Donald Trump made a dramatic entrance into the US House chamber on Tuesday for his State of the Union address, presenting himself like a medieval monarch greeted by eager Republicans. However, this illusion of widespread adulation was swiftly shattered by Democratic representative Al Green, who held aloft a handwritten sign stating “Black people aren’t apes!”, referencing a racist video Trump had previously shared depicting Barack and Michelle Obama. Green’s protest led to his escort out of the chamber for the second consecutive year, amidst acrimonious exchanges and Republican attempts to chant “USA! USA!”. This incident marked the beginning of a night characterized by deep political division and contentious exchanges.

The address, which at nearly two hours, became the longest State of the Union speech in history, was framed by Trump as a narrative of American resurgence, claiming the nation was “back – bigger, better, richer and stronger than ever before.” He painted a Pollyannish picture of falling inflation, mortgage rates, and gas prices, alongside booming stock markets, oil production, and job growth. However, many of these broad claims were fact-checked and found to be inflated, misleading, or simply untrue. Data indicated job gains under Trump slowed in 2025, falling significantly short of typical figures. His claim of $18 trillion in global investments was based on vague pledges rather than actual capital inflows, with the White House's own website listing total US and Foreign Investments at $9.7 trillion.

Trump’s economic boasts extended to energy, where he suggested prices were decreasing. In reality, the average household energy bill increased by 6.7% from 2024 to 2025. Furthermore, his administration's repeal of the endangerment finding for greenhouse gas regulations was expected to push gas prices up, contrary to his claims of them being below $2.30 a gallon in most states. AAA data revealed only Oklahoma offered gas near that price point, with many states experiencing prices exceeding $4.60.

A significant portion of Trump's speech focused on his hard-line immigration policies and a perceived “war on fraud.” He cited a social services scam in Minnesota, mendaciously estimating it cost $19 billion. This provoked shouts of “That’s a lie!” from representatives Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib. Trump then launched into a xenophobic rant, linking Somali pirates to issues in Minnesota and asserting that importing such cultures through unrestricted immigration brings “lawlessness right here, to the USA.” He challenged Democrats to stand if they believed the government’s first duty was to protect American citizens over “illegal aliens,” and when they remained seated, he retorted, “You should be ashamed of yourself.” This was met by Omar’s piercing shouts of “You have killed Americans!”, referencing the deaths of Renee Good and Alex Pretti at the hands of federal agents in Minneapolis, an event unmentioned by Trump.

On foreign policy, Trump claimed to have ended eight wars in his first ten months, a significant exaggeration. Many of the