Trump’s 2026 State of the Union: The Longest Speech in History
Record Bullshit Density, and What the Hell Just Happened
Ladies and gentlemen, gather ‘round the digital campfire. Last night, February 24, 2026, President Donald J. Trump delivered the State of the Union address. Not just any SOTU – the longest one ever, clocking in at nearly two hours (108 minutes by some counts). First one during a partial government shutdown (DHS funding fight over immigration enforcement – Democrats blocking unless reforms, Republicans calling it sabotage). And I watched the whole damn thing, plus the counter-programming on the National Mall, so you don’t have to sit through the greatest reality-TV infomercial ever staged in the House chamber.
This wasn’t a speech. This was a spectacle. A carnival barker in a red tie telling you the golden age is here while half the room boos and the other half cheers like it’s WrestleMania. Nobody called out the con job better. Let’s dissect every remarkable, ridiculous, and “worth mentioning” moment. Bullet points? Sure. Fact checks? Hell yes. Perspective? Buckle up.
The Setup: Shutdown Spectacle, Protest Signs, and Selective Handshakes
Trump struts in during a DHS partial shutdown – the kind where TSA PreCheck might be glitchy and border ops are funded by emergency cash. First thing? Rep. Al Green (D-TX) gets hauled out holding a sign: “BLACK PEOPLE AREN’T APES”. Bold. Removed immediately.
Trump shakes hands with four Supreme Court justices (Roberts, Kagan, Kavanaugh, Barrett) and one Democrat: Sen. John Fetterman. The rest? Ice cold. Tone set: no unity here. This was red meat for the base, not olive branches.
(Image: Rep. Al Green holding the protest sign – via TIME/Getty. Credit: https://time.com/7380992/al-green-trump-protest-black-people-apes-state-of-the-union/)
Full speech video (PBS direct feed): Watch the unfiltered floor feed here → YouTube: PBS NewsHour
Alternative view (People’s SOTU highlights): MeidasTouch/MoveOn event streamed to over 1 million → Search “People’s State of the Union 2026 National Mall” on YouTube.
The Opening Boasts: “We’re Winning So Much You Can’t Handle It”
Trump kicks off by parading the U.S. men’s Olympic hockey gold medal team. Announces goalie Connor Hellebuyck gets the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Crowd eats it up. “The golden age of America is upon us!”
Then the economy sermon:
2.4 million Americans lifted off food stamps (SNAP) in one year – “record.”
Egg prices down 60%.
Gas below $2.30/gallon in most states.
Democrats just discovered “affordability.”
Fact check & perspective (“Gimme a break!”):
SNAP drop: Partially true but spin city. New One Big Beautiful Bill Act (2025) expanded work requirements to ages 18-64, cut funding by ~$186B over 10 years (CBO). Millions lost eligibility – not “lifted off” by magic jobs, but by stricter rules. Real poverty metrics? Mixed at best.
Eggs: Wholesale prices plunged ~50-60% from bird-flu peaks in early 2025 (USDA data). Retail? Still elevated in many spots; consumers aren’t seeing full “60% off” at the grocery yet.
Gas: National average ~$2.92-$2.95 (AAA Feb 2026). Cheapest state (Oklahoma) ~$2.34. “Most states below $2.30”? False. Only a handful that low.
(Trump mid-rant, pointing at the chamber – via 6ABC/Getty)
Tariffs, Taxes, Fraud Wars & Insider Trading Theater
Trump vows tariffs anyway (despite Supreme Court smackdown limiting executive power). Claims they’ll “replace the income tax” and foreign countries pay them. Economists: Tariffs are paid by U.S. importers/consumers – passed to you at Walmart.
VP JD Vance leads “war on fraud” – cites $19B in Minnesota Medicaid fraud, points at Somali communities. Context: Earlier estimates ~$9B potential; disputed by Gov. Walz; not all tied to one group.
Bans insider trading for Congress: “Did Nancy Pelosi stand up? Doubt it.” She did. Crowd laughs.
The rich write the rules, then act shocked when we notice.
Foreign Policy Fairy Tales: “I Ended Eight Wars”
Trump: “I ended eight wars.” Iran will “never have a nuclear weapon.” Every NATO country now at 5% GDP on defense.
Fact check:
Eight wars: Exaggerated (NPR/PBS/CNN fact-checks). Includes ceasefires (Israel-Hamas, Israel-Iran limited exchanges), diplomatic wins (some Africa/Asia border disputes), and non-wars (Egypt-Ethiopia dam spat). Ongoing fighting in places like eastern Congo. Not “ended.”
NATO: Most at 2%+ (all hit 2% in 2025 per NATO). Only Poland/Lithuania/Latvia over 3.5%. New 5% pledge is by 2035, not now.
Iran: Tough talk, but rebuilding claims and missile threats hyped.
“We don’t end wars anymore – we rebrand them as ‘operations’ and sell the highlight reel.” - George Carlin
The Clashes: “You Should Be Ashamed!”
Trump to Dems: “These people are crazy.” Shouts at Rep. Ilhan Omar: “You should be ashamed!” She fires back: “You have killed Americans. You should be ashamed.”
Democrats cheer when he says they voted against tax cuts. He calls out cheating elections (no widespread evidence).
Counter-programming on the Mall: Over 1 million streamed the People’s State of the Union (MeidasTouch/MoveOn). Rep. Summer Lee announces impeachment articles vs. Pam Bondi. Rep. Robert Garcia: Epstein survivors watching Trump. Sen. Ruben Gallego: “State of denial – country sicker, poorer, less secure.”
(People’s SOTU vibe – Capitol backdrop via USA Today)
All Sections Wrapped: What Was Remarkable?
Spectacle over substance: Guests, medals, shout-outs, 250th anniversary teases.
No new big policy bombshells – more victory lap + threats.
Divided room: Tense, partisan, record length for a reason.
Polls context: NPR/Marist shows 6 in 10 say country worse off; approval sliding on economy/immigration.
Bottom line: Trump projected strength. Critics saw denial. Facts landed somewhere in the messy middle.
Epilogue
If you’re the President giving the State of the Union during a government shutdown you helped create, maybe don’t spend 20 minutes bragging about how everything’s perfect while egg prices are still a punchline and half the country can’t afford the gas to drive to the food bank.
Ending “eight wars” doesn’t count if three of them were never shooting wars and two are still simmering. Call it what it is: good diplomacy, not world peace.
To the politicians on both sides – stop treating the American people like marks at a three-card monte table. We see the sleight of hand. We see the spin. We see the spectacle. And we’re tired of it.
The real State of the Union? Polarized, expensive, and still believing in the con because the alternative is admitting the game’s rigged. But hey – at least the hockey team got their medals.
Subscribe for more no-BS breakdowns. Share if you survived the speech. And remember: question everything. Especially the guy at the podium.
Sources: NPR annotated fact check, Washington Post/CNN live updates, AAA gas data, USDA egg reports, NATO spending estimates, CBO on SNAP, C-SPAN/YouTube archives. All claims cross-checked as of Feb 25, 2026.
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What a night, America. What a night.
Mr. Smith may need a medal for slogging through all of this to write about it so concisely--well, either a medal or a therapist. Thank you for your service. I used to look forward to such events. Joint sessions of Congress are rare. They are business meetings, not a reality t.v. show.
He loves to reduce the importance of awards he presents. The highest presidential award is sullied by giving it to a hockey player who had a great game. Overall, he’s won less than 50% of his games this year. The Purple Heart is awarded to those hurt/killed in battle, not to national guardsmen patrolling streets and happen to get shot (horrible thing) but hardly worthy of that kind of recognition.