'Roaring economy' and 'sick' Dems. Takeaways from Trump's SOTU address

Trump defended his policies during his State of the Union speech as polls showed deep skepticism of his leadership heading into the midterm elections.

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump declared the country is booming, his opponents are "crazy" and his administration is engaged in unprecedented levels of "winning" in a defiant, marathon State of the Union address that comes as polls showed deep skepticism of his leadership heading into a crucial midterm election.

The president delivered a full-throated and intensely partisan defense of his policies amid a low point in his second term as he grapples with a major setback on tariffs, strong opposition to his immigration enforcement tactics, low approval ratings, and other challenges at home and abroad, including a partial government shutdown and a potential military conflict with Iran.

"We have achieved a transformation like no one has ever seen before, and a turnaround for the ages," Trump said during the nearly one-hour and 50-minute speech, the longest State of the Union in history, while lashing out at Democrats he accused of "destroying our country."

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-New York, called the speech a "state of delusion" as his party tries to wrestle control of Congress and put a check on a president Democrats accuse of being out of touch on the economy and increasingly authoritarian.

Trump sought to counter Americans' dim views about his economic stewardship, which is expected to be the central issue in the midterm elections. Facing widespread discontent with the cost of living, the president blamed Democrats for the problem and said his administration is relentlessly working to drive down prices.