On the 24th, U.S. President Trump stated that Iran is developing missiles capable of reaching the United States.
During his State of the Union address, he said: "They (Iran) have already developed missiles that can threaten Europe and our overseas bases, and they are developing missiles that will soon be able to reach the United States."
He pointed out that the U.S. will never allow Iran to possess nuclear weapons.
He said: "We are negotiating with them (Iran). They want to reach a deal, but we have not heard that key phrase: 'We will never have nuclear weapons.'"
He indicated his preference to resolve the Iranian nuclear issue through diplomatic means and stated that no one should doubt America’s resolve. The United States possesses the most powerful military force on earth.
Trump began his State of the Union address at 9 p.m. Eastern Time on the 24th in the House chamber. He delivered the longest State of the Union address in history, breaking the record set by Clinton in 2000 of 1 hour and 20 minutes, as well as his own 1 hour and 40 minutes speech delivered to Congress last March.
Claiming an Unprecedented Reversal in American History
Trump opened by asserting that under his leadership, the United States has achieved an unprecedented reversal and vowed to address all the threats facing the country.
He stated that he inherited a disastrous economy from the previous administration.
He reiterated that during former President Biden’s tenure, America suffered the worst inflation in its history, but over the past 12 months, his administration has reduced core inflation to its lowest level in more than five years.
He said that over the past year, his administration has achieved unprecedented changes, calling it the turnaround of the century. The U.S. economy is now booming at an unprecedented rate.
Trump noted that America’s borders are now impenetrable, its enemies are deterred, its military and police are strong, and the United States has regained unprecedented respect.
Criticizing the "Reciprocal Tariff" Ruling
Trump also, during his State of the Union address, criticized the Supreme Court’s "reciprocal tariff" ruling right in front of several justices involved in the decision.
He said that the Supreme Court’s decision was "very unfortunate."
However, Trump pointed out that America’s trade partners "wish to maintain agreements already reached with his administration," "because they know the legal power I possess as president to strike new deals could have even worse consequences for them."
Once Again Protested by Democratic Lawmakers
In addition, when Trump criticized Somali immigrants in his speech, he was protested by Somali-American Democratic Congresswoman Omar.
Television broadcasts showed Trump referring to Somali immigrants in Minnesota as "Somali pirates" during his remarks, claiming they engaged in fraud. Omar, present at the scene, immediately shouted: "You are lying!"
Trump and Omar have exchanged criticisms on multiple occasions in the past. In January of this year, Trump stated on social media that the U.S. Department of Justice and Congress were "watching" Omar.
At the very beginning of Trump’s speech, he was also protested by Texas Democratic Congressman Green, who was subsequently escorted out of the venue.