Trump’s defiant message: US is ‘hottest country anywhere in the world’ | The Excerpt
USA TODAY
In Trump’s first State of the Union address for his second term, Trump embodied the defiant and combative speaking style that defined his candidacy.
On the Wednesday, February 25, 2026, episode of The Excerpt podcast: After a tumultuous start to his second term, President Donald Trump is looking to reset the reigning narrative about his leadership with Americans. USA TODAY Washington Bureau Chief Susan Page joins The Excerpt to share her analysis.
Hit play on the player below to hear the podcast and follow along with the transcript beneath it. This transcript was automatically generated, and then edited for clarity in its current form. There may be some differences between the audio and the text.
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Dana Taylor:
After a tumultuous start to a second term, president Donald Trump is looking to reset the rainy narrative about his leadership with Americans. In his first State of the Union address of his second term, the president tried to sell the country on his economic agenda, working to counter increasingly dim views of his economic stewardship. Did he succeed? Hello and welcome to USA TODAY's The Excerpt. I'm Dana Taylor. Today is Wednesday, February 25th, 2026. Here to help me break down Trump's message to the American people, I'm now joined by USA TODAY, Washington Bureau Chief Susan Page. Susan, thank you so much for joining me.
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