25/02/2026 11:07
The Guardian
President claimed during longest ever State of the Union speech that Tehran was building weapons that could strike the USWhy the longest-ever State of the Union address was the most inconsequentialHe wanted to give the king’s speech. Donald Trump entered the US House chamber on Tuesday like a medieval monarch, with Republicans lined up eager to touch his royal robes (or, in two cases, grab a selfie with him). But within moments, the illusion was shattered.During his one hour and 47 minute speech, the longest State of the Union address ever delivered, Donald Trump proclaimed a “turnaround for the ages” in his first year back in office, despite low public approval ratings and voter concerns over the state of the economy.A resolute Trump sought to paint over the affordability concerns at the centre of upcoming midterm elections by insisting the good times are here. “Inflation is plummeting. Incomes are rising fast. The roaring economy is roaring like never before,” he said. Many voters, however, disagree, with recent polling showing the population harbouring significant doubts about his priorities.The US president took aim at the Democrats, branding them as “crazy”, unelectable and anti-American. Several Democrats walked out early – Senator Mark Warner, a Democrat from Virginia, posted on Bluesky that he “couldn’t sit through an hour of Trump’s lies”.Trump spent about three minutes talking about Iran without offering any clarity on his intentions regarding a possible attack against Tehran. He said he prefers to “solve this problem through diplomacy”, which did little to explain why he has assembled the largest US military presence in the Middle East in decades.The former reality TV star welcomed several guests during his speech to present numerous presidential medals to “extraordinary American patriots”. These included the men’s hockey team that just won gold medals at the Winter Olympics, and a national guard soldier who survived a fatal shooting in Washington. Continue reading...
Continua a leggere su "The Guardian"