Donald Trump lays out agenda for presidency reset in record 108-minute address to the United States Congress

US President Donald Trump on Tuesday declared what he described as a historic political turnaround during a record-breaking State of the Union address, as he sought to counter weak approval ratings and mounting domestic and foreign policy challenges ahead of the midterm elections.

Speaking before a joint session of the United States Congress, Trump received repeated standing ovations from Republican lawmakers, while most Democrats remained seated in silent protest, with occasional interruptions.

The address lasted one hour and 48 minutes, setting a new record for the longest presidential speech to Congress. The previous record was also held by Trump, whose address last year ran for 100 minutes. Before then, the longest speeches belonged to former President Bill Clinton, who spoke for 89 minutes in 2000 and 85 minutes in 1995.

Opening on an optimistic note, Trump told lawmakers and viewers that the United States was “bigger, better, richer and stronger than ever before,” claiming his administration had delivered an unprecedented transformation during its first year back in office.

The prime-time address, broadcast nationwide, was widely seen as an effort to re-energise voters amid concerns within the Republican Party about losing control of Congress in November’s midterm elections an outcome that could stall the remainder of Trump’s second term and expose him to renewed political pressure.

Trump also leaned into patriotic moments, inviting members of the US Olympic ice hockey team, fresh from a gold medal victory, onto the House floor to loud applause and chants of “USA.” He announced the award of the Presidential Medal of Freedom to the team’s goalkeeper and presented Medals of Honor to a helicopter pilot injured during a January operation in Venezuela and to a 100-year-old Korean War veteran.

On foreign policy, Trump said Iran was pursuing missiles capable of reaching the United States and reiterated that the country would never be allowed to develop nuclear weapons. While describing Iran’s nuclear ambitions as dangerous, he said his preferred solution remained diplomacy and confirmed that negotiations were ongoing.

He also claimed that Venezuela had resumed shipping oil to the United States and pointed to the killing of a major Mexican drug kingpin as a success in the fight against organised crime.

Midway through the address, the tone hardened as Trump criticised Democrats and undocumented immigrants, accusing political opponents of undermining the country. He urged Congress to pass legislation introducing stricter voter identification requirements, repeating his long-standing claims of widespread election fraud assertions disputed by opponents, who argue the measures could disenfranchise eligible voters.

The speech came as Trump’s approval ratings remained low. Recent polling showed public dissatisfaction with his handling of the economy and inflation, while his administration has faced setbacks including a recent ruling by the Supreme Court of the United States striking down his use of coercive trade tariffs.

Despite briefly greeting members of the court during the address, Trump later criticised the decision as “very unfortunate,” adding to the tensions that have marked his return to office.

The president has also faced renewed scrutiny over immigration enforcement actions and lingering controversy linked to the Jeffrey Epstein scandal, further complicating his political standing as the midterms approach.