The state of the union address took place at the U.S. Capitol on February 24, 2026, delivered during a joint session of Congress. The speech ran 1 hour and 47 minutes and opened with: “Our nation is back: bigger, better, richer and stronger than ever before!”
More than an hour into the state of the union, Trump shifted to Iran, saying his preference was diplomacy while insisting he would never allow Tehran to obtain a nuclear weapon. He said a rebuilt U.S. military and higher defense spending by NATO allies strengthened Washington’s position, claimed Iran was developing missiles capable of reaching the United States and argued the U.S. had not heard Iran say it would “never have a nuclear weapon.” He also claimed earlier U.S. strikes had “obliterated” Iran’s nuclear weapons capabilities, without stating whether he was prepared to order another strike.
Inside the chamber, the state of the union featured repeated confrontation:
- Republicans stood to applaud a line prioritizing citizens over “illegal aliens”; Democrats remained seated.
- Trump told Democrats: “You should be ashamed of yourselves, not standing up.”
- Reps. Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib shouted interruptions and Rep. Al Green was escorted out after waving a sign described as responding to a reposted video.
On policy, he said tariffs would remain under alternative legal statutes, urged passage of the SAVE America Act, blamed Democrats for inflation and criticized New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani as the “new communist mayor” while adding he seemed like a “nice guy.” The structure placed Iran deep into the speech, keeping the choice between diplomacy and force explicitly unresolved while the room itself became part of the message.
