In record State of the Union, Trump spars with Dems, touts economy and immigration

The speech was a chance for Trump to make his case ahead of the midterms.

ByAlexandra Hutzler, Ivan Pereira, and Meredith Deliso
Last Updated: February 24, 2026, 11:57 PM EST

President Donald Trump delivered his State of the Union Tuesday night in Washington, as a majority of Americans disapprove of how he is handling inflation, tariffs, relations with other countries, immigration and the economy, according to an ABC News/Washington Post/Ipsos poll.

For Trump, the speech was a chance to make the case directly to millions of Americans ahead of November's midterm elections where control of Congress is at stake. Dozens of Democrats, meanwhile, skipped the speech in protest.

Key Headlines

Here's how the news developed:
Feb 24, 2026, 9:51 PM EST

Trump criticizes Supreme Court tariff ruling with justices seated in front row

With four Supreme Court justices seated in the front row, Trump criticized the Supreme Court's recent ruling striking down most of his global tariffs as illegal. The justices did not appear to react as Trump spoke.

PHOTO: Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts, Associate Justice Elena Kagan, Associate Justice Brent Kavanaugh and Associate Justice Mary Coney Barrett attend the State of the Union at the U.S. Capitol on Feb. 24, 2026, in Washington, D.C.
Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts, Associate Justice Elena Kagan, Associate Justice Brent Kavanaugh and Associate Justice Mary Coney Barrett attend the State of the Union address during a Joint Session of Congress at the U.S. Capitol on Feb. 24, 2026, in Washington, D.C.
Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

Trump called the decision "unfortunate" and "disappointing," but said he'll move the policy forward under different legal authorities. The president also notably said he'll move forward with tariffs without action from Congress, despite Republican majorities in both chambers.

Democrats in the chambers applauded as Trump spoke about the Supreme Court rebuke.

With four Supreme Court justices seated in the front row, President Trump criticized the Supreme Court's recent ruling striking down most of his global tariffs as illegal.
2:34
Trump criticizes Supreme Court tariff ruling with justices seated in front rowWith four Supreme Court justices seated in the front row, President Trump criticized the Supreme Court's recent ruling striking down most of his global tariffs as illegal.
ABCNews.com
Feb 24, 2026, 9:47 PM EST

Trump touts One Big Beautiful Bill, slams Democrats

Trump thanked congressional Republicans for passing his spending bill, dubbed "One Big Beautiful Bill," that he contended cut taxes for millions of Americans and offered amenities such as no tax on tips.

Trump thanked Congressional Republicans for passing his spending bill that he contended cut taxes for millions of Americans and offered amenities such as no tax on tips.
1:32
Trump touts Big Beautiful Bill, slams Democrats in addressTrump thanked Congressional Republicans for passing his spending bill that he contended cut taxes for millions of Americans and offered amenities such as no tax on tips.
ABCNews.com

The president slammed Democrats, who voted against the spending bill.

"They wanted large scale tax increases to hurt the people instead," Trump said.

Feb 24, 2026, 9:39 PM EST

FACT CHECK: Migrant border crossings

TRUMP CLAIM: "In the past nine months, zero illegal aliens have been admitted to the United States."

FACT CHECK: False, but crossings are down drastically

After using executive authority to enforce a series of restrictive policy measures at the southern border, the Trump administration has severely decreased the number of people who crossed the border illegally, down from the record highs of the Biden administration.

According to the data collected by Customs and Border Protection, in 2024, the last full year of Biden’s presidency, there were over 1.5 million encounters with migrants attempting to illegally cross the border. In 2025, the first full year of Trump’s second term in office, that number dropped to just under 28,000.

Those low trends continue in 2026, but have never been at “zero” as the president has often suggested. The numbers suggest migrants are still attempting to cross the border, and it would be impossible to know if any had gone through unnoticed.

-ABC News' Luke Barr and Justin Fishel

Feb 24, 2026, 9:34 PM EST

'We ended DEI in America'

While touting his accomplishments, Trump said, "We ended DEI in America" -- referring to diversity, equity and inclusion practices, a frequent target of his administration.

Trump said they got a record number of "job-killing regulations" and decreased the number of people on food stamps by 2.4 million.

President Donald Trump delivers the State of the Union address in the House Chamber of the US Capitol in Washington, February 24, 2026.
Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP via Getty Images

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