5 key moments from Trump’s record-breaking State of the Union address

Published February 25, 2026
Rep. Al Green (D-TX) holds a sign US President Donald Trump arrives for his State of the Union address during a Joint Session of Congress at the US Capitol on Feb 24, 2026, in Washington, DC. — AFP
Rep. Al Green (D-TX) holds a sign US President Donald Trump arrives for his State of the Union address during a Joint Session of Congress at the US Capitol on Feb 24, 2026, in Washington, DC. — AFP
Rep. Al Green (D-TX) holds a sign after US President Donald Trump arrived to deliver the State of the Union address to a joint session of Congress at the US Capitol in Washington, DC on Feb 24, 2026. — Reuters
Rep. Al Green (D-TX) holds a sign after US President Donald Trump arrived to deliver the State of the Union address to a joint session of Congress at the US Capitol in Washington, DC on Feb 24, 2026. — Reuters
Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI) R) and Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MI) shout during US President Donald Trump’s State of the Union address during a Joint Session of Congress at the US Capitol on Feb 24, 2026, in Washington, DC. — AFP
Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI) R) and Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MI) shout during US President Donald Trump’s State of the Union address during a Joint Session of Congress at the US Capitol on Feb 24, 2026, in Washington, DC. — AFP
US President Donald Trump delivers the first State of the Union address of his second term to a joint session of Congress in the House Chamber of the United States Capitol in Washington, DC, on Feb 24, 2026. — AFP
US President Donald Trump delivers the first State of the Union address of his second term to a joint session of Congress in the House Chamber of the United States Capitol in Washington, DC, on Feb 24, 2026. — AFP

For the first State of the Union address of his second term, United States President Donald Trump decided to go long, broaching everything from the economy to Iran during his one-hour-and-47-minute speech to Congress.

Here are five key moments from the longest-ever State of the Union address:

Supreme Court tension

Upon entering the US Capitol, Trump shook hands with several Supreme Court justices in attendance — three of whom had ruled days earlier to strike down the global tariffs he had made his signature economic policy.

Trump voiced his displeasure during the speech, calling the ruling “very unfortunate,” as the justices watched on from the front row.

The president did not dwell long on the subject, however, and said his administration was already planning a legal workaround to keep the duties he insists will be paid for by foreign countries.

Team USA unifies

During a speech marked by political divides between Trump’s Republicans and opposition Democrats, one of the few moments of unity occurred when the gold medal-winning US men’s Olympic hockey team entered the room.

The entire audience rose and applauded, chanting “USA! USA!” in unison, to recognise the Olympians, who clinched America’s first ice hockey gold in 46 years.

Democratic lawmaker expelled

Congress plays a key, performative role during the State of the Union, applauding and standing up in agreement with the president or sitting still to voice their displeasure.

Dozens of Democrats skipped the event altogether, and those in attendance largely stayed seated except on rare occasions.

Several wore white to pay homage to the suffragette movement celebrating women’s right to vote, or donned pins demanding accountability over those named in the files released on sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

In one notable act of resistance, Democratic lawmaker Al Green was expelled after holding up a sign reading “Black people aren’t apes!” in response to a racist video of the Obamas shared by Trump.

Ilhan Omar heckles Trump

Tensions soared when House Democrat Ilhan Omar, who has frequently sparred with Trump, shouted at the president while he spoke.

“You should be ashamed of yourselves,” Trump told Democrats in attendance, who had refused to stand up throughout his address.

“You have killed Americans,” Omar shouted in response, in reference to the deaths of two protesters at the hands of federal agents dispatched to Minneapolis last month.

The lawmaker, whose district represents Minneapolis, later left the speech before Trump had finished.

Longest speech ever

At one hour and 47 minutes, Trump delivered the longest State of the Union speech in US history, beating the previous record of one hour and 20 minutes set by former president Bill Clinton in 2000.

The speech even outlasted Trump’s address to Congress last year shortly after taking office, which lasted one hour and 40 minutes.

Opinion

Editorial

Collective security
Updated 12 Mar, 2026

Collective security

Regional states need to sit down and talk. They must also pledge and work towards collective security.
Spectrum leap
12 Mar, 2026

Spectrum leap

THE sale of 480 MHz of fifth-generation telecom spectrum for $507m is a major milestone in Pakistan’s digital...
Toxic fallout
12 Mar, 2026

Toxic fallout

WARS can leave environmental scars that remain long after the fighting is over. The strikes on Iran’s oil...
Token austerity
Updated 11 Mar, 2026

Token austerity

The ‘austerity’ measures are a ritualistic response to public anger rather than a sincere attempt to reform state spending.
Lebanon on fire
11 Mar, 2026

Lebanon on fire

WHILE the entire Gulf region has become an active warzone, repercussions of this conflict have spread to the...
Canine crisis
11 Mar, 2026

Canine crisis

KARACHI’S stray dog crisis requires urgent attention. Feral canines can cause serious and lasting physical and...