Fact-checking Donald Trump’s State of the Union address
Al Jazeera
The US president exaggerates on economy and immigration amid sagging popularity before the crucial midterm elections.
In a combative State of the Union speech – the longest in modern history at about 108 minutes – United States President Donald Trump defended his administration’s economic performance and hardline immigration agenda amid sagging poll numbers before the midterm elections.
Trump boasted that inflation is plummeting and gas prices are lower. He also defended his immigration efforts, which have caused turmoil in Democratic-run cities and resulted in the deaths of two US citizens shot by immigration agents.
Trump called on legislators to stand and show their support if they agree that the “first duty of the American government is to protect American citizens, not illegal aliens”. That garnered a prolonged standing ovation from Republicans and silence from seated Democrats, prompting Trump to say they should be “ashamed of themselves”.
Scant in Trump’s speech: Acknowledgement of the fourth anniversary of the Russia-Ukraine war, which he vowed during his presidential campaign to end. He also didn’t discuss the release of government files on late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, an issue Trump pivoted on after undermining efforts to release them, although some Epstein victims were in attendance.
Dozens of Democrats skipped Trump’s address and attended outside events, including a rally on the National Mall. Democratic Representative Texas, Al Green, was escorted out of the House chamber at the start of Trump’s speech after he held up a sign that read “Black people aren’t apes,” referencing a video Trump recently posted on Truth Social depicting President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama as apes. (The video was later removed, and the White House said it was posted in error.)
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