(APPLAUSE) DONALD TRUMP: Sounds so simple.

So big.

(APPLAUSE) DONALD TRUMP: And I did that in my first term, and the Democrats immediately terminated it with full knowledge that they were doing a very bad thing for the people.

Costs were going to go way up, and that's what happened.

And now I'm bringing them way down on health care and everything else.

I'm also ending the wildly inflated cost of prescription drugs like has never happened before.

(APPLAUSE) They tried.

They said they tried, they couldn't do it.

They didn't even come close.

They were all talk and no action, but I got it done under my just enacted most favored nation agreements, Americans who are for decades paid by far the highest prices of any nation anywhere in the world for prescription drugs will now pay the lowest price anywhere in the world for drugs, anywhere the lowest price.

(APPLAUSE) (CHEERING) DONALD TRUMP: So in my first year of the second term, should be my third term, but strange things happen.

(APPLAUSE) DONALD TRUMP: I took.

Prescription drugs, a very big part of health care, from the highest price in the entire world to the lowest.

That's a big achievement.

The result is price differences of 300, 400, 500, 600 percent and more.

All available right now at a new Web site called TrumpRx.gov and I didn't name that one either, by the way.

(APPLAUSE) DONALD TRUMP: And here tonight is the very first customer ever to get that big discount.

And it is big, Catherine Rayner.

For five years, she and her husband have struggled with infertility and they turned to IVF, one drug has been costing Catherine $4,000 to purchase, but a few weeks ago she logged onto the TrumpRx Web site and got that same drug that cost $4,000.

Got it for under $500, a reduction of much more actually than $3,500.

Catherine, we are all praying for you and you're going to be a great mom.

MAN: Yes.

(APPLAUSE) (CHEERING) (APPLAUSE) DONALD TRUMP: So now I'm calling on Congress to codify my most favorite nation program into law.

Now, the one thing, I'm not sure it matters because it's going to be very hard for somebody that comes along after me to say, let's raise drug prices by 700 or 800 percent.

But John and Mike, if you don't mind, codify it anyway.

They may do it.

Codify it anyway.

Thank you.

Many Americans are also concerned that energy demand from A.I.

data centers could unfairly drive up their electric utility bills.

Tonight, I'm pleased to announce that I have negotiated the new rate payer protection pledge.

You know what that is?

We're telling the major tech companies that they have the obligation to provide for their own power needs.

They can build their own power plants as part of their factory, so that no one's prices will go up.

And in many cases, prices of electricity will go down for the community and very substantially down.

This is a unique strategy never used in this country before.

We have an old grid, it could never handle the kind of numbers, the amount of electricity that's needed.

So I'm telling them they can build their own plant, they're going to produce their own electricity.

It will ensure the company's ability to get electricity while at the same time lowering prices of electricity for you and could be very substantial for all of your cities and towns.

You're going to see some good things happen over the next number of years.

Another pillar of the American dream that has been under attack is home ownership.

With us tonight is Rachel Wiggins, a mom of two from Houston.

She placed bids on 20 homes and lost all of those bids to gigantic investment firms that bypassed inspection, paid all cash and turn those houses into rentals, stealing away her American dream.

She was devastated.

Stories like this are why last month I signed executive order to ban large Wall Street investment firms from buying up into thousands single family homes.

(APPLAUSE) DONALD TRUMP: And now I'm asking Congress to make that ban permanent because home is for people really, that's what we want.

We want homes for people, not for corporations.

Corporations are doing just fine.

Rachel, thank you very much.

Good luck with your home.

You'll get one soon.

(APPLAUSE) DONALD TRUMP: We're also working to make it easier for Americans to say for retirement and under this administration, we will always protect Social Security and Medicare.

They are not protecting it for our seniors.

We will always protect Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid.

(CHEERING) DONALD TRUMP: Since I took office, the typical 401(k) balance is up by at least $30,000.

That's a lot of money.

We have millions and millions of people because the stock market has done so well, setting all those records.

Your 401(k)s are way up.

Yet half of all of working Americans still do not have access to a retirement plan with matching contributions from an employer.

To remedy this gross disparity, I am announcing that next year, my administration will give these often forgotten American workers, great people, the people that built our country, access to the same type of retirement plan offered to every federal worker.

We will match your contribution with up to $1,000 each year.

As we ensure that all Americans can profit from a rising stock market, let's also ensure that members of Congress cannot corruptly profit from using insider information.

(CHEERING) DONALD TRUMP: They stood up for that.

I can't believe.

(LAUGHTER) DONALD TRUMP: I can't believe it.

Did Nancy Pelosi stand up, if she's here?

(CHEERING) DONALD TRUMP: Doubt it.

Pass the Stop Insider Trading Act without delay.

(CHEERING) DONALD TRUMP: I wasn't sure if anybody, even on this side, was going to applaud for that.

I was -- I'm very impressed.

Thank you.

I'm very impressed.

But when it comes to the corruption that is plunging, really it's plundering America.

There's been no more stunning example than Minnesota, where members of the Somali community have pillaged an estimated $19 billion from the American taxpayer.

Oh, we have all the information.

And in actuality, the number is much higher than that.

And California, Massachusetts, Maine, and many other states are even worse.

This is the kind of corruption that shreds the fabric of a nation.

And we are working on it like you wouldn't believe.

So tonight, although it started four months ago, I am officially announcing the War on Fraud to be led by our great Vice President, J.D.

Vance.

(CHEERING) DONALD TRUMP: We'll get it done.

And if we're able to find enough of that fraud, we will actually have a balanced budget overnight.

It'll go very quickly.

That's the kind of money you're talking about.

We'll balance our budget.

(CHEERING) DONALD TRUMP: The Somali pirates who ransacked Minnesota remind us that there are large parts of the world where bribery, corruption, and lawlessness are the norm, not the exception.

Importing these cultures through unrestricted immigration and open borders brings those problems right here to the USA.

And it is the American people who pay the price in higher medical bills, car insurance rates, rent, taxes, and perhaps most importantly, crime.

We will take care of this problem.

We're going to take care of this problem.

We are not playing games.

Delilah.

(CHEERING) DONALD TRUMP: Delilah Coleman was only five years old in June 2024 when a 18 wheel tractor trailer plowed into her stopped car traveling at 60 miles an hour or more.

The driver was an illegal alien let in by Joe Biden and given a commercial driver's license by open borders politicians in California.

Doctors said Delilah would never be able to walk or talk, have a good life.

She wouldn't even be able to eat again.

But, against all odds, she is now in the first grade learning to walk.

And she's here this evening with her dad, Marcus, a fantastic man.

Dalilah, please.

You are a great inspiration.

Please stand up.

(APPLAUSE) (CHEERING) DONALD TRUMP: Thank you, Dalilah.

Many, if not most illegal aliens do not speak English and cannot read even the most basic road signs as to direction, speed, danger, or location.

That's why, tonight, I'm calling on Congress to pass what we will call the Dalilah Law, barring any state from granting commercial driver's licenses to illegal aliens.

(CHEERING) (APPLAUSE) DONALD TRUMP: And, yesterday, as you probably saw at the White House, I hosted a ceremony with Americans who lost their treasured loved ones to the scourge of illegal immigration.

People came into our country, how we allowed this to happen, with our open borders.

These are the Angel Moms and Families that for decades our government betrayed and our media totally ignored, totally.

It was terrible.

Hard to believe, actually.

In 2023, a 16-year-old high school cheerleader named Lizbeth Medina was supposed to perform in her town's Christmas parade, but she never arrived.

Her mother, Jacqueline, went home to look for her, and she found her lying dead in a bathtub, bleeding profusely after being stabbed 25 times.

Lizbeth's killer was a previously arrested illegal alien who had broken in and brutally, really just brutally extinguished the brightest light in her family's life, violently and viciously.

Her heartbroken mother is in the gallery to remind everyone in this chamber exactly why we are deporting illegal alien criminals from our country at record numbers, and we're getting them the hell out of here fast.

We don't want them.

(CHEERING) (APPLAUSE) DONALD TRUMP: Thank you very much, Jacqueline.

Thank you.

We can never forget that many in this room not only allowed the border invasion to happen before I got involved, but, indeed, they would do it all over again if they ever had the chance.

If they ever got elected, they would open up those borders to some of the worst criminals anywhere in the world.

The only thing standing between Americans and a wide-open border right now is President Donald J. Trump and our great Republican patriots in Congress.

Thank you.

Thank you.

(CHEERING) (APPLAUSE) DONALD TRUMP: As we speak, Democrats in this chamber have cut off all funding for the Department of Homeland Security.

It's all cut off.

It's all cut off.

(BOOING) DONALD TRUMP: They have instituted another Democrat shutdown, the first one costing us two points on GDP, two points we lost on GDP, which probably made them quite happy, actually.

Now they have closed the agency responsible for protecting Americans from terrorists and murders.

Tonight, I'm demanding the full and immediate restoration of all funding for the border security, homeland security of the United States, and also for helping people clean up their snow.

DONALD TRUMP: We have no money because of the Democrats, and it would be nice.

We'd love to give you a hand at cleaning it up, but you gave no money.

Nobody's getting paid.

It's a shame.

So you have to think about it.

We have, in case you didn't know, a pretty large snowstorm out there.

One of the great things about the State of the Union is how it gives Americans the chance to see clearly what their representatives really believe.

So tonight, I'm inviting every legislator to join with my administration and reaffirming a fundamental principle.

If you agree with this statement, then stand up and show your support.

The first duty of the American government is to protect American citizens, not illegal aliens.

(CHEERING) (APPLAUSE) DONALD TRUMP: Isn't that a shame?

You should be ashamed of yourself not standing up.

You should be ashamed of yourself.

(REP.

ILHAN OMAR (D-MN) YELLING) DONALD TRUMP: That is why I'm also asking you to end deadly sanctuary cities that protect the criminals and enact serious penalties for public officials who block the removal of criminal aliens, in many cases, drug lords, murderers all over our country.

They are blocking the removal of these people out of our country, and you should be ashamed of yourself.

(CHEERING) (APPLAUSE) (CHANTING "USA!")

DONALD TRUMP: And perhaps most importantly, I'm asking you to approve the Save America Act.

(CHEERING) (APPLAUSE) DONALD TRUMP: Please stop illegal aliens and others who are unpermitted persons from voting in our sacred American elections.

That cheating is rampant in our elections.

It's rampant.

It's very simple.

All voters must show voter ID.

(APPLAUSE) (BOOING) (APPLAUSE) DONALD TRUMP: All voters must show proof of citizenship in order to vote.

(APPLAUSE) DONALD TRUMP: And no more crooked mail in ballots except for illness, disability, military or travel.

None.

(APPLAUSE) DONALD TRUMP: And this should be an easy one, and by the way, it's polling at 89 percent, including Democrats, 89 percent.

(APPLAUSE) DONALD TRUMP: And even the new communist mayor of New York City -- I think he's a nice guy, actually, speak to him a lot.

Bad policy, but nice guy -- just said they want people to shovel snow.

They got hit hard -- wants them to shovel snow.

But if you apply for that job, you need to show two original forms of ID and a Social Security card.

(APPLAUSE) DONALD TRUMP: Yet they don't want identification for the greatest privilege of them all.

DONALD TRUMP: Voting in America.

No, it's no good, no good.

Both Republicans and Democrats overwhelmingly agree on the policy that we just enunciated.

And Congress should unite and enact this common-sense country-saving legislation right now.

And it should be before anything else happens.

(APPLAUSE) And the reason they don't want to do it, why would anybody not want voter ID?

One reason, because they want to cheat.

There's only one reason.

They make up all excuses.

They say it's racist.

They come up with things, you almost say, what imagination they have.

They want to cheat.

They have cheated.

And their policy is so bad that the only way they can get elected is to cheat.

And we're going to stop it.

We have to stop it, John.

(APPLAUSE) And here is one more opportunity to show common sense in government.

In the gallery tonight are Sage Blair and her mother Michele.

In 2021, Sage was 14 when school officials in Virginia sought to socially transition her to a new gender, treating her as a boy and hiding it from her parents.

Hard to believe, isn't it?

Before long, a confused Sage ran away from home.

After she was found in a horrific situation in Maryland, a left-wing judge refused to return Sage to her parents because they did not immediately state that their daughter was their son.

Sage was thrown into an all-boys state home and suffered terribly for a long time.

But today all of that is behind them because Sage is a proud and wonderful young woman with a full ride scholarship to Liberty University.

Sage and Michele, please stand up.

(APPLAUSE) And thank you for your great bravery.

And who can believe that we're even speaking about things like this?

Fifteen years ago, if somebody was up here and said that, they'd say, what's wrong with him?

But now we have to say it because it's going on all over, numerous states, without even telling the parents.

But surely we can all agree no state can be allowed to rip children from their parents' arms and transition them to a new gender against the parents' will who would believe that we're even talking about this?

(APPLAUSE) We must ban it and we must ban it immediately.

(APPLAUSE) Look, nobody stands up.

These people are crazy, I'm telling you, they're crazy.

(APPLAUSE) Crazy (INAUDIBLE) PERSON: Epstein files!

DONALD TRUMP: Boy, oh, boy.

We're -- we're lucky we have a country.

With people like this, Democrats are destroying our country, but we've stopped it just in the nick of time, didn't we?

(APPLAUSE) No one cares more about protecting America's youth than our wonderful first lady, now a movie star.

She's a movie star.

Can you believe it?

(APPLAUSE) DONALD TRUMP: Who would have believed that?

Over the past year, she has had an incredible impact, championing A.I.

legislation, advancing a landmark executive order on foster care, and helping secure $30 million to launch the Melania Trump Foster Youth to Independence Initiative.

It's a tremendous -- really a tremendous thing that happened and had a lot of bipartisan support.

She gets much better bipartisan support than I do.

I get none, she gets a lot.

(LAUGHTER) Some day you're going to have to tell me how you did that.

And students and educators in every state have joined the First Lady's efforts in the presidential A.I.

challenge, keeping America's next-generation position to succeed and strongly succeed in the future.

Tonight, we welcome two young people whose lives reflect the first lady's impact, Sierra Burns and Everest Nevraumont.

Thank you both.

And, Melania, thank you.

I know how hard you worked on her.

Thank you very much.

(APPLAUSE) DONALD TRUMP: I'm very proud to say that during my time in office, both the first four years and, in particular, this last year, there has been a tremendous renewal in religion, faith, Christianity, and belief in God.

(APPLAUSE) DONALD TRUMP: Tremendous renewal.

(APPLAUSE) DONALD TRUMP: This is especially true among young people.

And a big part of that had to do with my great friend, Charlie Kirk, a great guy, great man.

(CHEERING) (APPLAUSE) DONALD TRUMP: So, last year, Charlie was violently murdered by an assassin and martyred.

Really martyred for his beliefs.

His wonderful wife, Erika, is with us tonight.

Erika, please stand.

(APPLAUSE) (CHANTING) DONALD TRUMP: Thank you, Erica.

Been through a lot.

In Charlie's memory, we must all come together to reaffirm that America is one nation under God, and we must totally reject political violence of any kind.

(APPLAUSE) DONALD TRUMP: We love religion, and we love bringing it back.

And it's coming back at levels that nobody actually thought possible.

It's really a beautiful thing to see.

Above all, unleashing America's promise requires keeping our community safe.

We have made incredible strides, yet dangerous repeat offenders continue to be released by pro-crime Democrat politicians again and again.

We are honored to be joined tonight by a woman who's been through hell, Anya Zarutska.

In 2022, she and her beautiful daughter, so beautiful, what a beautiful young woman.

Iryna fled war-torn Ukraine to live with relatives near Charlotte, North Carolina.

And, by the way, what's going on with Charlotte?

Last summer, 23-year-old Iryna was riding home on the train when a deranged monster, who had been arrested over a dozen times and was released through no-cash bail, stood up and viciously slashed a knife through her neck and body.

No one will ever forget -- there were people on that train.

No one will ever forget the expression of terror on Iryna's face as she looked up at her attacker in the last seconds of her life.

She died instantly.

She had escaped a brutal war only to be slain by a hardened criminal, set free to kill in America, came in through open borders.

DONALD TRUMP: Mrs.

Zarutska, tonight I promise you we will ensure justice for your magnificent daughter, Iryna.

(APPLAUSE) DONALD TRUMP: How do you not stand?

How do you not stand?

I'm asking this Congress to pass tough legislation to ensure that violent and dangerous repeat offenders are put behind bars, and importantly that they stay there.

MAN: Yes.

(APPLAUSE) DONALD TRUMP: Starting last summer I deployed our National Guard and federal law enforcement to restore law in order to our most dangerous cities, including Memphis, Tennessee.

Big success.

New Orleans, Louisiana, big success and our nation's capital itself, Washington, D.C.

where we have almost no crime anymore in Washington, D.C.

How did that happen?

MAN: Yes.

(APPLAUSE) DONALD TRUMP: In fact, crime in Washington is now at the lowest level ever recorded and murders in D.C.

this January, were down close to 100 percent from a year ago.

(APPLAUSE) DONALD TRUMP: They don't like to hear that one of the sick people, one of the grave service members who helped achieve this studying turnaround was 20-year-old West Virginia Army National Guard specialist Sarah Beckstrom.

After a four-month deployment, she voluntarily extended her service and her rank was going to be lifted.

She was doing so well.

They were so proud of her, but the very next day she was on patrol near the White House when she was ambushed and shot in the head by a terrorist monster from Afghanistan, shouldn't have been in our country and all because she wore the uniform of our nation.

She was shot.

He traveled here because he didn't like people wearing our uniform.

He was sick and deranged.

Shouldn't have been in our country.

Sarah Beckstrom died in order to defend our capital.

And we are honored to be joined by her wonderful parents, Gary and Evalea.

Your daughter was a true American patriot and she will be greatly missed.

She was a great person.

I saw reports on her.

They've never seen anything like it.

(APPLAUSE) DONALD TRUMP: So sorry.

Thank you very much.

A great young lady.

I saw reports that were like perfect.

She's perfect.

Serving alongside Sarah that day was Staff Sergeant Andrew Wolfe.

The terrorist shot Andrew in the head and no one thought he could possibly make it.

The two of them, Sarah and Andrew both shot violently in the head.

Neither was expected to make it.

They weren't even given a chance, except his wonderful mother named Melody, who I spoke to the same night, and she was so positive.

The doctors thought that Andrew was gone, but his mother said, no, no, Mr.

President, Andrew will be fine.

He's going to make it.

I've never seen anything like it.

I mean.

He was given almost no chance.

DONALD TRUMP: She said, I have no doubt, sir.

He's going to be OK.

This was a conversation that I had with her that night with his son (INAUDIBLE) helplessly in bed, blood all over.

Everybody is praying.

She said, sir, he will be OK.

The doctors didn't understand what she was saying, and after looking at the results of the damage done, neither did I. She was so strong and conclusive that even Andrew's great father felt she didn't really understand the gravity of the situation.

But she turned out to be right.

Right, Melody?

She turned out to be right.

(APPLAUSE) (CHEERING) DONALD TRUMP: Amazing, actually.

I said, where does this woman come from?

She's the most positive person I've ever met.

With God's help, Andrew has battled back from the edge of death, and we're talking about the edge of death.

On his way to a miraculous recovery.

He's got a little work to do, but he's doing great.

Nice to see you.

He's a good looking guy.

Nice to see you.

Thanks, Andrew.

Thank you very much.

(APPLAUSE) DONALD TRUMP: So, Andrew, while you're up, now I'm going to ask a highly respected General James Seward to present Staff Sergeant Andrew Wolfe and the great family of Sarah Beckstrom with the award created by our late, great President George Washington himself.

It's called the Purple Heart.

(APPLAUSE) DONALD TRUMP: We love you all.

Love you.

We're proudly restoring safety for Americans at home, and we are also restoring security for Americans abroad.

Our country has never been stronger.

My first 10 months, I ended eight wars, including Cambodia.

Isn't it funny?

UNIDENTIFIED SPEAKER: That's a lie.

DONALD TRUMP: Sick people.

UNIDENTIFIED SPEAKER: That's a lie.

DONALD TRUMP: Cambodia and Thailand, Pakistan and India, would have been a nuclear war.

35 million people said the Prime Minister of Pakistan would have died if it were not for my involvement.

Kosovo and Serbia, Israel and Iran, Egypt and Ethiopia, Armenia and Azerbaijan, the Congo and Rwanda, and of course, the war in Gaza, which proceeds at a very low level.

It's just about there.

I want to thank Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner for your help.

Thank you, Steve.

Thank you, Jared.

(APPLAUSE) DONALD TRUMP: And I also want to thank the man they report to, Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

Thank you, Marco.

(CHEERING) DONALD TRUMP: People like you.

You know, Marco got 100 percent of the votes when he was in -- confirmed.

I think our next one was about 54 percent.

(LAUGHTER) DONALD TRUMP: And some of the Democrats are now saying, I can't believe we approved that guy.

(LAUGHTER) DONALD TRUMP: And he said, it's an honor that they feel that way.

Right, Marco?

You have done a great job.

Great Secretary of State.

I think he'll go down as the best ever.

(APPLAUSE) DONALD TRUMP: Under the cease-fire I negotiated, every single hostage, both living and dead, has been returned home.

Can you believe it?

(APPLAUSE) DONALD TRUMP: Nobody thought it was possible.

Nobody thought that was possible.

Both living and dead.

And those parents who had a dead son, their boy -- they would always told me their boy -- they wanted him as much as though he were living.

That was an amazing period of time.

And they came back.

And when we got all of the living hostages back, and many, many before them, but I always said those last 20 are going to be very tough.

But we got many, many more, hundreds.

But I said those last 20 are going to be tough.

We got them back.

But we only got back 14 or 15 of the dead of the 28.

And believe it or not, Hamas worked along with Israel, and they dug, and they dug, and they dug.

It's a tough -- it's a tough thing to do, going through bodies all over, passing up 100 bodies sometimes for each one that they found.

Tough job.

And they finally got it back to 27.

And then Steve and Jared, they got it back to 28.

They found all 28.

Nobody thought that was possible.

But we did it.

And I remember the family of the 28th.

They were so grieved, but they were so happy, as happy as it's possible to be.

They had their boy back.

The mother said: "Sir, we have our boy back."

What a period of time that was, but we got them all back.

So, thank you both very much.

Great job.

(APPLAUSE) DONALD TRUMP: And we're working very hard to end the ninth war, the killing and slaughter between Russia and Ukraine, where 25,000 soldiers are dying each and every month.

Think of that; 25,000 soldiers are dying a month, a war which would have never happened if I were president.

It would have never happened.

As president, I will make peace wherever I can, but I will never hesitate to confront threats to America wherever we must.

That's why, in a breakthrough operation last June, the United States military obliterated Iran's nuclear weapons program with an attack on Iranian soil known as Operation Midnight Hammer.

(CHEERING) (APPLAUSE) DONALD TRUMP: For decades, it had been the policy of the United States never to allow Iran to obtain a nuclear weapon, many decades.

Since they seized control of that proud nation 47 years ago, the regime and its murderous proxies have spread nothing but terrorism and death and hate.

They have killed and maimed thousands of American service members and hundreds of thousands and even millions of people with what's called roadside bombs.

They were the kings of the roadside bomb.

And we took out Soleimani.

I did that during my first term, had a huge impact.

(APPLAUSE) DONALD TRUMP: He was the father of the roadside bomb.

(APPLAUSE) DONALD TRUMP: And just over the last couple of months, with the protests, they have killed at least, it looks like, 32,000 protesters, 32,000 protesters in their own country.

They shot them and hung them.

We stopped them from hanging a lot of them with the threat of serious violence.

But this is some terrible people.

They have already developed missiles that can threaten Europe and our bases overseas, and they're working to build missiles that will soon reach the United States of America.

After Midnight Hammer, they were warned to make no future attempts to rebuild their weapons program, in particular, nuclear weapons.

Yet they continue.

They're starting it all over.

We wiped it out, and they want to start all over again and are at this moment again pursuing their sinister ambitions.

DONALD TRUMP: We are in negotiations with them.

They want to make a deal, but we haven't heard those secret words: We will never have a nuclear weapon.

My preference... (APPLAUSE) DONALD TRUMP: 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, which they are by far, to have a nuclear weapon.

Can't let that happen.

(APPLAUSE) DONALD TRUMP: And no nation should ever doubt America's resolve.

We have the most powerful military on earth.

I rebuilt the military in my first term.

We're going to continue to do so.

Also, just approved $1 trillion budget.

We have no choice.

We have to be strong because hopefully, we will seldom have to use this great power that we built together.

It's really called "peace through strength", and it's been very, very effective.

(APPLAUSE) DONALD TRUMP: So, thanks to Republican in Congress, we're investing that record number of dollars, have no choice, in the United States Armed Forces.

Also creating a lot of jobs but we're not even doing it for that reason because as I said, we have more jobs, more people working today than ever before in the history of our country.

And NATO countries are friends and allies -- they are.

They're our friends, and they're our allies - - have just agreed at my very strong request to pay 5 percent of GDP for military defense rather than the 2 percent which they weren't paying.

We were paying for almost all of them.

(APPLAUSE) DONALD TRUMP: Now, they're paying five as opposed to not paying for it.

(APPLAUSE) DONALD TRUMP: And getting that 5 percent was something which everyone said would never be done, could not happen.

We got it really easily, one meeting.

And a big difference between 2 percent that's not paid.

We were paying the freight of many of them.

Very few were paid up.

Now, 5 percent, then they're paid.

And everything we send over to Ukraine is sent through NATO and they pay us in full.

They pay us totally in full.

Every branch of our Armed Forces is setting records for recruitment.

This is so exciting.

And every service member recently -- (APPLAUSE) DONALD TRUMP: And every service member recently received a warrior dividend of $1,776.

(APPLAUSE) (CHEERING) DONALD TRUMP: You know, they put it on my desk.

We got the money from tariffs and other things.

A lot of money we have, we have much more money than people understand.

Have to rebuild that program a little bit, but it won't take long.

But we got the money and it was $1,775, and I -- and they wanted my approval, and I said, "What's the number, $1,775?"

I said, "Wait a minute, for one more dollar, we can have 1776."

It's going to -- I said, we're going to figure that -- I never asked anybody if we could afford it.

One more dollar.

I said, 1776.

And I said, that's good.

And I'll tell you what?

Our military - - that was four months ago.

Our military -- I never see a person in the military that doesn't thank me for it.

So, we're honored to do it.

They deserve it and said -- we call it 1776.

It was great.

And we love our military.

We love our law enforcement.

We love our firemen.

You know, the firemen don't get mentioned enough.

We love our firemen.

We're also -- (APPLAUSE) (CHEERING) DONALD TRUMP: We're also restoring American security and dominance in the western hemisphere, acting to secure our national interests and defend our country from violence, drugs, terrorism and foreign interference.

For years, large swathes of territory in our region, including large parts of Mexico, really large parts of Mexico, have been controlled by murderous drug cartels.

That's why I designated these cartels as foreign terrorist organizations.

And I declared illicit fentanyl as a weapon of mass destruction.

(APPLAUSE) DONALD TRUMP: And with our new military campaign, we have stopped record amounts of drugs coming into our country and virtually stopped it completely coming in by water or sea.

You probably noticed that.

(LAUGHTER) You very seriously damaged their fishing industry also.

Nobody wants -- nobody wants to go fishing anymore.

We've also taken down one of the most sinister cartel kingpins of all.

You saw that yesterday.

In January... (APPLAUSE) In January, elite American warriors carried out one of the most complex, spectacular feats of military competence and power in world history.

No one's seen anything like it.

Foreign leaders, I won't tell you who, called me and they said, very impressive, very good.

(LAUGHTER) They couldn't believe -- they all watched.

They saw what happened.

This is a different fighting force than we had years ago when we fought to tie.

No, it's a great fighting force.

I'm so proud of it.

Look at Space Force.

Space Force is my baby because we did that.

My baby, it's becoming so important.

(APPLAUSE) And America's armed forces overwhelmed all defenses and utterly defeated a enemy, good fighters, to end the reign of outlaw dictator Nicolas Maduro and bring him to face American justice.

(APPLAUSE) And this was an absolutely colossal victory for the security of the United States.

And it also opens up a bright new beginning for the people of Venezuela.

We're working closely with the new president of Venezuela, Delcy Rodriguez, to unleash extraordinary economic gains for both of our countries and to bring new hope to those who have suffered so terribly.

They really did suffer.

With us tonight is Alejandra Gonzalez.

She grew up in a tight-knit Venezuelan family and was especially close to her beloved uncle Enrique.

But after Enrique ran for office and opposed Maduro, he was kidnapped by Maduro's security forces and thrown into the regime's really infamous prison in Caracas.

Alejandra feared she would never see her uncle again.

She feared for her own life also.

But since the raid, we have worked with the new leadership and they have ordered the closure of that vile prison and released hundreds of political prisoners already with more to come.

Alejandra, I'm pleased to inform you that not only has your uncle been released, but he's here tonight.

We brought him over to celebrate his freedom with you in person.

Enrique, please come down.

(APPLAUSE) Thank you, Enrique, have a good time.

(LAUGHTER) Nice to have you back, Enrique.

There were many heroes on that January raid to capture Maduro, really great heroes.

It was very dangerous.

They knew we were coming.

They were all set.

But the deeds of one warrior that night will live forever in the eternal chronicles of military valor, Chief Warrant Officer 5 Eric Slover, planned the mission and was the flight lead in the cockpit of the first helicopter, a big, beautiful, powerful helicopter.

It was a massive Chinook carrying, as you can imagine, many, many American war fighters wearing their dog tags his wife Amy, had blessed with holy water before he left.

She knew it was going to be a rough one.

Eric steered the Chinook under the cover of night and descended swiftly upon Maduro's heavily protected military fortress.

This was a major military installation.

Protected by thousands of soldiers and guarded by Russian and Chinese military technology.

How did that work out?

Not too good.

(LAUGHTER) DONALD TRUMP: While preparing to land, enemy machine guns fired from every angle.

And Eric was hit very badly in the leg and hip, one bullet after another.

He absorbed four agonizing shots, shredding his leg into numerous pieces.

And yet, despite the fact that the use of his legs was vital to successful helicopter flight, like I said, the most important part of flying a helicopter to deliver the many commandos who would capture and detain Maduro was the only thing Eric was thinking about.

Then even as he was gushing blood, which was flowing back down the aisle, the helicopter lands at a steep angle, the machine gun stood right in front of them.

They were right in front of them, two machine gunners who escaped the wrath of the previous planes.

Eric maneuvered his helicopter with all of those lives and souls to face the enemy and let his gunners eliminate the threat.

Turned the helicopter around so the gunners could take care of business, saving the lives of his fellow warriors from what could have been a catastrophic crash deep in enemy territory.

Only after safely landing the helicopter with all the warriors aboard in the exact right spot, which was vital to the mission, it probably wouldn't have happened.

Maybe canceled the mission if that didn't happen.

Eric told his co-pilot, also wounded, but not as gravely, to take over, I'm about ready to pass out.

DONALD TRUMP: The success of the entire mission and the lives of his fellow warrior's hinge and Eric's ability to take the searing pain.

It was unbelievable what's happened to his legs.

Of the bullets and keep on flying and landing, and people knew what was happening.

Everybody in the back of the helicopter knew because they saw the blood pouring down the aisle.

Chief Warrant Officer Slover is still recovering from his serious wounds, but I'm thrilled to say that he is here tonight with his wife, Amy.

Eric and Amy, come on in.

(APPLAUSE) CROWD: USA.

USA.

USA.

(CHANTING) DONALD TRUMP: So, we have a surprise for Eric and Amy.

In recognition of Eric's actions above and beyond the call of duty I would now like to ask General Jonathan Braga to present Chief Warrant Officer Slover with our nation's highest military award, the Congressional Medal of Honor.

(CHEERING) (APPLAUSE) DONALD TRUMP: Well, thank you very much, Eric and Amy.

Great to get to know you.

I met with them and with a lot of their fellow warriors at Fort Bragg recently.

You notice the name Fort Bragg?

We have it back.

We brought it back.

We won the First World War with it, the Second World War with it.

And then they decided to change the name.

(APPLAUSE) DONALD TRUMP: So we changed it back.

Everybody wanted to change back, too.

And ten of Eric's fellow warriors from that incredible night of victory will also be receiving medals at a private ceremony that will soon be held at the White House.

And Eric will be there.

(APPLAUSE) DONALD TRUMP: Thank you, Eric.

That's a big one.

Tonight we've celebrated many truly extraordinary American patriots.

But there is one last living legend to honor before we go.

He is one more heroic American aviator.

Navy fighter pilot Royce Williams served in World War II, Korea, Vietnam, flying more than 220 missions.

In the skies over Korea, in 1952, Royce was in the dogfight of a lifetime.

Legendary dogfight.

Flying through blizzard conditions, his squadron was ambushed by seven Soviet fighter planes.

It was his first aerial combat of the war.

And despite being massively outnumbered and outgunned, Royce led the takedown of four enemy jets and almost destroyed the others.

Vanquishing his adversaries while taking 263 bullets to his own plane and being seriously hurt.

DONALD TRUMP: His story was secret for over 50 years.

He didn't even want to tell his wife.

But the legend grew and grew.

But tonight at 100 years old, this brave Navy captain is finally getting the recognition he deserves.

He was a legend long before this evening.

Royce, please stand up.

And I will ask the First Lady of the United States to present Captain Royce Williams with his Congressional Medal of Honor.

(CHEERING) DONALD TRUMP: Thank you, Royce.

And thank you, Eric.

I've always wanted the Congressional Medal of Honor, but I was informed I'm not allowed to give it to myself, and I wouldn't know why I'd be taking it.

(LAUGHTER) DONALD TRUMP: But if they ever open up that law, I will be there with you someday.

(LAUGHTER) DONALD TRUMP: But you know that's our highest honor, Congressional Medal of Honor, and that's a big thing.

And it's an honor to be in the same room with you.

Thank you both very much.

Eric, thank you.

(APPLAUSE) DONALD TRUMP: Thank you.

Two hundred and fifty years is a long time in the life of a nation, but, in another sense, it's really a mere moment in the eye of history.

Two of the gentlemen we met in the gallery this evening took their first breaths one century ago; 100 years before that, on July 4, 1826, the author of the Declaration of Independence, brilliant, Thomas Jefferson, drew his last breath.

Just a single long human lifespan separates the giants who declared and won our independence from the heroes who stand among us tonight.

Everything our nation has done, everything we have achieved has been the work of those few great lifetimes.

In those brief chapters, Americans built this nation from 13 humble colonies into the pinnacle of human civilization and human freedom, the strongest, wealthiest, most powerful, most successful nation in all of history.

Americans ventured out across the daunting and dangerous continent.

We carved paths through an unforgiving wilderness, settled a boundless frontier, and tamed the beautiful, but very, very dangerous Wild West.

From empty marshes and wide open plains, we raised up the world's greatest cities.

Together, we mastered the world's mightiest industries and shattered histories, monstrous tyrannies, and we liberated millions from the chains of fascism, communism, oppression, and terror.

Americans lifted humanity into the skies on the wings of aluminum and steel.

And then we launched mankind into the stars on rockets powered by sheer American will and unyielding American pride.

We wired the globe with our ingenuity.

We captivated the planet with American culture.

And now we are pioneering the next great American breakthroughs that will change the entire world.

All of this and so much more is the enduring legacy, unmatched glory of the hardworking patriots who built and defended this country and who still carry the hopes and freedoms on all of humanity's backs.

For years, they were forgotten, betrayed, and cast aside.

But that great betrayal is over, and they will never be forgotten again, because, when the world needs courage, daring vision, and inspiration, it is still turning to America.

And when God needs a nation to work his miracles, he knows exactly who to ask.

There is no challenge Americans cannot overcome, no frontier too vast for us to conquer, no dream too bold for us to chase, no horizon too distant for us to claim, for our destiny is written by the hand of providence, and these first 250 years were just the beginning.

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, and from the historic streets of Philadelphia to right here in our nation's capital, Washington, D.C., the golden age of America is upon us.

The revolution that began in 1776 has not ended.

It still continues, because the flame of liberty and independence still burns in the heart of every American patriot.

And our future will be bigger, better, brighter, bolder and more glorious than ever before.

Thank you, God bless you, and God bless America.

(CHEERING) (APPLAUSE) GEOFF BENNETT: President Trump tonight breaking the record for the longest ever State of the Union address, speaking for an hour and 47 minutes.

He framed the first year of his second term as a string of victories.

Even his polls show deep unease about the country's direction.

He spent the first part of the speech really touting his economic policies.

Then the speech terms combative at times.

He assailed Democrats as being crazy.

He sought to reclaim parts of his immigration agenda, spotlighting the families who lost relatives to crimes committed by undocumented immigrants.

And, again, this is a speech that is coming at a time when six in 10 Americans say the country is in a worse place than a year ago.

We will watch now as the president departs the chamber.

Let's go to our Lisa Desjardins, who again has this choice spot in the press gallery just atop the rostrum, where President Trump was speaking this evening.

And, Lisa, Democratic leadership was really intent on not becoming a prop with their reactions to President Trump.

They implored Democrats, no signs, no shouting, no reaction.

And yet that's not what we saw from a number of members of Congress, to include Al Green and Congresswomen Tlaib and Omar.

What did you see transpire this evening from your position there?

LISA DESJARDINS: That's right, Geoff.

On the one hand, there were far fewer signs and far fewer members shouting out this year than last year.

However, there were some prominent members, including especially Representative Ilhan Omar and Representative Rashida Tlaib, who repeatedly shouted out, especially during the section on immigration, at one point shouting out -- Representative Omar shouting out: "You have killed Americans."

Another representative, Norma Torres of California, herself an immigrant, stood up with a sign that had the faces of Alex Pretti and Renee Good on it.

This was the point that these members were trying to make as the president was asking for funding for DHS.

They were trying to make the point that, in their mind, the president and DHS themselves are dangerous.

But, nonetheless, this is not what Democratic leaders wanted.

There was also a button Rashida Tlaib was wearing that had an expletive on it.

And another representative, Nanette Barragan of California, had a button saying "Liar, Liar."

So she didn't yell out "Liar."

Representative Omar did yell out "Liar."

This is all to say, that's not what Democrats wanted, but -- Democratic leaders.

But, for Democrats, it was hard for them to sit here and listen without objecting, and clearly some of them planned on it.

As to, quickly, the themes of this speech, our staff, we have been counting all the different sections of this, and it was economy, economy, economy and immigration, with some foreign affairs in there as well.

AMNA NAWAZ: Lisa, tell us a little bit more about the reaction you saw from Republican lawmakers in the chamber as well.

We noticed a few moments of bipartisan applause, certainly for the gold-winning U.S.

men's hockey team, but also for families there who'd lost loved ones, when there were medals awarded to various folks as well.

I noticed the longest applause line, at least that stood out to us watching here, was when the president mentioned a line about the priority being to protect American citizens, not, in his words, illegal aliens.

Did that stand out to you in the chamber?

LISA DESJARDINS: It did.

It did.

That was a loud and long bout of applause from Republicans.

But, at that same time, Democrats generally did not applaud that line.

They, I think, essentially were probably thinking they didn't want to take the bait, but the president remarked on that they weren't standing and applauding for that.

There was toward the end far more bipartisan applause than I expected, and it began as the president was talking, for example, about bringing Israeli hostages home, then also was talking about not allowing Iran to have a nuclear weapon.

There was a lot of bipartisan applause during that section.

But, otherwise, this really was a very partisan, sort of partisan-received speech.

I will also say, for Republicans, there was one section that I noticed almost no one was reacting until the very end, and that was the section on tariffs.

I saw Republicans looking down, looking around.

Throughout the rest of the speech, they were pleased.

They were chuffed.

They were on the edge of their seat, mostly enjoying this very long speech.

But during the tariff section, I saw the opposite.

I saw them looking like they wanted that section to end as soon as possible.

GEOFF BENNETT: Let's go to our White House correspondent, Liz Landers, who is just outside the chamber there in Statuary Hall.

Liz, I know you have been working your sources all evening as the president has been speaking.

What are you hearing from Republicans, from White House aides about how the speech landed this evening?

LIZ LANDERS: Geoff, I'm actually talking -- right off camera here is Congressman Bacon from Nebraska Republican.

And I was asking him his reaction to the speech.

He said there was a lot of good.

He said he was really glad to hear the president focus heavily on the economy.

He said at moments that it was a little unnecessarily antagonistic towards the Democrats.

And you heard Lisa mention that the reaction in the chamber, some of the outbursts that you heard from the Democrats.

But, overall, Congressman Bacon here nodding his head to the side.

And we know that Republicans, White House aides in particular, have been really emphasizing to the president to hone in on this message of the economy.

I heard that White House Deputy Chief of Staff James Blair had that meeting last week with Susie Wiles, the chief of staff, a bunch of Republican allies, saying that the economy and affordability is the message going into this midterm cycle.

And we heard really the first hour of this speech focused heavily on that.

As Lisa was talking about there, towards the end, we heard the president talking about some of what he was touting as foreign policy accomplishments there.

And, in particular, I thought the part about Iran was quite interesting, the president almost making the case right now to the American people as to why he may be building up military forces in the region there, saying that he will never allow Iran to have a nuclear weapon, so focusing heavily on that domestic agenda, which the White House has very much wanted the president to refocus on as we are heading into the midterms here in November -- Geoff.

AMNA NAWAZ: All right, that's Liz Landers reporting there from Capitol Hill.

Back here at the desk with our panel, we're awaiting in just a few minutes, of course, the Democratic response.

And, Faiz Shakir, I will turn to you first here in terms of what you just heard from the president.

How should Governor Abigail Spanberger respond?

FAIZ SHAKIR: Well, if anyone was hunting or wanting something new from the president tonight, they didn't get it.

You heard a lot of a tired act, in my view.

Obviously, Republicans probably feel pleased about it because it was red meat for them.

But for many Americans who are saying, hey, has the president recalibrated in any way, is he coming forward with a different kind of agenda, having witnessed the last year that didn't really act -- I mean, he didn't give you much to work on.

And if you look, I was keeping track during the course of speech, what was base and what was persuasion for him, there was very little -- the hockey team, the great effort to try to bring people together.

But after that, there was really not much of an effort to speak to people with whom he might have disagreement right now.

GEOFF BENNETT: Tiffany, how did you see it?

TIFFANY SMILEY: Yes, I think it was exactly what I anticipated.

I think he showed that the Democrats are completely out of touch.

He started with the World War II veteran.

He ended with the World War II veteran, I think kind of like bringing it home, bringing it back to why we are great in this country.

No, I thought it was interesting how he absolutely pointed out, made sure the American people understood that every single Democrat voted against his historic tax cuts, made that a very, very clear point in the very beginning, which I think was important, and that they wanted an increase in taxes, they wanted to see prices rise for the American people.

And then I feel like he really pointed out issues that are widely accepted and supported by the majority of Americans.

He talked about the pass -- pass and -- Stop the Insider Trading Act.

He talked about the Dalilah Law to ban illegal aliens from getting commercial driver's license.

He talked about SAVE America Act, the voting I.D.

laws, which majority of Americans are behind.

And then he pointed out how the Democrats sat there and they didn't support it.

I thought it was brilliant.

I thought that was a very smart play to show the American people what he is working on and what he will fight for, for them.

AMNA NAWAZ: Kevin Madden, your quick reaction.

About a minute left before we go hear from Governor Spanberger.

KEVIN MADDEN: Well, I think this was -- I would agree this was the president at his best.

I think, yes, he was very combative, but he was also very engaging.

You could tell he really enjoyed giving this speech.

He enjoyed this opportunity to talk directly to the American public.

But one other thing too I'd say is that, in the 2026 frame, that this is against the backdrop of midterm elections only nine months away, the president really focused on immigration.

I think he believes that, having lost a lot of independents and some trending support the wrong way for him, that's the way to get those independent voters back.

That's how to get that MAGA coalition that helped him in 2024 and ultimately he expects will help his party in these midterms.

GEOFF BENNETT: All right, well, our panel is going to stay with us all night.

And we're going to shift our focus now to Virginia, because tonight's Democratic response is coming from Virginia Governor Abigail Spanberger, who was just elected in November.

She's speaking tonight from Colonial Williamsburg.

GOV.

ABIGAIL SPANBERGER (D-VA): Good evening and welcome to historic Williamsburg.

We are gathered here in the chambers of the House of Burgesses.

In 1705, the people of the Virginia colony gathered here to take on the extraordinary task of governing themselves.

Before there was a Declaration of Independence, a Constitution or a Bill of Rights, there were people in this room.

The people who served here ultimately dreamed of what a new nation, unlike anything the world had ever seen, could be.

The United States was founded on the idea that ordinary people could reject the unacceptable excesses of poor leadership, band together to demand better of their government and create a nation that would be an example for the world.

(APPLAUSE) GOV.

ABIGAIL SPANBERGER: And this year, as we celebrate 250 years since America declared our independence from tyranny, I can think of no better place to speak to you as we reflect on the current state of our Union.

Tonight, as we watched our nations lawmakers gather for a joint session of Congress, we did not hear the truth from our president.

So, let's speak plainly and honestly.

And let me ask you, the American people watching at home, three questions.

Is the president working to make life more affordable for you and your family?

Is the president working to keep Americans safe both at home and abroad?

Is the president working for you?

As I campaigned for governor last year, I traveled to every corner of Virginia, and I heard the same pressing concern everywhere.

Costs are too high in housing, health care, energy and childcare.

And I know these same conversations are being had all across this country because since this president took office last year, his reckless trade policies have forced American families to pay more than $1,700 each in tariff costs.

Small businesses have suffered, farmers have suffered, some losing entire markets.

Every day Americans are paying the price.

And even though the Supreme Court struck these tariffs down four days ago, the damage to us, the American people, has already been done.

Meanwhile, the president is planning for new tariffs another massive tax hike on you and your family.

And Republicans in Congress, they remain unwilling to assert their constitutional authority to stop him.

They're making your life harder.

They're making your life more expensive.

They're even making it more difficult to see a doctor.

Rural health clinics in Virginia and across the country are already closing their doors, thanks to the so-called One Big, Beautiful Bill, championed by the president and Republicans in Congress.

And tonight, the president celebrated this law, the one threatening rural hospitals, stripping health care for millions of Americans, and driving up costs in energy and housing, all while cutting food programs for hungry kids.

But here in Virginia, I am working with our state legislature to lower costs and make the commonwealth more affordable.

(APPLAUSE) GOV.

ABIGAIL SPANBERGER: And it's not just me.

Democrats across the country are laser-focused on affordability in our nation's capital and in state capitols and communities across America.

In the most innovative and exceptional nation in the history of the world, Americans deserve to know that their leaders are focused on addressing the problems that keep them up at night, problems that dictate where you live, whether you can afford to start a business, or whether you have to skip a prescription in order to buy groceries.

So, I'll ask again, is the president working to make life more affordable for you and your family?

We all know the answer is no.

I grew up in a house of service.

My mother was a nurse, and my father was a career law enforcement officer.

I began my career by following in my father's footsteps as a federal agent, working money laundering and narcotics cases.

I worked side by side with local and state police to keep our community safe and to uphold and enforce the law.

Law enforcement officers across the country know that it is a unique responsibility to do the serious work of investigating crimes, comforting victims and making arrests.

It's about building trust, and that requires an abiding sense of duty and commitment to community.

And yet, our president has sent poorly trained federal agents into our cities where they have arrested and detained American citizens and people who aspire to be Americans.

And they have done it without a warrant.

They have ripped nursing mothers away from their babies.

They have sent children -- a little boy in a blue bunny hat -- children to far off detention centers, and they have killed American citizens in our streets.

And they have done it all with their faces masked from accountability.

GOV.

ABIGAIL SPANBERGER: Every minute spent sowing fear is a minute not spent investigating murders, crimes against children or the criminals defrauding seniors of their life savings.

Our president told us tonight that we are safer because these agents arrest mothers and detain children?

Think about that.

Our broken immigration system is something to be fixed, not an excuse for unaccountable agents to terrorize our communities.

(APPLAUSE) GOV.

ABIGAIL SPANBERGER: After working in law enforcement, I continued my career of service as a CIA officer, working undercover to protect the United States and our allies from global threats, terrorism, nuclear weapons, and the aggression of adversarial nations around the globe.

But as the president spoke of his perceived successes tonight, he continues to cede economic power and technological strength to Russia, bow down to -- to China, bow down to a Russian dictator, and make plans for war with Iran.

Here's the truth.

Over the last year through DOGE, mass firings, and the appointment of deeply unserious people to our nation's most serious positions, our president has endangered the long and storied history of the United States of America being a force for good.

So I'll ask again, is the president working to keep Americans safe both at home and abroad?

We all know the answer is no.

In his speech tonight, the president did what he always does.

He lied.

He scapegoated.

And he distracted.

And he offered no real solutions to our nation's pressing challenges, so many of which he is actively making worse.

He tries to divide us.

He tries to enrage us, to pit us against one another, neighbor against neighbor.

And sometimes he succeeds.

And so you have to ask, who benefits from his rhetoric, his policies, his actions, the short list of laws he's pushed through this Republican Congress?

Somebody must be benefiting.

He's enriching himself, his family, his friends.

The scale of the corruption is unprecedented.

There's the cover-up of the Epstein files, the crypto scams, cozying up to foreign princes for airplanes and billionaires for ballrooms, putting his name and face on buildings all over our nation's capital.

This is not what our founders envisioned, not by a long shot.

(APPLAUSE) GOV.

ABIGAIL SPANBERGER: So I'll ask again, is the president working for you?

We all know the answer is no.

But here's the special thing about America on our 250th anniversary, we know better than any nation what is possible when ordinary citizens, like those who once dreamed right here in this room, reject the unacceptable and demand more of their government.

We see it in the determination of students organizing school walkouts all across the country, whose voices are becoming so powerful that the governor of Texas seeks to silence them.

We see it in the bravery of Americans in Minnesota standing up for their communities from peacefully protesting in sub-zero temperatures to carpooling children to school so that their immigrant parents are not ripped away from them in the parking lot.

As a mother of three school-age daughters, I am inspired by their bravery.

But I am sickened that it is necessary.

And Americans across the country are taking action.

They are going to the ballot box to reject this chaos.

With their votes, they are writing a new story, a more hopeful story.

In November, I won my election by 15 points.

(APPLAUSE) GOV.

ABIGAIL SPANBERGER: And we won 13 new seats in our state legislature.

(APPLAUSE) GOV.

ABIGAIL SPANBERGER: Because voters decided they wanted something different.

Our campaign earned votes from Democrats, Republicans independents, and everyone in between because they knew as citizens they could demand more, that they could vote for what they believe matters, and that they didn't need to be constrained by a party or political affiliation.

This is happening across the country.

New Jersey elected Mikie Sherrill as governor in a double-digit victory.

(APPLAUSE) GOV.

ABIGAIL SPANBERGER: Democrats flipped state legislative seats in places like Georgia, Iowa, Mississippi, and Texas.

The list goes on and on.

Ordinary Americans are stepping up to run in the spirit of our forefathers.

They are running to demand more and to do more for their neighbors and communities.

I know the story well.

I first ran for office in 2018 alongside dozens of other Democrats who did the seemingly impossible, flipping 41 seats in Congress.

In my case, I was the first Democrat elected in 50 years, swinging our district 17 points.

Those who are stepping up now to run will win in November because Americans, you at home, know you can demand more and that we are working to lower costs, we are working to keep our communities and our country safe, and we are working for you.

(APPLAUSE) GOV.

ABIGAIL SPANBERGER: In his farewell address, George Washington warned us about the possibility of -- quote -- "cunning, ambitious, and unprincipled men rising to power."

But he also encouraged us, all Americans, to unite in a common cause, to move this nation forward.

That is our charge once more, and that is what we are seeing across the country.

It is deeply American and patriotic to do so, and it is how we ensure that the state of our union remains strong, not just this year, but for the next 250 years as well, because we, the people, have the power to make change, the power to stand up for what is right, the power to demand more of our nation.

(APPLAUSE) GOV.

ABIGAIL SPANBERGER: May God bless the Commonwealth of Virginia and may God bless the United States of America.

(APPLAUSE) (CHEERING) GEOFF BENNETT: Virginia Governor Abigail Spanberger delivering the Democratic response to President Trump's State of the Union address.

Amy Walter, that's a pretty clear strategy from Democrats there to take what have been winning issues for this president, immigration, the economy, and turn them into liabilities.

AMY WALTER: Absolutely.

She also embodied what is another message we're seeing within the Democratic Party right now, which is this idea of having a fighter.

This was not somebody who came in saying, well, we should probably compromise or should work together.

This was somebody who came in clearly and said, this is a party -- as a party, we should go against President Trump, even on issues like immigration.

The president spent time talking about immigration in the past, open borders, danger during the time that Biden was president.

She is focused now on the actions of the federal enforcement of these immigration laws, which are unpopular.

AMNA NAWAZ: We also heard the president mention a few foreign policy moments he held up as highlights.. For that, I want to turn to our Nick Schifrin, who was following both the president's address and also what we just heard from Governor Spanberger.

And, Nick, to that point, we were all waiting to see if the president would mention anything more specific on Iran and new potential strikes.

He only mentioned the previous strikes.

Governor Spanberger there said he is now making plans for war with Iran.

What stood out to you?

NICK SCHIFRIN: Well, the president certainly has war plans, if he wants to use them, Amna, as you and I have been talking about over the last few months.

What stood out is three things that the president laid out in his speech.

That is Iran's nuclear capacity.

He used a phrase at this moment again, pursuing their sinister nuclear ambitions.

The U.S.

has not made that evidence public, although Steve Witkoff has talked about high-level enrichment that has to come down in the nuclear talks.

Number two, they -- the president accused Iran of working to build missiles that will soon reach the United States.

That's from a defense intelligence assessment.

And also the death toll, 32,000 killed in those protests, much higher than most activists believe, or at least have said publicly.

Combined, clearly, Amna, trying to paint the regime in Iran as something that he could target if he decides, and, of course, that big military buildup will give him that opportunity in the days and weeks to come.

GEOFF BENNETT: We have time now for some final thoughts.

Faiz Shakir, we will start with you.

FAIZ SHAKIR: Well, we're living in a time of corruption.

I agree with the president on that.

Obviously, he has enriched himself by $4 billion.

And I think the opportunity for many Democrats, many people in this country are looking for integrity, of people who run for office who say they're going to do a thing, and then believe that when they get in office don't kowtow to the rich, but feel like they operate for the American public.

So I think, heading into the midterm elections, I feel bullish about the Democrats' chances.

KEVIN MADDEN: For those keeping score at home, no mention of DOGE tonight.

If we want to go back a year ago, that was a big signature policy for the president and the White House.

The only person who mentioned DOGE tonight was actually Abigail Spanberger in her response.

So I think that was interesting.

They thought -- probably see that the cuts to a lot of big spending programs that are important for Americans, they see that as an asset now.

GEOFF BENNETT: Yes.

And Tiffany.

TIFFANY SMILEY: Yes, President Trump did talk about fraud, though, and the billions of fraud that have been exposed in Minneapolis.

And I think it's interesting that they chose Spanberger, because she campaigned as a moderate, and she's doing quite the opposite.

So I think she will have a hard time really delivering on what she shared tonight, because she seems to be a Trojan horse for the far left policies that are selling to the Democrats.

That's sort of like what their vision for the future is.

And so it'll be interesting to see how she governs.

AMNA NAWAZ: Interesting to see, indeed.

Well, that is our coverage tonight, PBS News' special coverage of the State of the Union address and the Democratic response.

Our thanks to all our panelists and, of course, our team of correspondents.

I'm Amna Nawaz.

GEOFF BENNETT: And I'm Geoff Bennett.

We should say you can follow more of our coverage on our Web site.

That's PBS.org/NewsHour.

And we will, of course, be back here tomorrow night with our regularly scheduled "News Hour."

Thank you for joining us.

Have a good night.