Trump defends economy and foreign policy in longest State of the Union speech in history

US President Donald Trump used the longest State of the Union address in American history to promote his economic record, defend controversial tariffs, and outline his foreign policy priorities during a nearly one hour and 50-minute speech to a joint session of Congress.

Delivering the annual address at the US Capitol, Trump said his administration had overseen a dramatic recovery since returning to office, declaring the American economy “is roaring like never before” and describing the past year as a “turnaround for the ages.”

Economic policy formed the centrepiece of the president’s remarks, with Trump arguing he had inherited significant economic problems from the previous administration before reversing course through trade measures and domestic reforms. He also defended his tariff programme following a recent Supreme Court ruling that struck down parts of his global trade measures, calling the decision “disappointing” and “unfortunate,” while insisting the levies would remain in place under alternative legal authorities.

Despite previous criticism of the court, Trump did not directly challenge Supreme Court justices attending the address. Instead, he focused on outlining his administration’s broader agenda, while sparring repeatedly with Democratic lawmakers during interruptions from the chamber.

On foreign policy, Trump warned Iran against pursuing nuclear weapons while signalling openness to negotiations. He told lawmakers his “preference is to solve this problem through diplomacy,” but reiterated that US policy would remain grounded in what he described as “peace through strength.”

The president also highlighted immigration enforcement efforts and pointed to overseas operations, including US action in Venezuela, as evidence of renewed American global influence.

The address comes as opinion polls suggest growing public uncertainty about Trump’s second-term agenda ahead of November’s midterm elections. Virginia Governor Abigail Spanberger delivered the Democratic response, saying the president had “offered no real solutions to our nation’s pressing challenges.”