President Donald Trump delivered the first State of the Union address of his second term Tuesday night at the United States Capitol, delivering a wide-ranging speech that lasted approximately one hour and 47 minutes — the longest address of its kind in modern history.
According to a report by CNN, the speech came at a challenging moment for the president. It followed a recent decision by the Supreme Court of the United States striking down his signature global tariffs. Trump is also weighing a potential second round of military strikes on Iran, while facing declining political support in his second term.
Despite the political headwinds, Trump used the address to spotlight acts of heroism and national pride. During the speech, he honored several Americans for extraordinary service, including Korean War veteran Royce Williams and Chief Warrant Officer Eric Slover, both of whom received the Medal of Honor. He also reunited Enrique Márquez with his family and presented Coast Guard rescue swimmer Scott Ruskan with the Legion of Merit.
In a surprise moment, members of the United States men’s national ice hockey team, fresh off their Olympic gold medal victory, appeared in the chamber to applause. Trump announced that goaltender Connor Hellebuyck would be awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian honor.
The nearly two-hour address underscored both the ceremonial traditions of the presidency and the high-stakes political and legal challenges defining the early months of Trump’s second term.
