US President Donald Trump used his State of the Union address to proclaim a new "golden age of America," highlighting stock market gains, tax cuts and lower drug prices even as polls show declining approval of his economic leadership.
With Republicans worried about losing Congress in November's midterms, Trump devoted much of his nearly one-hour, 47-minute speech to the economy. He blamed former President Joe Biden for high prices, though surveys suggest many voters fault Trump for failing to curb living costs. A recent Reuters/Ipsos poll found just 36% approve of his handling of the economy.
The address, delivered at the United States Capitol, drew loud Republican applause and a partial Democratic boycott. Some lawmakers staged protests inside the chamber, and Representative Al Green was removed after displaying a sign critical of the president.
Trump struck a more disciplined tone than usual but clashed with Democrats over immigration, defending his crackdown despite polling that shows concern it has gone too far. Representative Ilhan Omar shouted that his policies had "killed Americans."
He offered little detail on foreign policy, including Iran, and barely mentioned Ukraine or China. While calling a recent Supreme Court ruling against most of his tariffs "unfortunate," he argued it would not derail his trade agenda...