2.24.26
“Trump Brings Hope to America in State of the Union Speech”
From Donna Garner
[The three sources from which I took much of the information for this article are listed at the bottom of this page.]
[COMMENTS FROM DONNA GARNER: On 2.24.26 President Trump’s State of the Union Speech (SOTUS) captured the world’s attention because of its wide-ranging content illustrated by the personal experiences of the people who were in the audience.
As Trump would explain a victory or a defeat on a particular issue, he would point out real-life individuals who were in attendance.
Nothing Trump said was theoretical but instead was tied to the lives of real people – some were champions; some were victims.
The personal element made Trump’s SOTUS unforgettable.]
DEMOCRATS REFUSED TO STAND AND REAFFIRM
"One of the great things about the State of the Union is how it gives Americans a chance to see clearly what their representatives really believe," Trump said.
"The first duty of the American government is to protect American citizens, not illegal aliens."
Trump took direct aim at Democrats' lax immigration policies, calling on lawmakers to…join with his administration to reaffirm a fundamental principle.
The President stated, “If you agree with this statement, then STAND UP up and show your support: ‘The first duty of the American government is to protect American citizens, not illegal aliens.’"
Republicans stood and applauded for nearly two minutes, while DEMOCRATS REMAINED SEATED WITH SEVERAL OF THEM RUDELY SHOUTING BACK AT HIM!
"…You should be ashamed of yourself, not standing up," Trump said.
"That is why I'm also asking you to end deadly sanctuary cities that protect the criminals and enact serious penalties for public officials who blocked the removal of criminal aliens."
"In many cases, drug lords…murderers…all over our country," he said.
"They’re [Democrats] blocking the removal of these people [illegals] out of our country. And you should be ashamed of yourselves."
The president pointed to the impact of stringent immigration enforcement, noting a nearly-60% decrease in the flow of fentanyl and the lowest murder rate recorded in over a century.
He decried the “corruption” and “plundering” enacted by illegal immigrants, highlighting the rampant fraud committed by “Somali pirates” in Minnesota, defrauding nearly $20 billion from taxpayers.
“California, Massachusetts, Maine, and many other states are even worse.
Vice President J.D. Vance will be leading the administration’s anti-fraud task force.
“He’ll get it done and, if we’re able to find enough of that fraud, we will actually have a balanced budget overnight”…
LIZBETH MEDINA STABBED 25 TIMES BY ILLEGAL
Trump pointed to the case of Lizbeth Medina, a 16-year-old girl who was stabbed 25 times by an illegal immigrant and was found bleeding to death by her mother, Jacqueline.
“Her heartbroken mother is in the gallery to remind everyone in this chamber exactly why we are deporting illegal alien criminals from our country at record numbers…”
IRYNA KILLED BY ILLEGAL ON THE TRAIN
“Last summer, 23-year-old Iryna was riding home on the train when a deranged monster, who had been arrested over a dozen times and was released through no-cash bail, stood up and viciously slashed a knife through her neck and body,” the president recounted.
“No one will ever forget … the expression of terror on Iryna’s face as she looked up at her attacker in the last seconds of her life. She died instantly. She had escaped a brutal war [in Ukraine] only to be slain by a hardened criminal set free to kill in America…”
7-YEAR-OLD DELILAH COLEMAN KILLED BY ILLEGAL TRUCK DRIVER
…Trump invited a wide-ranging swath of guests to his speech, from everyday moms to war veterans, as well as 7-year-old Delilah Coleman.
Coleman nearly lost her life in 2024 in a multi-car pileup in California that involved a tractor trailer driven by an illegal immigrant.
Trump explained:
“Delilah Coleman was only 5 years old in June 2024 when an 18-wheeler tractor trailer traveling at 60 MPH (driven by an illegal alien who had received a commercial driver’s license) plowed into Delilah’s stopped car.
The driver had been let into the US by Joe Biden and had been given a commercial driver's license by open-borders-politicians and the state of California.
At age 5, Delilah Coleman was hurt so badly in the wreck that the doctors thought she would ‘never be able to walk or talk.’
But against all odds, she is now in the first grade, learning to walk, and she’s with her dad, Marcus, a fantastic man.
The father hoisted the little girl on his shoulder, and they exchanged kisses on their cheeks as the little girl struggled to wave her hand at the applauding crowd.”
In September 2025, the Trump administration cracked down on noncitizen truck drivers, tightening eligibility requirements for non-domiciled commercial learner’s permits (CLPs) and commercial driver’s licenses (CDLs).
Trump also signed an executive order requiring truck drivers to pass English literacy tests.
The crackdowns are aimed at increasing road safety.
HOCKEY TEAMS HONOR AMERICA
“…Trump invited the U.S. men's hockey team to the speech, just days after their gold medal win over Canada at the Winter Olympics.
Connor Hellebuyck’s near-perfect defensive play was a key reason for the team’s victory over Canada, 2–1 in overtime on Feb. 22, the final day of the XXV Olympic Winter Games.
It was the first such USA victory since the 1980 Olympics.
The team filled the aisles of the chamber as Trump welcomed them as examples of American triumph during his speech.
The chamber broke out into chants of ‘USA’ as lawmakers of both parties stood to honor the Olympians.
Applause, cheers, and whistles filled the House Chamber.”
HOCKEY GOALTENDER CONNOR HELLEBUYCK HONORED
Hockey goaltender Connor Hellebuyck, in particular, received a hero's welcome when Trump announced Connor would receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
Hellebuyck made 41 saves during the U.S.' game against Canada on Sunday [2.22.26], which helped keep the score tied at 1–1, forcing the game into overtime.
Trump announced, "I will soon be presenting Connor with our highest civilian honor [which has only been awarded 12 times before]. It's called the highest civilian honor in our country -- The Presidential Medal of Freedom."
The president also commended the U.S. women’s hockey team for winning...
They will soon be coming to the White House to be recognized for their victory. [A scheduling conflict kept them from coming to the State of the Union Address.]
COURAGEOUS WW II VETERAN ROYCE WILLIAMS HONORED
…Trump honored a number of courageous members of the military…
Trump awarded the Medal of Honor to 100-year-old naval aviator Royce Williams, a veteran of World War II, the Korean War, and Vietnam…
Trump explained:
"In 1952, Royce [Williams] was in the dogfight of a lifetime…flying through blizzard conditions; his squadron was ambushed by seven Soviet fighter planes.
It was his first aerial combat of the war; and despite being massively outnumbered and outgunned, Royce led the takedown of four enemy jets and almost destroyed the others -- vanquishing his adversaries while taking 263 bullets to his own plane and being seriously hurt.
His story was secret for over 50 years. He didn't even want to tell his wife, but the legend grew and grew."
First Lady Melania Trump presented Royce Williams with the Medal of Honor.
At his request, the first lady helped Williams, age 100, rise to his feet.
He smiled broadly and waved as the gallery applauded for a full minute.
He became only the second person to receive that medal during a State of the Union speech.
“He was a legend before this evening,” the president said.
TWO IN MILITARY – ANDREW WOLFE, SARAH BECKSTROM -- ATTACKED IN WASH. D.C.
Trump also recognized U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe with the Purple Heart after Wolfe was attacked on the streets of Washington, D.C., ahead of Thanksgiving 2025.
Army Spc. Sarah Beckstrom, 20, was fatally injured in the same attack and was posthumously awarded the Purple Heart.
COAST GUARD RESCUER SCOTT RUSKAN SAVED 165 PEOPLE
Coast Guard rescue swimmer Scott Ruskan received the Legion of Merit for extraordinary heroism after rescuing 165 people during the deadly Texas Camp Mystic floods in July 2025. [The water rose 26 feet in a matter of minutes.]
Trump reunited Ruskan with an 11-year-old girl whom he rescued -- Milly Cate McClymond.
Trump stated, "It was Scott's first ever rescue mission (describing him as young but very brave). He lifted not just Milly Cate but also 164 others to safety. People who were watching Scott from a distance couldn't believe what they were seeing.
The winds were blowing, the rain was pouring…and that rapid water -- nobody's ever seen anything like it," Trump continued.
Milly Cate feared she would die and prayed to be saved.
“Those prayers were answered,” Trump said, when Ruskan “descended from a helicopter above; nobody knew where he came from.”
"Tonight, Scott Ruskan, and Milly Cate are here together, reunited for the very first time."
INJURED PILOT SLOVER AMAZINGLY KEPT FLYING THE PLANE
When U.S. forces swooped in to capture Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro so he could face criminal charges in the United States, many brave military members worked together under very risky conditions, Trump said.
“But the deeds of one warrior [Chief Warrant Officer 5 Eric Slover] that night will live forever in the eternal chronicles of military valor,” the President said.
The Army pilot steered a huge Chinook helicopter through the night sky toward a heavily guarded military installation in Venezuela.
As he prepared to land, “Enemy machine guns fired from every angle; and Eric was hit very badly in the leg and hip -- one bullet after another,” Trump said.
Four gunshots ripped through him, “shredding his leg into numerous pieces.”
“Even as he was gushing blood, which was flowing back down the aisle, Slover had to use his legs to control the helicopter.”
“He knew he had to change its position so gunners could return fire…saving the lives of his fellow warriors from what could have been a catastrophic crash deep in enemy territory,” Trump said.
Finally, “Eric told his co-pilot (also wounded, but not as gravely) to take over” because Eric was on the verge of passing out.
The success of the entire mission and the lives of his fellow warriors hinged on Eric’s ability to take searing pain. It was unbelievable,” Trump said.
The president motioned for Slover and his wife, Amy Slover, to be recognized.
The gallery applauded and burst into chants of “USA! USA!”
His wife smiled and tapped her hand over her heart; her husband stood in full military uniform, holding onto the frame of a walker.
Trump asked a general to present Slover with the Medal of Honor, the nation’s highest military honor.
Slover became the first to receive that award at a State of the Union address.
Trump also said that 10 other military members will be receiving medals at a private White House ceremony, and Slover will join them.
SURPRISE REUNION FOR FORMER VENEZUELAN PRISONER
U.S. actions “bring new hope to those who have suffered so terribly under Maduro,” Trump said.
Alejandra Gonzalez grew up in “a close-knit Venezuelan family and was especially close to her beloved uncle, Enrique,” Trump said, referring to Enrique Márquez, who ran for office and opposed Maduro.
Then, her uncle [Enrique Márquez] was “kidnapped by Maduro security forces and thrown into the regime’s really infamous prison in Caracas,” Trump said.
At that point Alejandra and the rest of the family feared for Enrique Márquez’s life as well as that of their own.
“But since the raid, we have worked with the new leadership, and they have ordered the closure of that vile prison – releasing hundreds of political prisoners already with more to come,” Trump said, before unveiling a surprise.
“Alejandra, I’m pleased to inform you that not only has your uncle been released, but he is here tonight!” Trump said.
“We brought him over to celebrate his freedom with you in person.”
RENEWAL OF FAITH IN AMERICA
Trump also touted a “renewal” in faith across the U.S., which he credited largely to the influence of Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk, who was assassinated in September [2025].
“I’m very proud to say that during my time in office, both the first four years and in particular this last year, there has been a tremendous renewal in religion, faith, Christianity, and belief in God… “
“This is especially true among young people, and a big part of that has had to do with my great friend Charlie Kirk, a great guy, great man,” he observed.
“In Charlie’s memory, we must all come together to reaffirm that America is one nation under God, and we must totally reject political violence of any kind. We love religion; we love bringing it back; and it’s coming back at levels that nobody actually thought possible. It’s really a beautiful thing to see.”
DISPUTE OVER GENDER IDEOLOGY – SAGE BLAIR
Trump explained that when Sage Blair was 14, school officials in Virginia “sought to socially transition her to a new gender, treating her as a boy and hiding it from her parents.”
She ran away from home. Later, a judge kept her away from her parents because they refused to call her their son.
“Sage was thrown into an all-boys’ state home and suffered terribly for a long time,” Trump said.
“But today, all of that is behind the family because Sage is a proud and wonderful young woman with a full-ride scholarship to Liberty University.”
The girl and her mother received a standing ovation.
Trump said: “Surely we can all agree: No state can be allowed to rip children from their parents’ arms and transition them to a new gender against the parents’ will.”
He called upon a nationwide ban of that practice.
Republicans gave him a standing ovation for that statement.
Trump criticized Democrats for remaining seated.
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SAVE ACT
Trump also pressed the Senate to pass the SAVE America Act, which would require proof of citizenship when registering to vote and photo ID when voting.
“Cheating is rampant in our elections. It’s rampant. It’s very simple; all voters must show voter ID. All voters must show proof of citizenship in order to vote. And no more crooked mail-in ballots except for illness, disability, military or travel — none,” he said.
DEMOCRATS CREATED INFLATION
Trump clarified that it was The Biden administration and its allies in Congress who gave us the worst inflation in the history of our country.
“In 12 months, my administration has driven core inflation down to the lowest level in more than five years.”
He touted falling prices, particularly the prices of groceries and energy bills, but he acknowledged that driving down runaway inflation does take time.
“Soon you will see numbers that few people would think were possible to achieve just a short time ago,” he said.
However, he was also quick to blame Democrats for enabling the inflation crisis.
“You caused that problem; you caused that problem. They knew their statements were a lie, they knew it,” he charged.
“Their policies created the high prices — our policies are rapidly ending them. We are doing really well. Those prices are plummeting downward.”
RACHEL WIGGINS AND HOUSING CRISIS
The president also addressed the housing crisis, pointing to an executive order he issued barring investment firms from purchasing single-family homes.
“Another pillar of the American dream that has been under attack is homeownership.
With us tonight is Rachel Wiggins, a mom of two from Houston,” he shared.
Wiggins placed bids on 20 different houses and lost every single bid to “gigantic investment firms that bypassed inspection, paid all cash, and turned those houses into rentals, stealing away her American dream.”
Trump called on Congress to codify his executive order to ensure that investment firms do not deprive American families of a chance at home ownership.
“That’s what we want. We want homes for people, not for corporations,” he said.
However, the president also boasted that mortgage rates are “the lowest in four years and falling fast,” noting that the annual cost of a typical new mortgage is down almost $5,000 since early in 2025.
“Low interest rates will solve the Biden-created housing problem, while at the same time protecting the values of those people who already own a house that really feel rich for the first time in their lives,” he argued.
“We want to protect those values; we want to keep those values up. We’re going to do both. And we are going to keep it that way.”
TRUMP BRINGS BOOM TO U. S. JOB MARKET
While Trump acknowledged the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling barring his implementation of tariffs as “unfortunate,” he continued to highlight his efforts to secure major investments in U.S. production, manufacturing, and infrastructure, resulting in the reshoring of American jobs and a boom in the U.S. job market with all growth over the past year going to American citizens in the private sector.
“More Americans are working today than at any time in the history of our country,” he stated.
“… And 100% of all jobs created under my administration have been in the private sector [instead of hiring an over-abundance of federal employees].”
The president was also keen to honor the nation’s 250th birthday. “This July 4, we will mark two and a half centuries of liberty and triumph, progress, and freedom in the most incredible and exceptional nation ever to exist on the face of the Earth. And you’ve seen nothing yet,” he said.
…“This is the golden age of America.”
AMERICA AS TRUMP INHERITED NATION IN CRISIS
"When I last spoke in this chamber 12 months ago, I had just inherited a nation in crisis with a stagnant economy, inflation at record levels, a wide-open border, horrendous recruitment for military and police, rampant crime at home, and wars and chaos all over the world,” he recounted.
“But tonight, after just one year, I can say with dignity and pride that we have achieved a transformation like no one has ever seen before and a turnaround for the ages.”
“Together, we’re building a nation where every child has the chance to reach higher and go further, where government answers to the people, not the powerful, and where the interests of hardworking American citizens are always our first and ultimate concern.
That is the debt we owe to the heroes who came before us and that is the promise we must keep to America for our 250th year,” Trump declared.
He noted that while 250 years may be a long time, that span is “a mere moment in the eye of history.”
AMERICA BUILT FROM 13 HUMBLE COLONIES
Trump noted that two of his guests in the gallery were born nearly 100 years ago, and that Thomas Jefferson drew his last breath just 100 years before that, on July 4, 1826.
“Just a single long human lifespan separates the giants who declared and won our independence from the heroes who stand among us tonight.
Everything our nation has done, everything we have achieved has been the work of those few great lifetimes.”
In those brief chapters, Americans built this nation from 13 humble colonies into the pinnacle of human civilization and human freedom, the strongest, wealthiest, most powerful, most successful nation in all of history,” the president chronicled.
“Americans ventured out across the daunting and dangerous continent, we carved paths through an unforgiving wilderness, settled a boundless frontier, and tamed the beautiful but very, very dangerous Wild West.
From empty marshes and wide-open plains, we raised up the world’s greatest cities.”
AMERICAN INGENUITY AND INNOVATION
“Together, we mastered the world’s mightiest industries, shattered history’s monstrous tyrannies, and we liberated millions from the chains of fascism, communism, oppression, and terror.”
Trump boasted of American ingenuity and innovation, inventing the airplane, reaching the moon, and making enormous strides in the world of technology…
AMERICA AND GOD’S MIRACLES
“And when God needs a nation to work His miracles, He knows exactly whom to ask.
There is no challenge Americans cannot overcome, no frontier too vast for us to conquer, no dream too bold for us to chase, no horizon too distant for us to claim.
For our destiny is written by the hand of Providence and these first 250 years were just the beginning,” Trump stated.
“The Golden Age of America is upon us.
The revolution that began in 1776 has not ended; it still continues because the flame of liberty and independence still burns in the heart of every American patriot.
And our future will be bigger, better, brighter, bolder, and more glorious than ever before.”
HOW TO READ AND/OR TO VIEW THE SCOTUS
Here is the official and permanent White House transcript page for President Trump’s 2026 State of the Union Speech:
https://www.whitehouse.gov/remarks/2026/02/trumps-2026-state-of-the-union-address/
CNBC TELEVISION LINK TO STATE OF THE UNION SPEECH: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E-2SPzBHWc0
NPR TRANSCRIPT: https://www.npr.org/2026/02/25/nx-s1-5716159/trump-congress-state-union-read
***THESE ARE THE THREE SOURCES THAT I USED TO PRODUCE THIS ARTICLE
Excerpts taken from:
2.25.26 – “5 Unforgettable Moments from Trump’s Record-Breaking State of the Union Address” – by Emma Colton – Fox News -- https://www.foxnews.com/politics/5-unforgettable-moments-from-trumps-record-breaking-state-union-address
2.25.26 -- “10 Memorable Moments From Trump’s State of the Union Address” – by Janet Hisle – Epoch Times -- https://www.theepochtimes.com/us/10-memorable-moments-from-trumps-state-of-the-union-address-5990508
2.26.26 – “The Hand of Providence: Trump Touts Admin. Victories, Addresses Economic Worries, Celebrates Patriotism in SOTUS” -- By S. A. McCarthy – The Washington Stand -- https://washingtonstand.com/article/the-hand-of-providence-trump-touts-admin-victories-addresses-economic-worries-celebrates-patriotism-in-sotu