All articles tagged with #state of the union
Border czar Tom Homan dodged questions on CNN about how Trump could move funds to pay TSA agents, saying paying TSA is not the same as funding the entire Department of Homeland Security and insisting, “I’m a cop” as he avoided explaining the logistics or duration of any funding, while highlighting broader DHS payroll concerns amid ongoing national-security debates.
House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries condemned Donald Trump for calling Democrats the country’s 'greatest enemy,' telling him to 'shut his reckless mouth' on CNN’s State of the Union. The sparring unfolds amid Trump’s attacks on DHS funding, the ongoing partial shutdown, and his plan to deploy ICE to airports to aid the TSA as security strains persist.
Saturday Night Live scrapped a rehearsed State of the Union sketch after the U.S. and Israel strikes on Iran, replacing it with material that mirrored real events so closely that jokes felt like headlines—including Trump references and lines around the operation code-named “OPERATION EPIC FURY”—condensing months of prep into a moment when reality outpaced satire.
Stephen Colbert used his Late Show monologue to needle Donald Trump after the State of the Union, highlighting a ratings dip for Trump and joking that CBS should cancel him; Colbert noted his own post-SOTU edition climbed 7% from last year, quipping that people may not like watching Trump but enjoy watching Colbert dislike him.
Late-night hosts, led by Stephen Colbert, riffed on President Trump’s State of the Union ratings, which dropped about 11% from last year to roughly 32.6 million viewers; Colbert quipped that Trump is 'dragging down broadcast television' and even floated canceling him, with Fallon and Kimmel delivering their own punchlines about the political spotlight and related investigations.
More than 32.6 million people watched Trump’s State of the Union address—the longest in recent history at 107 minutes—making it the smallest audience for his second-term SOTU so far. Fox News led with 9.1 million viewers, followed by ABC (5.1M), NBC (3.6M), CBS (3.3M), MSNBC (2.4M), CNN (2.2M) and Fox’s broadcast network (2.1M). The LA Times notes polarized reactions as Trump emphasized positive economic data and immigration crackdown while the speech was extended to a record length.
Trump's Feb. 24 State of the Union drew about 32.6 million viewers, the lowest among his congressional/SOTU addresses and well below his 2017 peak of 47.7 million, though Biden's 2021 inauguration had 33.8 million and his 2024 SOTU 32.2 million. The speech ran 1 hour, 47 minutes, 40 seconds, with roughly 2.05 million viewers aged 18–34, 5.96 million aged 35–54, and 23.62 million aged 55+. Nielsen tracks both network broadcasts and streaming; figures may be updated as data evolves.
In the State of the Union, President Donald Trump called New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani a “nice guy” despite previously labeling him a communist, signaling a cordial if unsettled relationship. Trump used the address to push GOP priorities, including voter ID and other policy points, while Mamdani has avoided direct confrontation and has maintained regular, cautious contact with the president.
Republicans push a post-State of the Union clip on immigration to frame it as a defining campaign issue and mobilize their base, while Democrats counter with criticisms of Trump’s policies and emphasize that the economy remains the dominant factor shaping the midterm outcome.
A MoveOn-led counter-State of the Union rally on the National Mall drew Democratic lawmakers and progressive advocates to challenge Trump’s address, highlighting inequality and policies’ harms, with organizers claiming millions watched online and speakers urging a progressive alternative.
Republicans view a single moment from Trump's State of the Union—Democrats not standing as he framed citizenship protection as the government's first duty—as a tool to revive their immigration argument in the 2026 midterms. GOP groups plan ads around the clip to contrast Democrats with national-security messaging, while polling suggests immigration remains a dividing issue and the economy still worries voters.
Kelly Pannek says the U.S. women's hockey team did not attend the State of the Union due to academic and professional commitments and travel logistics, not the Trump joke; the men's team attended and won Olympic gold, highlighting Team USA's success and suggesting a future invitation for the women.
Aliyah Rahman, a Minnesota resident invited by Rep. Ilhan Omar to the State of the Union, was arrested for disruption during the address after standing during a segment about Homeland Security funding. She was taken to George Washington University Hospital for treatment of injuries including a torn rotator cuff, and later booked at Capitol Police HQ. Rahman says officers dragged her for standing silently, while Capitol Police say she refused to sit and violated rules against demonstrations inside Congressional Buildings. Omar called for a full explanation, noting Rahman has autism and a traumatic brain injury.
President Trump raged against Robert De Niro after the Oscar winner spoke out against his State of the Union, calling for De Niro to be deported along with Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib. The tirade came as the speech featured high-profile moments about Supreme Court attendance and Trump’s tariff policy, and amid polling showing his approval dipping ahead of the midterms.
President Donald Trump vented on Truth Social after Robert De Niro criticized him at a 'State of the Swamp' counter-event, calling Omar and Tlaib 'lunatics' who should be deported; De Niro said he felt betrayed by his country, urging a return to core values. Trump responded with insults toward De Niro and reiterated attacks on the Democratic lawmakers, illustrating the sharp exchanges that followed the counter-programming around Trump’s State of the Union address.