WASHINGTON DC: U.S. President Donald Trump declared in his State of the Union address on Tuesday that his administration had ushered in a “golden age of America,” aiming to showcase accomplishments despite declining approval ratings and growing voter frustration ahead of the November midterm elections.
Responding to Republican concerns about losing their congressional majority, Trump devoted much of his speech to the economy. He highlighted slowing inflation, record-high stock markets, major tax cuts, and reduced drug prices as evidence of his success, Reuters reported.
However, it remains uncertain whether his upbeat message will ease public dissatisfaction over the cost of living. Trump sought to place the blame on his Democratic predecessor, Joe Biden, for rising prices, but polls indicate many voters hold Trump accountable for not doing more to tackle affordability issues he frequently campaigned on.
“Our nation is back — bigger, better, richer, and stronger than ever before,” Trump said, receiving cheers of “USA, USA” from Republicans, while dozens of Democrats were absent, attending anti-Trump rallies outside instead.
The address came at a challenging time for Trump, with polls showing widespread disapproval, rising tensions over Iran, and setbacks to his trade policies after the Supreme Court struck down most of his tariffs.
For much of the speech, Trump remained unusually disciplined, sticking to prepared remarks rather than his typical unscripted digressions. He did become combative, however, during discussions on immigration, trading shouted insults with Democratic lawmakers.
Adding spectacle to the event, Trump highlighted U.S. “winning” during his term and introduced members of the U.S. men’s ice hockey team, who entered the chamber wearing their gold medals from the Winter Olympics.
(Inputs from Reuters)
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