Reactions, unforgettable moments from Trump’s record-breaking 2026 State of the Union address

FIRST ON FOX: House Majority Whip Tom Emmer, R-Minn., was at the White House on Tuesday afternoon before President Donald Trump’s State of the Union address, Fox News Digital was first told.

Emmer, the No. 3 House Republican leader, was at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue to greet the U.S. Men’s Olympic Hockey team after they arrived in D.C., and celebrated their gold medal victory against Canada.

Both the men’s and women’s U.S. hockey teams were invited to attend Trump’s primetime address, but the women’s team declined citing scheduling conflicts. The men’s team made an appearance in the press gallery where reporters sat while Trump spoke.

Emmer himself was both a hockey player and coach before coming to Congress, having played on his college team.

Photos obtained by Fox News Digital show Emmer posing with player Jack Hughes and addressing members of the team.

President Donald Trump's decision to rip Democrats as "crazy" during his State of the Union address on Tuesday — after they remained seated while he demanded a ban on socially transitioning minors without parental consent — drew sharply divided reactions from a live panel of voters.

The panel, assembled by polling group Maslansky & Partners, included 29 Democrats, 30 Independents and 40 Republicans. Their real-time reactions were displayed as colored lines on a graph, with higher values representing positive reactions and lower values indicating negative ones.

"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," Trump said. "Who would believe that?… We must ban it, and we must ban it immediately."

As Trump delivered the remarks, the Republican line, shown in red, climbed sharply into positive territory. Independents, represented in yellow, also ticked upward, while Democrats, shown in blue, trended downward into negative territory.

The comments drew applause from Republicans in the chamber, but the president became incensed when he realized that Democrats refused to stand.

"Look, nobody stands up," Trump said.  

"These people are crazy. I’m telling you. They’re crazy," Trump said, pointing his finger at Democratic senators and House members who remained seated. 

Former Clinton pollster Mark Penn told “Fox & Friends” on Wednesday that President Donald Trump gave Republicans a much-needed boost with this State of the Union address. 

"I think the Republicans needed a shot in the arm, and he gave them one,” Penn said. “I think this is about as well constructed and delivered a speech as I've ever seen. And he put up front, as he needed to do, while Americans were awake, hey, things are better off, the state of the union is strong.” 

“Did he convince them? No. It takes months to take numbers like this and turn them around, as we did actually back in ‘96 with the same situation of a good economy. But he's got to kick off a debate in which he shows that jobs are happening, prices are coming down, and people are feeling better,” Penn said. “They're not feeling it yet, but it was a really good shot in the arm.  

Political commentator Priya Patel weighed in on President Donald Trump's appeal to Gen Z during his State of the Union speech, saying during a "Fox News @ Night" panel that their concerns are “top priorities” for Trump. 

"President Trump's State of the Union tonight was really for the American people. And again, like we said, specifically for Gen Z,” she said. “I mean we've been facing an affordability crisis and job scarcity for an incredibly long time, and at least for my entire adult life. And these are top priorities for the president, and he made that evidently clear in tonight's address.” 

Campus Reform reporter Emily Sturge said, “Generation Z fueled the president’s return back to the White House and he spent a lot of his first State of Union highlighting these stories of young people and Gen Z patriots.” 

"The president laid out an economic miracle,” added Shae McInnis, the president of the Georgetown University College Republicans. 

“His economic agenda is so particularly tailored to my generation. My generation that has anxiety about finding jobs and starting families,” McInnis said. “And from his vital tariffs to his tax cuts to even his policies on housing and health care, this president is fighting for my generation." 

Veterans Affairs Secretary Doug Collins served as the designated survivor during President Donald Trump’s State of the Union address, a long-standing security precaution meant to preserve continuity of government in the event of a catastrophe.

Collins was also tasked with the role last year.

Collins did not attend the joint session of Congress. Instead, he was escorted to a secure, undisclosed location for the duration of the address. The identity of the designated survivor is typically made public on the day of the speech, after the individual has been safely relocated.

The role is part of the federal government’s continuity-of-government planning — a framework designed to ensure that constitutional leadership and core operations can continue if a catastrophic attack or disaster were to incapacitate officials gathered at the Capitol. 

The State of the Union presents a unique security concern because it brings together the president, vice president, members of Congress, the Supreme Court and much of the Cabinet in a single location.

President Donald Trump's State of the Union address garnered mixed reviews from voters, but there were some moments that showed clear signs of unity.

A focus group of Democrats, Republicans and Independents reacted to the speech in real time using voter dials. The dial test, which was administered by Lee Carter, the president of maslansky+partners, showed that voters in all three categories reacted positively when Trump awarded National Guardsman Staff Sergeant Andrew Wolfe a Purple Heart and gave one to the family of deceased Army Specialist Sarah Beckstrom in her honor.

Beckstrom, 20, and Wolfe, 24, were both shot by a gunman just blocks from the White House last November, in what federal authorities are investigating as a terror attack. The alleged shooter is an Afghan refugee who came to the U.S. as part of Operation Allies Welcome during the military's withdrawal from Kabul in 2021.

Trump addressed Beckstrom's parents, saying their daughter was "a true American patriot" and that "she will be greatly missed." He also spoke about Wolfe, recalling how the National Guard member's mother was sure that her son was going to make it, despite the severity of his injuries.

Wolfe and Beckstrom receiving Purple Hearts marked one of the few moments of bipartisan approval during the speech. Other symbolic moments also received praise, such as the president's recognition of the U.S. men's hockey team, which made history with its overtime win against Canada. Carter noted that even critics praised the moment honoring the Olympians. Another moment of bipartisan agreement came when Trump bashed insider trading among lawmakers, with both supporters and critics slamming the practice.

Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, told "Hannity" following President Donald Trump’s State of the Union speech that Democrats in the House chamber were behaving like “little Marxist college students heckling the president.” 

“The Democrat Party has lost their minds. At one point he looks over and says ‘these people are crazy.’ And fundamentally they are rooting against America. I mean, that’s what is infuriating,” Cruz said. 

“I’ve been to 14 State of the Union addresses. I’ve been there with Barack Obama four times, I’ve been there with Joe Biden four times, although at least two of them, I’m not sure he was there. But listen, when they said things that were good for America, I stood up and cheered,” Cruz continued. 

“Almost every Democrat refused to cheer, even when President Trump walked in on the floor of the House because they are just a party of anger and rage and they behave like little Marxist college students heckling the president. They can’t actually behave like mature adults,” he added. 

A panel of U.S. voters from all parties gave their live reactions to President Donald Trump's comments on the ongoing partial government shutdown affecting the Department of Homeland Security at his State of the Union address Tuesday night.

The panel, assembled by polling group Maslansky & Partners, was composed of 29 Democrats, 30 independents and 40 Republicans. Their live reactions to Trump's comments were displayed as lines on a graph, with high values representing positive reactions and low values indicating negative reactions.

Democrats' reactions were represented in blue, Republicans in red and independents in yellow.

Republicans and Democrats immediately assumed their partisan roles as Trump accused Democratic lawmakers of cutting off funding to DHS, with GOP support soaring and Democrats dipping well below the 50% mark. Independents hovered in the neutral zone, however.

Independent support sprang up over 50% when Trump announced he was demanding "the full and immediate restoration of all funding for the border security, homeland security of the United States."

The segment finished with Trump calling on lawmakers to reaffirm that their first duty is "to protect American citizens and not illegal aliens."

Both GOP and independent support rose to its highest point during that final remark, while Democrats were at nearly their lowest mark.

Presidential speechwriters sharply split late Tuesday after President Donald Trump delivered a record-breaking State of the Union address, drawing praise from allies and prompting early exits from some Democrats.

During his address, Trump focused on immigration enforcement, economic concerns and global trade issues as he occasionally sparred with Democrats like Minnesota Rep. Ilhan Omar, who along with fellow Squad member Rep. Rashida Tlaib of Michigan left the chamber early, while Rep. Al Green, D-Texas, was booted after waving a sign condemning a recent Trump social media post.

Gene Hamilton, a former deputy White House counsel who has written speeches, told Fox News Digital that Trump delivered a "resounding speech" and "could not have been more clear about the current state of our great nation."

On the other side of the political spectrum, former Biden speechwriter Dan Cluchey told Fox News Digital that Trump did "less than zero to dispel the notion that he is living in his own reality."

Asked if Trump succeeded in addressing the immigration crisis and affordability criticisms well enough, Cluchey said that while Americans endure "skyrocketing grocery, energy, and health costs, rising unemployment, and an economy that is growing more slowly today than in any year under President Biden, his only play is to tell families not to believe their own pocketbooks."

Fox News Digital's Emma Colton contributed to this report.

House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., said on "Hannity" following the State of the Union that Democrats are going to "regret" not standing up during the speech. 

Johnson made the remark after being asked about a moment in the speech in which President Trump urged the room to stand up if they agree that, "The first duty of the American government is to protect American citizens, not illegal aliens." Democrats then chose not to stand. 

"It was a stunning moment, Sean. I think they're going to regret that video, because we will be using it in the midterm elections," Johnson said. "It showed what they're all about. They have been obstructing the Trump agenda. They have been obstructing the America First agenda, and Republicans have been delivering in spite of that." 

"I think it was the best State of the Union speech that I've seen," Johnson added. "I did have a front row seat for it, so I enjoyed it very much. And I think the president did as well. He could have gone much longer because he enjoyed that venue and he enjoyed delivering that great news to the American people."

Many conservatives quickly took to social media to praise President Trump's State of the Union speech, which lasted just under two hours, energizing Republicans and riling Democrats.

"It’s not just an excellent speech, it’s mostly POTUS himself," conservative radio host Mark Levin posted on X. " He’s a truly historic leader. I know it drives DC nuts. Who cares."

"Trump is a colossus; an amazingly patriotic speech," FOX Business Senior Correspondent Charles Gasparino posted on X. 

Democrats on social media struck a different tone, with many prominent faces of the party bashing the president as the speech developed, including California Gov. Gavin Newsom who accused Trump of "destroying the country" and posted "that was boring."

"That State of the Union speech by Trump was humiliating for both him and the Republican Party," liberal influencer Harry Sisson posted on X. "He rambled incoherently and Republicans clapped like seals the whole time no matter what was said. I’m glad military heroes were honored, but he lied the entire time."

President Donald Trump's lengthy State of the Union address Tuesday evening included a handful of attention-grabbing moments that stole the show as the president touted a national "turnaround" in a speech heavily focused on the economy. 

Fox News Digital compiled the top five moments of the speech, stretching from Democrat outbursts to moments of heightened emotion as Trump spotlighted American heroism. 

Democratic Texas Rep. Al Green was once again ejected from the joint address after holding a sign declaring, "Black people aren't apes!" 

Trump invited the U.S. men's hockey team to the speech, just days after their gold medal win over Canada at the Winter Olympics. The body broke out into chants of "USA" as lawmakers of both parties stood to honor the Olympians. 

Trump's speech also included dinging Democrats for voting against tax cuts under the "big, beautiful bill," for unleashing sky-high inflation woes under the Biden administration and for allegedly worsening the housing crisis. 

House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., blasted congressional Democrats who tried to disrupt President Donald Trump’s State of the Union address, but stopped short of committing to punishing them.

“Their antics were outrageous,” Johnson said after the address. “I came about this close from banging the gavel and having them escorted off the floor, but the president handled it very well. And I thought, you know, let them put that on display.”

The attempts to disrupt Trump’s speech came early, first with Rep. Al Green, D-Texas, who was escorted from the House chamber for displaying a sign that read “Black people aren’t apes,” a direct response to a since-deleted Truth Social post that depicted former President Barack Obama and former First Lady Michelle Obama as apes.

Later on, progressive Reps. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., and Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich. Omar accused Trump of being a “liar” and “murderer” while Tlaib wore a pin that read “F— ICE.”

When asked specifically if Green should be censured for his actions, a punishment he received last year after disrupting Trump’s joint address to Congress, Johnson demurred.

“I don't know if censure is going to be appropriate,” Johnson said. “I'll let our colleagues decide that. But I think the shame, you know the point of a censure, is to bring someone to the House floor and bring shame upon them for their actions.”

“I think they showed the American people the shame already,” he continued. “I really do.”

Fox News Digital’s Liz Elkind contributed to this report.

President Donald Trump called on Democrats to stand up at his State of the Union address on Tuesday, asking them to show support for the principle that the American government has a greater obligation to its citizens than to people who have entered the country illegally. 

“If you agree with this statement, then stand up and show your support,” Trump said. “The first duty of the American government is to protect American citizens.”

Amid Republican cheers that went on for over a minute and a half, Democrats remained seated.

“Isn’t that a shame?” Trump asked.

Trump ended the moment by asking Democrats to end sanctuary cities, areas where Democrat-led local governments have instructed their law enforcement to not cooperate with federal immigration enforcement efforts.

Commentators online marveled at Trump’s dare, calling it a made-for-TV scene.

“Trump just orchestrated a great midterm ad. A billion-dollar ad just wrote itself because they wouldn’t stand,” one observer said in a post to X.

President Donald Trump’s most repeated words in his State of the Union address reflected two dominant themes: national security and economic strength.

A breakdown of word frequency shows “border” and “tax” tied as the most repeated terms, each mentioned 16 times, followed by “national security” and “war.”

Immigration-related language, including “illegal alien,” also appeared prominently in Trump's speech, underscoring how central border enforcement remains to his administration’s broader policy agenda.

Economic themes were featured heavily as well. Words such as “inflation,” “jobs,” “economy,” and “stock market” appeared frequently, reinforcing Trump’s emphasis on employment levels, falling consumer prices and overall market performance.

Beyond policy-heavy language, Trump repeatedly used words like “winning” and “better,” reinforcing a broader message that the country is stronger and performing better under his leadership.

Taken together, the word patterns suggest a speech built around projecting strength at the border, in the economy and on the global stage.

America has made a "turnaround for the ages," President Donald Trump celebrated from the U.S. Congress Tuesday evening as he delivered his first State of the Union address for his second term.

"After just one year, I can say with dignity and pride that we have achieved a transformation like no one has ever seen before," Trump declared from the dais Tuesday evening.

Trump delivered a lengthy address that broke records as the longest in recent history, as the president celebrated snuffing out diversity, equity and inclusion policies, securing the border, unleashing U.S. energy, and most notably, bolstering the economy and aiding everyday Americans.

Trump's speech focused on how his administration turned a new page on a stagnant economy under the Biden administration that saw inflation skyrocket to 40-year highs, pointing to savings in the one "big, beautiful bill" for working families, such as no tax on tips or overtime.

Trump invited a swath of various guests to the speech, including everyday Americans, Turning Point USA co-founder Charlie Kirk's widow, Erika Kirk, the U.S. men's hockey team fresh off their gold medal win, military members who acted heroically in the time of crisis and families who have suffered tragedy at the hands of illegal immigrants.

Trump's speech comes as the GOP prepares to defend its majority in the House and Senate as the November midterms loom, and also as the nation prepares to celebrate its 250 years of independence.

"This July 4th, we will mark two and a half 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," Trump said. "We're going to do better and better and better. This is the golden age of America."

This post was excerpted from Fox News Digital's Emma Colton.

In a Spanish language response to the State of the Union on Tuesday, Sen. Alex Padilla, D-Calif., accused President Donald Trump of pursuing “out-of-control enforcement of immigration laws.”

The senator ripped the president, saying, “We just hear Donald Trump do what he does best: lie.”

“He lies about the economy. He lies about his violent and out-of-control enforcement of immigration laws. And he’s trying to deceive us about his plans to interfere with the elections this November,” said Padilla.

Padilla, who last year was temporarily detained after disrupting a press conference by Department of Homeland Security Kristi Noem, made affordability and Trump’s immigration crackdown the focus of his response.

“Democrats are working to lower costs, put an end to the chaos, and fight corruption. Despite Trump’s lies, we know what we’re seeing with our own eyes,” he said, adding, “We see ICE agents using excessive force: entering homes without judicial warrants and shooting at cars with families still inside. Placing people in detention centers without adequate access to doctors, healthy food, or clean drinking water.”

He urged listeners to vote in the midterm election, concluding with a reference to the controversial Super Bowl halftime show, saying, “As Bad Bunny reminded us a few weeks ago: ‘Together, we are America.’”

“Together, we rise, because our faith is stronger than any disappointment or any obstacle — including Trump,” said Padilla.

Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., shouted at Donald Trump during the State of the Union, calling the president a "liar" and a "murderer" after he spoke about immigration and Somali-linked fraud in Minnesota.

Omar was seated next to Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., who wore a profane pin on her shirt condemning ICE, and the two scowled at the president throughout his remarks.

Omar repeatedly shouted, "You have killed Americans," when Trump was talking about the Department of Homeland Security, and she was heard at one point saying, "You are a murderer."

At another point during their outbursts, Tlaib shouted that "Alex wasn’t a criminal," an apparent reference to Alex Pretti — a U.S. citizen shot and killed by federal agents amid a chaotic encounter in Minneapolis.

Omar also shouted, "You’re a liar," while sources in the gallery were unsure whether she also called the president a "sycophant" or an obscener moniker.

Omar and Tlaib later left the chamber prematurely, about an hour and 45 minutes into Trump’s speech.

This is an excerpt from a story by Charles Creitz and Liz Elkind.

In her Democratic response to President Donald Trump’s State of the Union address, Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger accused the administration of sending “poorly trained” federal immigration agents into U.S. cities to make warrantless arrests, detain mothers and children and operate “masked from accountability.”

Spanberger, who began her career as a federal agent working money laundering and narcotics cases, said she worked alongside local and state police to uphold the law and argued that effective law enforcement depends on trust, duty and commitment to the community.

“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,” Spanberger said. “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 — 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,” she continued. “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,” Spanberger added. “Think about that. Our broken immigration system is something to be fixed, not an excuse for unaccountable agents to terrorize our communities.”

President Donald Trump slammed Democrats for failing to stand up and clap during a moment in his State of the Union address when the president offered a tribute to Iryna Zarutska, who was killed on the light rail system in Charlotte, North Carolina, by a repeat criminal offender, after she fled to the United States from Ukraine.

"Last summer, 23 year old Irina 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," Trump said before telling Zarutska's mother he would ensure justice for her daughter.

While some lawmakers stood and applauded in the House chamber, the president faced his right, where Democrats sat, and questioned, "How do you not stand? How do you not stand?"

Democrats appeared to rarely applaud during the president's speech Tuesday night.

Virginia’s newly inaugurated Gov. Abigail Spanberger came out swinging against President Donald Trump and Republicans in the Democratic Party’s response to the State of the Union.

“We did not hear the truth from our president,” said Spanberger. “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?”

In the first few moments of her address, Spanberger knocked Trump on the economy, health care and immigration enforcement.

“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, and some losing entire markets. Every day Americans are paying the price,” she said.

Spanberger, who campaigned as a moderate but has been criticized for her progressive day-one policies, hit the president over affordability, saying, “They're making your life more expensive.”

She criticized the one, big beautiful bill, saying, "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."

"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."

She said the president’s newly announced tariffs will constitute “another massive tax hike on you and your family,” adding, “They're making your life harder.”

Reps. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., and Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., were seen leaving the House chamber about an hour and 45 minutes into President Donald Trump's State of the Union address.

The pair of "Squad" members left just before Trump granted surprise Congressional Medal of Honor awards to two military members.

Both Democrats heckled the president during parts of his speech. Omar yelled out during Trump's remarks about illegal immigration, saying, "You have killed Americans." Trump shot back that she "should be ashamed."

Tlaib, meanwhile, wore a "F--- ICE" pin and taunted the president about the late Jeffrey Epstein, Trump's one-time friend who faced charges of trafficking underage women. The Michigan Democrat shouted “release the Epstein files” multiple times while Trump was speaking, but Trump appeared not to acknowledge her.

President Donald Trump used an emotional stretch of his address to spotlight American military heroism, recognizing Chief Warrant Officer Eric Slover and veteran U.S. Navy Captain E. Royce Williams, a veteran of the Korean War.

In describing Slover, Trump said:

“There were many heroes on that January raid to capture Maduro. Really great heroes. It was very dangerous,” Trump said, recounting how Slover piloted a Chinook helicopter into heavy enemy fire.

“He absorbed four agonizing shots, shredding his leg into numerous pieces,” the president said, describing how Slover continued flying despite severe injuries.

Trump told lawmakers that “the success of the entire mission and the lives of his fellow warriors hinge on Eric's ability” to keep flying as blood “pour[ed] down the aisle.”

Slover, still recovering, was present with his wife, Amy, when he was presented with the nation’s highest military award.

Trump then presented the Medal of Honor to Williams, who is 100 years old, for his extraordinary long-classified combat valor.

The recognition marked one of the more emotional moments of the State of the Union.

President Donald Trump on Tuesday awarded the Purple Heart to Staff Sergeant Andrew Wolfe and Army Specialist Sarah Beckstrom, two National Guard members who were critically injured and fatally shot by a gunman who ambushed them while on duty last year in Washington, D.C.

Trump used a portion of his State of the Union address to acknowledge Wolfe and the parents of 20-year-old Beckstrom, who did not survive her injuries. 

“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,” Trump said. “It's called the Purple Heart. We love you all.” 

As Trump spoke, Major General James D. Seward, Adjutant General of the West Virginia National Guard, presented Beckstrom’s medal to her parents and pinned the Purple Heart on Wolfe in the viewing gallery.

“Your daughter was a true American patriot,” Trump told Beckstrom’s parents, “and she will be greatly missed.” 

West Virginia Gov. Patrick Morrisey praised their award in a statement, describing the portion of Trump's remarks as a “solemn and unforgettable moment, one that ensured their courage and sacrifice were honored not only by West Virginia but also before the entire nation.”

President Donald Trump blamed Democrats for the partial government shutdown on Tuesday night during his State of the Union address after Senate Democrats again blocked Republicans’ attempt to fund the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) ahead of the primetime speech.

"As we speak, Democrats in this chamber have cut off all funding for the Department of Homeland Security. It's all cut off, all cut off. 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," Trump said Tuesday night during his address. "They have closed the agency responsible for protecting Americans from terrorists and murderers."

Trump said that he was "demanding" a full and immediate restoration of funding for Homeland Security and efforts to protect the border. The president also cited inadequate snow storm cleanup as a result of Democrats' failure to fund the government.

"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 ... in case you didn't know, we have a pretty large snowstorm out there," Trump said.

The largely party-line vote Tuesday was the first action in the Senate since lawmakers returned from a weeklong break. It’s also the second time Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., forced Senate Democrats to decide whether to reopen the agency.

Failure to advance the full-year funding bill ensured that the partial government shutdown, which is only affecting DHS, would stretch into its 12th day.

Fox News Digital's Alex Miller contributed to this report.

Trump touted the use of U.S. military might to curb Iran’s advances toward a nuclear weapon at the State of the Union on Tuesday evening, even as tensions remain high between Washington and Tehran over Iran's weapons capabilities.

“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,” Trump said.

Trump reminded audiences about the destruction of Iran’s nuclear program through Operation Midnight Hammer, the elimination of Qasem Soleimani, which occurred under his first term, and the recent American threat of force that helped deter the death of civilian protesters in Iran.

Trump said his administration would continue to work with Iran to prevent the development of nuclear weapons, but he would not hesitate to go further if necessary.

“They are again pursuing their sinister ambitions,” Trump said.

“My preference is to solve this problem through diplomacy, but one thing is certain. I will never allow the world’s No 1. sponsor of terror — which they are by far — to have a nuclear weapon. Can’t let that happen.”  

President Donald Trump sparred with Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., during his State of the Union address Tuesday night after she interrupted his remarks and accused him of killing Americans, prompting the president to shoot back, “You should be ashamed.”

The moment unfolded after Trump asked lawmakers to stand if they agreed that the first duty of the U.S. government is to protect American citizens rather than illegal immigrants, calling it a “fundamental principle.”

While most Republicans rose, many Democrats remained seated, including Omar.

“Isn’t that a shame? You should be ashamed of yourselves, not standing up,” Trump said.

As he continued, Omar repeatedly shouted, “You have killed Americans.”

“You should be ashamed of yourself,” Trump responded, as Omar fired back, “You should be ashamed.”

Trump later urged Congress to end sanctuary policies that shield undocumented immigrants and to impose penalties on officials who block the removal of criminal aliens.

“In many cases, drug lords, murderers all over our country,” he said. “They’re blocking the removal of these people out of our country, and you should be ashamed of yourself.”

Just days after cartel kingpin Nemesio Rubén Oseguera Cervantes, better known by his alias "El Mencho,” was killed by Mexican forces using U.S. intelligence, President Donald Trump touted his administration’s war on the cartels.

“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,” said the president.

Trump said that “for years, large swaths 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,” said Trump.

One of Trump’s first actions of his second term was to instruct the State Department to declare several major cartels “foreign terrorist organizations,” a designation that opens new avenues for the U.S. government to target them, including with military force.  

He said that “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,” he quipped, referencing the Department of War’s targeting of cartel drug boats in the Caribbean and Pacific.

President Donald Trump now holds the modern-era record for the longest State of the Union address, surpassing President Bill Clinton’s 2000 speech.

Clinton’s Jan. 27, 2000, address ran about 1 hour, 28 minutes and 49 seconds and has long stood as the longest televised State of the Union in modern tracking.

Trump broke that record just around 10:40 p.m. on Tuesday. 

Clinton used his final State of the Union to tout the late-1990s boom and budget surpluses while pitching a new agenda on education, health care, Social Security and climate change for the new millennium. 

Trump had previewed the length ahead of Tuesday's address, saying, "It’s going to be a long speech because we have a lot to talk about." 

Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., was among the Democrats who interjected multiple times during President Donald Trump’s State of the Union speech on Tuesday night.

Tlaib shouted “release the Epstein files” multiple times while Trump was speaking about an unrelated topic, but the president did not appear to pay her any attention.

The progressive lawmaker was also wearing a pin that said “f--- ICE,” referencing Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), during the address.

It was one of several interjections by Tlaib and fellow “Squad” member Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., during Trump’s primetime speech.

It comes roughly an hour after Rep. Al Green, D-Texas, was ejected from the House chamber after holding up a sign that said “Black people aren’t apes” both when Trump was walking into the chamber and after he began speaking.

But Tlaib did not get any warnings about her behavior during the speech, and it appears she is being allowed to remain in place.

During his State of the Union address, President Donald Trump recognized Erika Kirk, the widow of Charlie Kirk, who was assassinated last year.

Trump called Kirk a “great man,” crediting him for a “tremendous renewal” in faith in America.

“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. Tremendous renewal. This is especially true among young people, and a big part of that had to do with my great friend Charlie Kirk, who was a great man,” said the president.

Trump lamented that “last year Charlie was violently murdered by an assassin and martyred, really martyred for his beliefs.”

He recognized Erika, who received a standing ovation.

Following the ovation, Trump said, “We must all come together to reaffirm that America is one nation under God, and we must totally reject political violence of any kind.”

“We love religion,” he continued, “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.” 

President Donald Trump called the Supreme Court's decision striking down his sweeping emergency tariffs "unfortunate" during his State of the Union address as four justices stared straight-faced up at the president from the front row of the House chamber.

Trump said he used tariffs to "make great deals for our country" but then "just four days ago an unfortunate ruling from the United States Supreme Court, it just came down, a very unfortunate ruling."

"The good news is that almost all countries and corporations want to keep the deal that they already made ... 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," Trump said.

Trump's comments marked a shift from his more abrasive tone in the immediate aftermath of the tariff decision, when he said the high court was "incompetent" and that the 6-3 majority should be “absolutely ashamed” of themselves “for not having the courage to do what’s right for our country.”

Chief Justice John Roberts and Justices Amy Coney Barrett, Elena Kagan and Brett Kavanaugh were in attendance for the address. Roberts, Barrett and Kagan were among the six justices who found that the emergency tariffs, which Trump unilaterally levied on nearly every country last year, were illegal under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act.

"It's saving the country, the kind of money we're taking in," Trump said during his speech, touting that he was able to "settle" wars using tariffs. Trump said he plans to use new laws, not IEEPA, to bypass Congress and again impose global tariffs.

Trump added, "It's already time-tested and approved."

President Donald Trump used his State of the Union address Tuesday night to highlight the healthcare achievements of his second presidential term, including the new “TrumpRX” prescription drug pricing initiative, which he praised as helping reduce the "crushing costs" of healthcare.

Speaking to members of Congress, Trump blasted the so-called “Unaffordable Care Act” as one of the “biggest rip offs of our time,” and as a giveaway to industry.

“It was meant for the insurance companies, not for the people,” Trump said of the Affordable Care Act.

Trump argued that, since the start of his second term, the administration has drastically reduced prescription drug prices, including through a “Most Favored Nation” policy that ties U.S. drug costs to the lowest prices paid in other countries.

“I took prescription drugs from the highest price in the entire world to the lowest,” Trump claimed on Tuesday.

Trump also introduced a woman in the audience, Katherine Rayner, whom he described as TrumpRX's “very first customer."

Trump said Rayner and her husband had turned to TrumpRX after struggling with infertility and IVF treatment.

According to Trump, one IVF drug had cost $4,000. Through TrumpRX, he said, Rayner was able to purchase it for under $500— saving more than $3,500.

“Katherine, we are all praying for you,” Trump said, to applause. “You're going to be a great mom.”

President Donald Trump on Tuesday shared the story of an 11-year-old girl swept up in catastrophic Texas floodwaters last July, praising a Coast Guard rescue swimmer who saved her and more than 160 others before reuniting the pair during his State of the Union address.

Trump recounted the events from July 4, 2025, when flood waters tore through a girls summer camp in Central Texas.

He called it “one of the worst things” he had ever seen, adding that waters rose 26 feet in a matter of minutes and claimed 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,” Trump said. “Those prayers were answered when Coast Guard rescue swimmer Scott Ruskin descended from a helicopter above. Nobody knew where he came from.”

“It was Scott's first ever rescue mission,” the president said, describing him as a young guy, but very brave. “He lifted not just Milly Cate, but 164 others to safety. 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's ever seen anything like it,” Trump continued. “Tonight, Scott and Milly Cate are here together, reunited for the very first time.”

President Donald Trump used his State of the Union address Tuesday night to highlight a Houston mother who said she was repeatedly outbid on homes by large investment firms, as he pressed Congress to permanently bar corporations from buying up single-family houses.

Trump said home ownership, which is a pillar of the American dream, has been under attack.

He introduced Rachel Wiggins, a Houston mom of two who placed bids on 20 homes and lost all of them to “gigantic investment firms” which bypassed inspections, paid cash and turned the homes into rentals.

“She was devastated,” Trump said, noting that the investment firms stole her American dream. “Stories like this are why last month I signed an executive order to ban large Wall Street investment firms from buying up, in the thousands, single family homes.”

“Now I'm asking Congress to make that ban permanent,” he added. “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.”

President Donald Trump reported to members of Congress Tuesday night that "the state of our union is strong," followed by an applause from Republicans present in the House chamber.

"Our country is winning again, in fact, we are 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 were just always losing but now we're winning too much.' 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!'"

Trump spent his address touting achievements from his administration ranging from the economy, to immigration and ending diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives. Much of the speech Republicans responded to the president with applause, while Democrats mostly remained silent in their chairs and refrained from clapping throughout the speech.

President Donald Trump called out insider trading on Capitol Hill during his address, urging Congress to “pass the Stop Insider Trading Act without delay.”’

Trump said, “Let’s also ensure that members of Congress cannot corruptly profit from using insider information. They stood up for that. I can’t believe it. I can’t believe it. Did Nancy Pelosi stand up — if she’s here?” — drawing a reaction in the chamber.

The Pelosis’ financial disclosures have frequently been cited by critics calling for stricter limits on congressional stock trading.

The Stop Insider Trading Act, introduced by Rep. Bryan Steil, would ban members of Congress, their spouses and dependent children from purchasing publicly traded stocks and require advance public notice before any sale, aiming to go beyond the 2012 STOCK Act’s reporting requirements.

Trump also announced a new retirement savings proposal for workers without access to employer matching, promising the federal government would match contributions up to $1,000 a year so more Americans can benefit from market gains.

During President Donald Trump's State of the Union address Tuesday night he touted receiving 80 million barrels of oil from Venezuela.

In response, far-left activist group CODEPINK co-founder Medea Benjamin, clapped back at the president's comments, insisting he should have said the U.S. "kidnapped" Venezuelan President Nicholas Maduro and "stole" their oil.

"Trump at #SOTU brags about 'receiving 80 million barrels of oil from our friend and partner Venezuela.' He should have said he illegally STOLE Venezuela's oil and kidnapped their president," Benjamin posted on X during the president's address.

Earlier this month, Benjamin and CODEPINK were in Caracas demanding that Maduro and his wife be safely returned to Venezuela.

President Donald Trump launched into his State of the Union address on Tuesday evening by touting economic achievements — and contrasting them with the country’s performance under his predecessor.

“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 to the lowest level in more than five years, and in the last three months of 2025, it was down to 1.7%,” Trump said.

“Gasoline, which reached a peak of over $6 a gallon in some states under my predecessor — it was quite honestly a disaster — is now below $2.30 a gallon in most states and in some places $1.99 a gallon.”

Trump’s remarks come as Democratic lawmakers have tried to bash the administration on affordability ahead of the State of the Union, arguing that the president has done little to wind down costs.

The most recent inflation report put out by the Bureau of Labor Statistics put national inflation at 2.4% in January, closer to the Federal Reserve’s target of 2.0%. 

President Donald Trump touted that his administration “ended DEI in America” during his State of the Union Address.

The president pointed to executive actions aimed at dismantling diversity, equity and inclusion programs across the federal government, including orders directing agencies to eliminate DEI offices and related hiring practices. Trump and his allies argue the changes restore what they describe as merit-based standards in federal hiring and contracting, while critics say rolling back DEI initiatives could weaken civil rights protections and efforts to address disparities.

Trump framed the move as part of a broader economic overhaul. “More Americans are working today than at any time in the history of our country,” he said, adding that “100% of all jobs created under my administration have been in the private sector.” He also touted cutting a record number of what he called “job-killing regulations” and claimed that 2.4 million Americans were lifted off food stamps in a single year.

President Donald Trump came face-to-face during his first State of the Union address with four Supreme Court justices, including three who voted to strike down his emergency tariffs just days earlier.

Chief Justice John Roberts and Justices Amy Coney Barrett, Elena Kagan and Brett Kavanaugh were in attendance for the address. Roberts, Barrett and Kagan were among the six justices who found that Trump’s sweeping tariffs, which he imposed on nearly every country last year, were illegal under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act.

Trump shook hands with all four justices, despite saying during a recent press conference that the six who voted against his signature economic plan were still invited to the speech, but "barely."

“Three are happily invited,” Trump had said, referencing the three dissenters, Kavanaugh and Justices Samuel Alito and Clarence Thomas.

It is customary for Supreme Court justices to be invited to the State of the Union, but the justices' attendance has been sporadic over the years.

Members of President Donald Trump’s family are in attendance for his State of the Union address.

Seated in the front row from left to right are Barron Trump, Ivanka Trump, Eric Trump, Donald Trump Jr., and Tiffany Trump. Jared Kushner and Lara Trump are seated directly behind them in the second row, joining other invited guests as the chamber fills ahead of the president’s remarks.

Family members traditionally attend the annual address as guests of the president, occupying reserved seats near other invited guests and senior administration officials. Their presence is a longstanding part of the evening’s pageantry, as the State of the Union blends constitutional duty with ceremony and national spectacle.

The appearance of the president’s children and close relatives underscores the personal dimension of the event, which serves not only as a policy address to Congress but also as a nationally televised moment for the first family before millions of viewers.

President Donald Trump's State of the Union address Tuesday night began alongside President George Washington's gavel.

This marks the first time the gavel will be displayed during the president’s speech to Congress, the U.S. Capitol Historical Society said, and it will sit on the rostrum in honor of the 250th anniversary of the country’s founding.

Washington used the ceremonial gavel in 1793 during the laying of the U.S. Capitol’s cornerstone, according to the Capitol Historical Society, and it has since been preserved by Potomac Lodge No. 5, a Masonic lodge based in Washington, D.C.

According to the society, Washington descended into a trench at the construction site, placed a silver plate on the ground and positioned the cornerstone above it as fellow Masons performed a ritual using corn to signify nourishment, wine to represent refreshment and oil to symbolize joy, while onlookers cheered into the evening.

Fox News Digital's Greg Wehner contributed to this report.

A small group of protesters set up shop a short distance from the U.S. Capitol on Tuesday evening, gathering for “the People’s State of the Union” as President Donald Trump prepared to deliver his annual address to Congress.

The event, organized by MeidasTouch Media, a left-leaning media outlet, and MoveOn Civic Action, an advocacy group, presented itself as the real state of the union in the days leading up to Trump’s address.

“People don’t want to be gaslit and belittled by a president who covers up the Epstein files and sends masked agents to kidnap and kill them,” Ben Meiselas, co-founder of MeidasTouch said.

The event attracted over 20 participating Democrat lawmakers, like Sen. Ruben Gallego, D-Ariz., and Rep. Ayanna Pressley, D-Mass., who chose to attend the counter protest rather than sit through the State of the Union.

The event comes as House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., urged members last week to either sit quietly during Trump’s speech or skip it altogether.

Footage of the event showed just a small crowd had gathered to hear the Democrats' remarks.

President Donald Trump is expected to touch on several major themes during his first State of the Union address of his new term, including affordability, immigration and his priorities for the year ahead.

Trump could highlight the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, a sweeping spending package that Republicans rebranded as the Working Families Tax Cuts Act. The White House framed the measure as a key economic achievement, saying it gives targeted relief to middle-class Americans. Trump may also aim to address broader cost-of-living concerns to reassure voters about the direction of the economy as he faces the prospect of House Republicans losing their majority in Congress.

Trump is also likely to tout the sharp reduction in illegal border crossings under his administration. His immigration crackdown, a pillar of his presidential campaign, has included enforcement surges in blue cities and states and an aggressive pursuit of deportations. Those efforts have become a major source of national controversy, spurring nationwide anti-ICE protests and hundreds of legal challenges.

Vice President JD Vance is seen leading a procession of lawmakers into the House chamber Wednesday night ahead of President Donald Trump’s State of the Union address.

Video from Alex Miller, Fox News Digital. 

Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina invited David Ellison to the State of the Union address. The invitation marks a notable appearance by a prominent Hollywood executive and media producer at one of Washington’s highest-profile political events.

Ellison is the founder and CEO of Skydance Media, the production company behind major film franchises and television projects. He is also the son of Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison, placing him at the intersection of the entertainment and technology industries.

His attendance underscores the growing overlap between politics, technology and entertainment as innovation, artificial intelligence and domestic investment remain central policy themes. The annual address often spotlights figures tied to broader economic priorities, and the presence of a major studio executive highlights the role of creative industries in the U.S. economy. 

It also reflects the expanding influence of business leaders in national policy debates, particularly as Washington weighs competitiveness, supply chains and the future of American innovation.

Several Democratic lawmakers are hosting State of the Union guests who have come under scrutiny from the Department of Homeland Security, including suspected illegal immigrants, DREAMers and citizens arrested for allegedly obstructing federal immigration enforcement.

A Fox News correspondent received the list when inquiring with the agency about a tweet released earlier Tuesday that said some Democrats are "planning to bring illegal aliens as guests to the State of the Union."

"Once again, they are putting illegal aliens above the safety of American citizens. Yesterday alone our officers arrested pedophiles, rapists, and violent criminals from our communities. President Trump and Secretary Noem have made it abundantly clear: if you come to our country illegally and break our laws, we will find you, we will arrest you, and you will never return," the agency said in its tweet.

A Fox News Digital review of the list found guests with varied backgrounds and circumstances.

Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., is reportedly hosting Aliya Rahman, who was detained during an operation targeting Ecuadorian national Jonathan Chachipanta-Pualacin on January 13.

Find out more about the Democrats guests.

This is an excerpt from a story by Fox News Digital’s Charles Creitz.

Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., joined Kayleigh McEnany to weigh in on some Democrats’ plans to boycott Tuesday’s State of the Union address.

“I do plan to attend,” Fetterman told McEnany.

He added that he hopes his colleagues avoid bringing paddles or staging what he called “weird protests.” Fetterman was referencing signs some Democrats held up during last year’s address that read “Musk Steals” and “Save Medicaid,” among other messages.

“Last year, it just made us look like children,” Fetterman said. “Have some dignity.”

Democrats and progressive activists staged a high-profile boycott of President Donald Trump’s State of the Union on Wednesday night, gathering instead on the Capitol grounds for a “People’s State of the Union” — and vowing to block funding for the Department of Homeland Security.

"Not one more dime to the Department of Homeland Security until they start following the law in this country,” Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., told a crowd of protesters gathered outside.

The event, organized by MoveOn and co-hosted by the Midas Touch Network, featured a number of House and Senate Democratic lawmakers who opted to skip Trump’s address, which they said would be filled with “lie after lie” and ignore what they described as a country “in crisis.”

Murphy said DHS and ICE are “out of control,” and accused the agencies of undermining the rule of law.

With DHS funding currently stalled, he and other Democrats signaled they are prepared to continue blocking additional money absent significant changes.

"As you know, the Department of Homeland Security is shut down," Murphy said.

"And I just want to be very clear with you about my position, and I think the position of many others who will stand on this stage tonight — not one more dime to the Department of Homeland Security until they start following the law in this country."

The White House released a bingo card centered on President Donald Trump's State of the Union address, offering glimpses of what to expect during Tuesday night's speech.

Some bingo squares included quotes such as "America is back" and "peace through strength."

The grid's center, the designated free space, was a viral photo of Jack Hughes, who scored the game-winning goal for Team USA's men's ice hockey team in the Olympics on Sunday. Hughes and most of his teammates are attending Trump's speech.

"After Olympic hockey loss, Canada becomes 51st state" was featured in another square.

The card included several jabs at Democrats. One square referenced lawmakers who remain seated if and when Trump recognizes Angel Families (those who have lost relatives to crimes committed by illegal immigrants). Another square cited Democrats who “rudely interrupt the speech.”

The bingo card incorporated social media trends, including references to Democrats getting "mogged," pro-Trump rapper Cardi B and an infamous meme of Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

Former President Bill Clinton’s 1996 State of the Union address came amid a similar political climate that we see today. 

The period was colored by stark ideological divisions and Clinton was overseeing a similar push-pull exhibited today between conservatives who desire spending cuts and Democrats who want reforms and safety net expansion.

Clinton’s address came a few weeks after a major budget showdown in Congress that subsequently led to a government shutdown. 

Clinton used the moment in time to present himself as a pragmatic centrist amid a jungle of partisans. The former president famously recited at the time that “the era of big government is over,” but also underscored the importance of looking out for your neighbor. 

Political and cultural issues we face in 2026 were also touched on during Clinton’s ‘96 State of the Union address, such as restricting inappropriate content for teens, crime and immigration. 

The White House released a handful of excerpts from President Donald Trump's speech Tuesday evening, celebrating the U.S.' 250 years of independence and "a turnaround for the ages" under his leadership.

"From 1776 to today, every generation of Americans has stepped forward to defend life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness for the next," Trump is expected to say during his speech. "Now, it is our turn. Together, we are building a nation where every child has the chance to reach higher and go farther—where government answers to the people, not the powerful—and where the interests of hardworking American Citizens are always our first and ultimate concern."

Trump's speech will focus on the economy, Fox News Digital previously reported, with Trump expected to tout that "factories, jobs, investment, and trillions of dollars will continue pouring into the United States of America" under his tenure.

"For decades before I came along, we had the exact opposite. From trade to healthcare, 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 run," excerpts of his speech provided to Fox Digital state.

The president's remarks on the economy will include celebrating his policies to lower drug prices, his ban on "large Wall Street investment firms from buying up, in the thousands, single-family homes," and working to snuff out fraud like what has unfolded in Minnesota.

The president will also take shots at Democrats, including for the ongoing partial government shutdown affected the Department of Homeland Security, Fox Digital learned.

"As we speak, Democrats in this chamber have cut off all funding for the Department of Homeland Security. They have closed the agency responsible for protecting Americans from terrorists and murderers. Tonight, I am demanding the full and immediate restoration of all funding for the Border Security and Homeland Security of the United States," he is expected to say.

EXCLUSIVE: President Donald Trump’s State of the Union address will put the economy front and center, pairing working-family guests with a data-driven case on affordability, Fox News Digital learned. 

The 2026 address will be forward-looking but rooted in what the White House described as measurable progress on cost-of-living pressures, with Trump expected to list off statistics and data on the economy following the sky-high inflation rates of the Biden administration, while showcasing everyday Americans who have benefited from Trump policies, Fox News Digital learned. 

Trump is expected to tout his efforts to lower drug costs Tuesday, including giving a shoutout to the White House’s recent launch of TrumpRx.gov, which aims to deliver the lowest-priced pharmaceuticals to American patients.

The president also will reflect on how policies within the "big, beautiful bill" have benefited everyday Americans, Fox News Digital learned. 

"President Trump's State of the Union Address will celebrate 250 glorious years of our nation's independence and excellence, highlighting incredible stories of American heroes throughout the speech," White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told Fox News Digital ahead of the speech. 

Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., is bringing four Minnesota residents who say they have had encounters with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) as her guests to President Trump’s State of the Union address.

“It is important for people to continuously remember the terror that was the occupation of ICE in Minnesota,” Omar said in a clip posted to X.

In the video clip, the guests identify themselves as a Somali-American man who says he was detained by ICE despite being a U.S. citizen; a Minnesota man whose father was detained by ICE and transferred to a detention facility in Texas; and a woman who alleges ICE agents smashed her car window, pulled her from the vehicle and left her unconscious during an enforcement action.

Also attending is an official from Columbia Heights Public Schools. The district counts “Liam” — a student who was detained by ICE — among its students. Federal authorities have said the boy’s father attempted to evade agents during the encounter.

President Donald Trump will deliver his fourth State of the Union address Tuesday night, which will include high-profile invited guests stretching from those seeing economic wins to American triumph stories to families gripped by tragedy. 

Among top names invited to the address are Erika Kirk, who is now leading conservative group Turning Point USA after husband Charlie Kirk, the group's co-founder and executive director, was assassinated in September 2025 while touring college campuses. The U.S. men's hockey team also is traveling to the speech after winning the gold in the Olympics after defeating Canada  2–1.

Everyday Americans also will play a large role in Trump's speech, with the president inviting women such as Catherine Rayner of Norfolk, Virginia, who has benefited from lower in vitro fertilization drug prices under the Trump administration. Trump also invited Pennsylvania mom Megan Hemhouser, whose family benefits from his "no tax on tips" or overtime pay policies.  

Trump also invited the parents of Sarah Beckstrom, the 20-year-old National Guard member who was brutally killed in Washington, D.C., ahead of Thanksgiving 2025.

Seven-year-old Dalilah Coleman will also attend the speech, a White House official confirmed to Fox News. Coleman was left seriously injured by a California car crash involving an illegal immigrant truck driver in 2024. 

Fox News' Patrick Ward contributed to this report.

Former Vice President Kamala Harris suggested she "might" run for president again in 2028 in a new clip circulating on social media.

In a recently released interview with Sharon McMahon on Monday, Harris was asked if she will ever run again after losing the 2024 presidential election to President Donald Trump.

"I haven’t decided," Harris answered.

"You’re still thinking about it?" McMahon asked.

"I might," Harris remarked.

McMahon added that the impression she got from Harris' recent memoir "107 Days," which focused on her failed 2024 presidential campaign, was that she "wants" to run again. Harris insisted that it was not her intention to hint at another campaign.

"No, the book is about a specific period in time. There was no agenda beyond what we’ve discussed already, which is just sharing with people, you know, the reality of the experience, and hopefully allowing people to see something of themselves in it, in a way that, you know, that Girl Scout troop, when it comes time for them to read it, might see themselves in and know what they can do and that they could do it," Harris said.

Fox News Digital reached out to Harris' office for comment.

Harris has not yet confirmed whether she intends to run again in 2028, though she has hinted at it while promoting her book sharing her experience about the 2024 presidential campaign.

This is an excerpt of an article by Fox News Digital's Lindsay Kornick.

Attorney General Pam Bondi previewed President Donald Trump’s upcoming State of the Union address Tuesday night, signaling the speech will spotlight his administration’s record on public safety and outline priorities for the years ahead.

In a post on X, Bondi pointed to what she described as historic progress on crime reduction under Trump and said the president would use the prime-time address to highlight those efforts while laying out his broader agenda.

“Tonight, President Trump will celebrate the story of America's greatness and outline a bold vision for the years ahead,” she wrote. “That includes MAKING AMERICA SAFE AGAIN, which @POTUS is accomplishing with unprecedented results – including the lowest murder rate in 125 years."

“And our work is just getting started,” Bondi added. “I cannot wait to hear his historic speech. Tune in at 9:00 PM!”

Bondi's spokesperson confirmed the attorney general will attend the speech.

The Senate’s top Democrat questioned what President Donald Trump had to celebrate as lawmakers prepared for what could be a lengthy State of the Union address.

“We’re in for a long, tedious and exhausting night as Donald Trump is set to deliver his fourth State of the Union address,” Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said. “Donald Trump yesterday said he is going to talk for a very long time tonight. God help us.”

Schumer’s comments Tuesday came ahead of Trump’s primetime address before a joint session of Congress. Several congressional Democrats are expected to skip the event.

Meanwhile, congressional Republicans say the speech will give Trump a chance to outline what they view as accomplishments since the start of his second term last year. But Schumer argued there is little to cheer about.

“I am not sure what he thinks there is to celebrate, because America, in short, is a mess thanks to him,” Schumer said. “American presidents often talk about how they inherited a mess and turned things around, but in Donald Trump’s case he created a mess and then set the building on fire.”

Nearly 50 Democrats have formally announced they will skip President Donald Trump’s State of the Union address tonight, while others are planning protests inside the chamber.

Rep. Angie Craig, D-Minn., told reporters she would “rather stick forks in my eyes than be here tonight to listen to Donald Trump talk about the State of the Union.”

“But this is the people’s house, and I will not abandon the people’s house,” she added.

According to Fox News chief congressional correspondent Chad Pergram, dozens of Democrats are attending alternative events with titles such as “The People’s State of the Union” and “State of the Swamp.”

Republicans, meanwhile, argue lawmakers should attend regardless of party.

“I attended Biden’s speeches,” GOP Sen. Rick Scott of Florida said. “I think we should respect the Constitution, respect the presidency and show up.”

Other Democrats plan to protest visually rather than boycott. Members of the Congressional Women’s Caucus are expected to wear white in a coordinated show of unity.

“When Donald Trump looks out into the chamber, he will see a wall of white,” one member said.

Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger will deliver the Democrat response following Trump’s address.

A Senate Democrat said she believes her colleagues should attend President Donald Trump’s State of the Union address, even as dozens plan to boycott the event.

“If he’s coming to our house, you got to be there,” Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., said. “Otherwise you let him own the house.”

Her comments come ahead of Trump’s primetime speech, as several congressional Democrats plan to skip the address. They followed moments after Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said it was “up to each member to make his or her choice” whether to attend.

More than 70 congressional Democrats, including several Senate Democrats, plan to skip Trump’s address. Republicans have predicted the speech will highlight what they describe as the GOP’s accomplishments over the last year.

Some Democrats are heading to counterprogramming events, while others simply are not attending.

Klobuchar, who is running for governor of Minnesota after Gov. Tim Walz announced he will not seek reelection, plans to bring a small business owner affected by Trump’s tariffs as her guest.

Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., is bringing a guest to the State of the Union who, at just 16 years old, was sexually abused by Jeffrey Epstein and used to connect the disgraced financier with other underage girls. 

Haley Robson, now in her 30s, described her relationship with Epstein in a Netflix documentary. 

“I would recruit girls who were friends. I would casually bring it up, and we would drive together to his house. I would take them to his room and then I’d walk out. When the girls would leave, Jeffrey would come out and pay me. I probably recruited 24 girls. They were all underage," Robson told interviewers. 

Robson said she received $200 for every girl she brought to Epstein’s house. 

When asked about Robson’s presence Tuesday, Khanna defended his pick. 

“Haley Robson was 16 years old when she survived Epstein's abuse. This campaign to malign her and the other survivors on the night of the State of the Union is shameful. Attack me all you want. Do not attack the survivors," Khanna said.

Texas Republican Rep. Wesley Hunt will not be attending the State of the Union in person. Instead, Fox News Digital was told that Hunt, who is running for U.S. Senate, will hosting a watch party in Texas.

This means that just two of the three Republicans running in the particularly bitter Senate primary in Texas will be attending the address. Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, the incumbent, and state Attorney General Ken Paxton will be attending the address in the chamber. Paxton will be the guest of Rep. Troy Nehls, R-Texas, who has endorsed him in the race. 

Hunt, a U.S. Army veteran, is running a long-shot race to unseat Cornyn, who has held the Senate seat since 2002. The seat is critical to the GOP maintaining its majority in the Senate. Whichever candidate wins the March 3 primary will face off against either top Democratic voice Rep. Jasmine Crockett, R-Texas, or rising star state Rep. James Talarico.

Although the length of State of the Union speeches varies by administration, the long-term trend points upward. Modern presidents typically speak far longer than their counterparts did decades ago.

In the 1960s and 1970s, many addresses lasted under an hour, while more recent speeches have frequently stretched well beyond that mark.

As the address has evolved into a prime-time political event, presidents have increasingly used it to deliver detailed policy agendas. The nationally televised speech offers a rare opportunity to speak directly to lawmakers and millions of Americans at once, elevating its importance beyond a constitutional formality.

Modern addresses also include frequent applause breaks, which can significantly extend the overall runtime of the speech.

President Richard Nixon averaged the shortest State of the Union speeches at 35 minutes, while President Donald Trump's first term featured some of the longest, averaging about 80 minutes.

More than 70 Democrat members of Congress are expected to skip President Donald Trump's State of the Union address Tuesday evening.

During a panel on Fox News' "The FIVE" former Trump adviser Kellyanne Conway blasted Democrats for failing to attend what she described as a "constitutionally mandated event."

"This is the modern Democratic Party everyone. Where are the pro-lifers, where are the pro-Second Amendment ones, who voted for a tax cut, who's for de-reg, energy dominance, who's applauding lower crime in their cities and states because of President Trump's policies?" questioned Conway. "They're against all of that by way of not showing up. The modern Democratic Party is to protest, perform and then post it. Taking a stand is different than making a scene. You said earlier they're acting like children -- that's really mean to children."

According to GOP Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, Democrats planned 5 different counter events to oppose the president's speech Tuesday night.

President Donald Trump is expected to award the Medal of Honor to 100-year-old Korean War veteran E. Royce Williams during Tuesday night’s State of the Union address, marking a rare and historic moment at the annual speech, according to a report.

CBS News, citing sources familiar with the plan, reported that Williams – a retired Navy captain credited with downing four Soviet MiG-15 fighter jets during a classified 1952 dogfight – would become the first service member to receive the nation’s highest military honor during a State of the Union.

Williams took part in what is considered the longest aerial engagement in U.S. Navy history, battling seven Soviet MiG-15 fighter jets off the Korean Peninsula in 1952 and shooting down four during a roughly 30-minute dogfight, despite sustaining heavy fire. Soviet involvement in the conflict was classified at the time, and details of the mission remained secret for decades.

The White House has not publicly confirmed the plan, and the report noted that the ceremony could still change.

Rep. Ben Cline, R-Va., blasted Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger, the Democrat delivering the party’s response to President Donald Trump’s State of the Union, arguing that she never would have been selected for the job without the redistricting effort that has put Virginia in the national spotlight in recent weeks.

“Gov. Spanberger is trying to play the national Democrats to raise her profile and try and get on the national scene on the agenda by acquiescing to this partisan gerrymandering of the Virginia legislature," Cline said.

She was elected Virginia’s governor last November.

Cline’s comments come as Democrats in Virginia advanced a map earlier this month designed to eliminate as many as four Republican-held congressional districts — including Cline’s.

With a razor-thin Republican majority in the House of Representatives, even a one or two-seat swing could decide the balance of power in the upcoming midterms.

“She campaigned on not gerrymandering; on saying that gerrymandering was wrong,” Cline said of Spanberger. “She should be ashamed of herself.”

President Donald Trump offered a preview of his State of the Union message during a White House lunch with television anchors, according to Fox News’ Bret Baier.

On the economy, Trump projected confidence.“The country will see the best 3 years on the economy in the nation’s history. And it’s already started,” he said, according to Baier.

Trump is expected to lean heavily on economic messaging in his address, arguing that his policies are fueling growth and setting the stage for sustained expansion.

On Iran, the president pointed to “important negotiations Thursday in Geneva,” signaling that diplomacy remains active. “Iran desperately wants a deal. But Iran just can’t say the sacred phrase ‘we won’t build nuclear weapons,’” Trump said, according to Baier. The comments come as the administration weighs next steps on Tehran’s nuclear program.

Trump also told anchors he will call for “a new form of corporate and personal tax cuts” in his speech, though he did not provide specifics. The remarks suggest a speech centered on economic momentum at home and high-stakes diplomacy abroad.

Ahead of President Donald Trump’s State of the Union address, U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro touted what she called one of the administration’s major accomplishments: restoring safety in Washington, D.C.

In a video posted to X, Pirro said law and order has been central to Trump’s push to make the nation’s capital “safe and beautiful,” pointing to the presence of the National Guard.

“Violent crime is down. People feel that they can go out, they can walk around, it’s safe,” Pirro said while walking the National Mall with Brigadier General Leland Blanchard.

Blanchard said the National Guard’s mission has been to help return the city to what he described as “its amazing place.”

“Returning the city back to its amazing place, safe and beautiful is the objective the president has charged us with,” he said.

Pirro said she believes the effort reflects Trump’s broader law-and-order agenda heading into tonight’s State of the Union.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., sharply criticized President Donald Trump’s 10% global tariffs on Tuesday, accusing the president of driving up costs for American families, and warning that Democrats would block an extension of the administration’s latest trade measures.

Speaking on the Senate floor hours before Trump’s State of the Union address, Schumer said that Americans “breathed a brief sigh of relief” following last week’s Supreme Court ruling that blocked Trump’s use of IEEPA, an emergency law, to impose steep tariffs on most U.S. trading partners. 

The relief was short-lived, Schumer argued, since Trump quickly re-imposed the tariffs and vowed to impose a steeper 15% import fee. 

The Senate Democrat noted that Trump's new tariff regime is set to expire in the coming months and will require congressional approval to remain in place.“We will not extend those tariffs,” Schumer declared, urging Republicans to join Democrats in blocking them.

Schumer linked the tariffs to higher costs of groceries, cars, and homes — all themes that Trump is expected to touch on in his remarks Wednesday night. 

“Americans are suffering, because [Trump] is raising tariffs,” Schumer said. 

Democrats put together five separate counter events in opposition to President Donald Trump's Tuesday evening State of the Union address, House Speaker Mike Johnson said during a leadership meeting ahead of the president's speech.

"This evening, the entire country will hear an update on the full scope of President Trump's transformational and historic first year back in office. The results speak for themselves. Why does he have so much to talk about? Because inflation is down, wages are up, investment is booming. The GDP is exceeding every expectation," Johnson said during the House GOP leadership’s weekly press conference. 

"Democrats, meanwhile, are going to host — count them — five separate counter events, rallies of some sort, they call them, in lieu of tonight's address," Johnson added. "For all of these theatrics, it doesn't matter how many little gatherings they have or where they stand or how high the volume is on the microphones, they have nothing to offer, nothing but their TDS agenda, the Trump Derangement Syndrome, and it's on full display." 

Among the counter events being held throughout Tuesday include, the "People’s State of the Union" near the Lincoln Memorial and the "State of the Swamp" event at the National Press Club.

The "People's State of the Union" counter-event Tuesday night, described as a rally, is organized by MeidasTouch and MoveOn Civic Action, a pair of left-leaning media and activist groups. It will focus on criticisms of Trump’s first year back in office and be attended by Sens. Ed Markey, D-Mass., Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., Chris Murphy, D-Conn., Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., and Tina Smith, D-Minn.

This is an excerpt from a report by Greg Norman-Diamond.

Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., announced ahead of the State of the Union that he will attend the speech, the same day the Department of Justice revealed it plans to continue fighting Kelly in federal court.

The DOJ filed its appeal Tuesday after a judge sided with Kelly, a retired U.S. naval officer, in a lawsuit the senator brought against Secretary of War Pete Hegseth.

Kelly claimed in the lawsuit that Hegseth violated his First Amendment rights and other constitutional provisions by censuring Kelly and threatening further penalties against him. Kelly and five other Democrats had shared a video telling military members they can "refuse illegal orders," which Hegseth said undermined military chains of command.

Separately, the DOJ investigated the six Democrats and attempted to bring an indictment against them over the video, but a grand jury rejected the charges.

"Two weeks ago [President Donald Trump] tried to have me arrested over something I said that he didn't like," Kelly said in a social media post Tuesday evening.

"I'm going to be in that room tonight. I want him to look out and see me and to know this, that he and Pete Hegseth failed," Kelly said. "He's not going to intimidate me or keep me from standing up for Arizona and the Constitution."

Dozens of Democrats have said they plan to skip Trump's speech to protest the president.

Members of the Oregon-based protest group, known as the Portland Frog Brigade, walked around Capitol Hill ahead of President Donald Trump's State of the Union address Tuesday night and handed out copies of the Constitution, including to lawmakers.

A photo taken by Reuters of the protesters in inflatable frog suits shows them leaving Sen. Chuck Grassley's, R-Iowa, office in the Hart Senate building on Tuesday. Other photos on social media allegedly showed the frogs outside the offices of Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., Rep. Maxine Dexter, D-Ore., and the Judiciary Committee.

The people in the inflatable frog suits gained fame after wearing them during protests against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials last fall, according to The Oregonian. The outlet added that while just around 10 members of the group came to the nation's capital ahead of Tuesday's SOTU address, they shipped around 385 inflatable frog suits in order to recruit other activists to wear them.

"The Portland Frog Brigade uses inflatable animal costumes to practice the proven art of peaceful, creative dissent, exercising our right to free expression in defense of the U.S. Constitution and the rule of law," a website appearing to belong to the group states. "Our Resistance Assistance program provides direct material support and services to organizations working to advance democracy, justice, and human dignity."

Eleven-year-old Everest Nevraumont, a three-time regional history bee champion who has already delivered a TEDx talk, is set to attend Tuesday’s State of the Union as a guest of first lady Melania Trump.

“Like everybody in the entire world is watching it, and I’m right there in the same room,” Nevraumont told the Associated Press in an interview on Tuesday.

The first lady has been an outspoken supporter of expanding artificial intelligence in education — a cause that closely aligns with Nevraumont’s interests.

In her TEDx presentation, she described how she relies on AI tools to deepen her studies, and she attends Alpha School in Austin, Texas, an institution built around AI-driven instruction.

Ahead of the State of the Union, Nevraumont said she has used AI to learn about the history of the presidential speech. She also told the wire service that her chance to sit with the first lady is a reflection of the growing national importance of AI, adding that “academic achievements like the history bee actually really pay off.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

A four-legged special guest will be in attendance for President Donald Trump’s primetime address Tuesday night.

Rep. Randy Fine, R-Fla., invited his father, Alan Fine, as his guest alongside his father’s seeing-eye dog, Sadie.

Sadie is clad in a shirt that says “Don’t tread on me,” a nod to Fine’s recent social media battle with the left and some on the right over a controversial X post made days ago.

Fine wrote in response to a Palestinian activist calling dogs “unclean,” "If they force us to choose, the choice between dogs and Muslims is not a difficult one." The activist has since said she was joking.

The Florida congressman told Fox News Digital of Sadie on Tuesday, “She's doing great. I don't think she's used to this much attention. And I think we're worried about her staying up till midnight tonight when the president goes and gives his speech. But I'm glad to have her and my father with me today.”

“Dogs are as American as motherhood and apple pie, and Americans are not going to allow a philosophy that says you've got to get rid of them,” he said.

State of the Union addresses delivered by the president, like any good production, require some level of formulaic consistency. 

That can be found in how seating arrangements work in the House of Representatives, where lawmakers from both chambers, cabinet members, and Supreme Court justices all cram into one room for one night each year. 

But the only level of formulaic consistency to be had is for members of President Donald Trump’s Cabinet and the processional who enter the chamber for the evening to have their own assigned seats.

For the rest of Congress, seating is on a first-come, first-served basis.

Over the years, members have staked out seats for hours in order to shake the president's hand, like former lawmaker and IRS commissioner Billy Long or the late Rep. Doug LaMalfa, R-Calif.

If anything, seating for what is expected to be a marathon address will be chaotic — fitting for a chamber known to devolve into disorder.

House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., will showcase a gavel used by George Washington during the State of the Union on Tuesday night.

This marks the first time the gavel will be displayed during the president’s speech to Congress, the U.S. Capitol Historical Society said, and it will sit on the rostrum in honor of the 250th anniversary of the country’s founding.

Washington used the ceremonial gavel in 1793 during the laying of the U.S. Capitol’s cornerstone, the Capitol Historical Society said, and it has since been preserved by Potomac Lodge No. 5, a Masonic lodge based in Washington, D.C.

According to the society, Washington descended into a trench at the construction site, placed a silver plate on the ground and positioned the cornerstone above it as fellow Masons performed a ritual using corn to signify nourishment, wine to represent refreshment and oil to symbolize joy, while onlookers cheered into the evening.

At least two Republican House members plan to join Democrats in their efforts to protest the Epstein saga during President Donald Trump's State of the Union address, Axios reportedly learned.

"I am wearing Virginia Giuffre Robert's butterfly pin her brother gave me yesterday," said Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., according to Axios.

Roberts, who died by suicide last year, was a primary accuser against disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein.

Meanwhile, Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., plans to sit together with Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., on the Democratic Party side of the House chamber during the president's address, according to Axios. Khanna is bringing an Epstein survivor to the speech, and a source reportedly said that the bipartisan action is meant "to emphasize the need for justice for the Epstein class." Massie and Khanna have found themselves allies amid the transparency push over the Epstein scandal.

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., House Judiciary Committee ranking member Jamie Raskin, D-Md., and House Oversight Committee ranking member Robert Garcia, D-Calif., all signaled plans to bring Epstein victims as guests to Trump's Tuesday night speech.

The gold medal-winning U.S. Olympics men’s hockey team’s attendance at tonight’s State of the Union is a point of “national pride,” two House Republicans told Fox News Digital on Tuesday.

Reps. Russell Fry, R-S.C., and Stephanie Bice, R-Okla., spoke with Fox News Digital hours before President Donald Trump’s primetime address. Fry revealed that his guest ticket will actually be going to one of the hockey players who plans to attend.

“I think for us in the country, it was a great moment. Now, for those on the left that want to criticize and chastise and demonize, there's just really no place for this. Like, most people look at this and go, that was a great moment. Suspend your politics for a moment, that was great moment for national unity,” Fry said in response to the left’s criticism of players’ expressions of pride in the U.S.

Bice said of their attendance, “They recognize how important tonight is and want to be a part of it, and so we're excited to have them.”

“The patriotism, the support for the country, the love of the country that both the women's and men's teams have shown has been really tremendous,” she said.

Both teams took home the gold medal in their respective categories, prompting Trump to invite them to his speech. Members of the women’s team cited scheduling conflicts in turning down the offer.

The State of the Union address is more than a ceremonial speech. It is one of the clearest opportunities each year for a president to outline what the administration wants Congress to accomplish — from tax policy and immigration to national security to economic priorities. In many ways, it serves as the administration’s agenda-setting moment for the year ahead.

The speech also signals what the White House views as most urgent. The issues mentioned and those that receive little or no attention offer insight into where the president intends to focus political capital.

Beyond policy, the event carries symbolic weight. It is one of the few occasions when the president, members of Congress, Supreme Court justices and military leaders gather in the same room, underscoring the structure of the federal government before a national audience.

Shortly after the president’s remarks, the opposing party delivers an official response, offering a contrasting vision and highlighting the political divides shaping the current moment.

As President Trump takes the House chamber tonight, a central foreign policy question looms large: is he preparing to strike Iran or pursue a diplomatic path? That question has been thrust to the forefront amid ongoing nuclear negotiations and what U.S. officials describe as the largest American military buildup in the Middle East since before the Iraq War.

The U.S. has shifted more than 150 aircraft and multiple carrier strike groups into the broader region while talks between U.S. and Iranian officials are slated to continue in Geneva this week — but diplomats on both sides acknowledge substantive gaps remain.

Trump has emphasized that diplomacy remains his first choice, though he has openly warned that Iran has only a short window to agree to stringent terms or face pressure. In June 2025, the United States struck Iranian nuclear facilities as part of a broader Middle East conflict, an operation the White House said significantly set back Tehran’s enrichment capabilities.

Analysts and lawmakers alike will be listening for even subtle cues pointing toward whether the White House sees a diplomatic breakthrough ahead or is bracing the country for escalation. Key things to watch for include how Trump frames the Iran talks, any references to U.S. military readiness, and timelines or conditions that could signal the administration’s next move.

Rep. Katherine Clark, D-Mass., the No. 2 House Democrat in the chamber and the party’s whip, announced on Tuesday afternoon that she would not attend President Donald Trump’s 2026 State of the Union address.

“Rather than listen to Donald Trump lie to the American people, I will be hearing from the people of my district about their personal experiences with skyrocketing costs, new barriers to health care, dismantled Social Security services and brutal cuts to medical research,” Clark said in a press release.

“Donald Trump’s presidency has been one broken promise after another, and the people of this country and the Commonwealth deserve so much better.”

Other high-ranking Democrats will still attend Trump’s address.

Notably, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., plans to attend alongside Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y.

Jeffries encouraged fellow Democrats to either attend the event quietly or protest through their absence.

"The two options that are in front of us [are] to either attend with silent defiance or not to attend and send a message to Donald Trump in that fashion," Jeffries said at a press conference last week.

Civil rights activist Alveda King said she expects President Donald Trump’s State of the Union address tonight to center on faith, national renewal and action, and not just rhetoric.

“We’re going to restore, rededicate, bring America back to God,” King told Fox News Digital. “I believe President Trump is genuinely sincere.”

King said she anticipates Trump will challenge Americans to unite while continuing to push forward on priorities such as religious liberty at home and abroad.

“I believe that we’re going to hear that America — we have to come together,” she said. “We can do this and we’ll do it together.”

King pointed to what she described as the president’s record of following through on commitments, including applying pressure on Christian persecution in Nigeria.

When asked what her late uncle, the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., might be listening for, King did not hesitate.

“He said we must learn to live together as brothers and sisters or perish together as fools,” she said. “If he were watching tonight, he would say: pray, get along and work it out.”

The designated survivor does not attend the State of the Union. Instead, a Cabinet official is taken to a secure, undisclosed location for the duration of the event. The person’s identity is typically revealed the day of the address, after they have been moved to a safe location.

The role is part of the federal government’s continuity of government planning, designed to ensure the presidency and the broader operations of government can continue in the event of a catastrophic attack or disaster that incapacitates other leaders. Because the State of the Union brings together the president, vice president, members of Congress and much of the Cabinet in one location, it presents a unique security concern.

If such a scenario were to occur, the line of succession established under federal law would determine who assumes the presidency. If constitutionally eligible, the designated survivor could be sworn in as president.

The practice dates to the Cold War, when fears of nuclear attack heightened concerns about preserving government leadership. It has never been invoked, but it remains a highly visible example of the extensive security planning that surrounds major national events.

Though the Constitution stipulates the president “from time to time give to the Congress Information of the State of the Union,” the president’s addresses were originally simply referred to as the “Annual Message.” The term State of the Union was first used by America’s only four-term executive, President Franklin D. Roosevelt, in the 1930s. The term proceeded to come into common usage under Roosevelt’s successor President Harry Truman.

The first time the address was officially referred to as the State of the Union was under Truman in 1947. This was also the first State of the Union to be televised.

Beyond controversy around specific presidents’ agendas and policies, the State of the Union address itself was once considered controversial. Both Presidents George Washington and John Adams gave in-person addresses; however, the practice was stopped by President Thomas Jefferson, with some believing he considered it too monarchical. Jefferson instead simply sent letters to both houses of Congress, a practice that was followed by presidents for the next 112 years.

While President Donald Trump is doing his final read through of the 2026 State of the Union address, members of Congress are usually preparing for the arrival of the guests they are permitted to invite to the speech. 

Politicians often use their guest ticket to make a political statement, such as when former First Lady Jill Biden invited a Texas woman, Jill Cox, who was denied an abortion by her state’s Supreme Court, and when Speaker Mike Johnson invited family members of the “Abbey Gate” bombing from the U.S.’s withdrawal from Afghanistan.

Between legislative business, engaging in caucus meetings, and scrambling for an aisle seat along President Trump’s path as he walks to the podium to give his address, members and their guests are often invited to receptions on Capitol Hill.

Last year, Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries described the SOTU events as a “day-long engagement” taking place both before and after the president’s address.

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is set to attend Trump’s address Tuesday night as a guest of Rep. Troy Nehls, R-Texas. Inside the room, he will be face-to-face with one of his opponents, Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, and Senate Republican leadership, who have sided with the longtime incumbent Cornyn amid the pair's heated GOP primary battle for a U.S. Senate seat.

Paxton told Fox News Digital in an interview from Nehls’ office that Tuesday was about Trump touting his accomplishments, not his battle for the GOP nomination in Texas.

"If I see these guys, I'm going to be friendly. I've no axe to grind with [Senate Majority Leader] John Thune or any of the other leadership — they're doing their jobs," Paxton said.

"My axe to grind is with the guy that I'm running against, and his representation of the last 24 years has fallen way short. And Texans deserve better. And that's the campaign, that's not the State of the Union."

Excerpt from report written by Elizabeth Elkind and Alex Miller.

President Donald Trump is heading into the State of the Union with a roughly 44% approval rating from voters, according to a recent Fox News Survey. 

The economy is of top concern to voters in 2026, with only one quarter of voters reporting in a January Fox News Survey they were better off financially than they were a year ago, while more than four in 10 say the administration’s economic policies have hurt them. Another four in 10 think the policies have had no effect. 

2026 marks Trump’s first official State of the Union address of his second term, as his 2025 joint address to Congress was not formally classified as a State of the Union — it was delivered early in the new term as an “address to a joint session of Congress,” a tradition presidents follow in inauguration years. 

Approval of Trump’s overall job performance as of January stood at 44%, earning 85% approval among all Republicans and 97% among Republicans who identify as MAGA supporters. 

His approval rating sits roughly two points higher than former President Barack Obama’s rating in January of his second term, and roughly the same as former President George W. Bush’s approval during the same period. 

President Donald Trump will deliver his 2026 State of the Union address to a joint session of Congress on Tuesday, February 24, beginning at 9 p.m. ET.

Viewers hoping to tune in to watch the speech live will face no shortage of options to do so: All major news networks, including Fox News, will feature live coverage of Trump’s address.

Fox News coverage is slated to begin shortly before Trump's remarks begin, at 8:50 p.m. ET, and will end shortly after the conclusion of the annual address at 11 p.m.

Most networks, including Fox, have links to livestream the State of the Union, and the event will be streamed live on the White House’s website and YouTube page as well.

It goes against the very instincts of some of the most powerful officials in the U.S.: get all dressed up, appear before a national TV audience, but sit there like statues without betraying any words or emotion.

For members of the Supreme Court, enduring the annual State of the Union address is a civic exercise in poker-faced discretion. As recent history has shown, that has not always been easy.

Tuesday's speech by President Donald Trump will be watched closely not only for what is said, but also for who will be there in person to hear it — especially an undetermined number of justices with front-row seats.

This year's appearances are especially of interest, coming four days after a 6-3 majority of the court struck down the president's sweeping tariffs, in a sweeping setback to his economic agenda.

Trump lashed out sharply at the court, especially the six members who voted against him, including two he appointed to the bench — Justices Neil Gorsuch and Amy Coney Barrett.

The president said he was "ashamed of certain members of the court, absolutely ashamed for not having the courage to do what's right for the country."

At least one member of the bench, Justice Samuel Alito, has previously stated he will likely no longer go — after lingering, dramatic criticism leveled at a court ruling by Obama in his 2010 address.

This is an excerpt from an article written by Fox News' Shannon Bream and Bill Mears.