WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump said during Tuesday’s State of the Union address that his first year in office has ushered in an American “golden age,” even as he faces the lowest approval ratings of his second term and Americans are increasingly worried about the economy.

The president used his remarks to forcefully defense his administration’s agenda, saying his policies have reinvigorated the economy and helped lead an aggressive immigration crackdown that he said had made America more secure.

“Today, our border is secure, our spirit is restored, inflation is plummeting and incomes are rising fast. The roaring economy is roaring like never before, and our enemies are scared,” Trump said, drawing applause from Republican lawmakers who chanted “USA! USA!”

“Our country is winning again,” Trump added. “In fact, we are winning so much that we do not know what to do about it.”

But what he portrayed in his nearly two-hour address to Congress clashed with a political reality that has the second-term president dealing with increased tensions abroad and at home. He is dealing with a partial government shutdown, rising tensions over foreign conflicts and more frequent dissent from Republicans in Congress who feel exposed by his agenda ahead of the elections.

As the president spoke to lawmakers, the partisan divisions were visible in the House chamber. Democratic lawmakers were silent, and often times remain seated, as the president talked about what he viewed as his administration’s successes. In several instance, Democrats yelled and called the president a “liar” and “corrupt.”

The most tense moment erupted as Trump boasted about his immigration agenda, as he called on blue cities to end sanctuary policies “that protect the criminals.” Some Democrats in the room yelled that federal immigration agents had killed American citizens. One Democrat held the pictures of Renee Nicole Good and Alex Pretti, who were shot and killed by agents in Minneapolis.

“You have killed Americans!” Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) said. At one point, Trump looked at her and said she should be “ashamed,” though he did not directly address her remarks.

In another instance, Rep. Al Green of Louisiana was escorted out of the chamber after he held a small sign that read: “BLACK PEOPLE AREN’T APES” The message was in reference to a social media video that was posted on the president’s Truth Social account portraying former President Obama and former First Lady Michelle Obama as apes. The post, which was later deleted, was blamed on a staffer.

In his speech, the president reiterated that his administration has delivered on campaign promises, pointing to a decline in gas prices and success at the border, where illegal immigration crossings have declined.

Trump once again boasted foreign investments of $18 trillion — a figure that has been disputed by many economists, and the White House’s own data. The U.S. posted a trade deficit for 2025, not a surplus, and foreign direct investments were about 23% lower in the first year of Trump’s second term than during the Biden years.

The event unfolded against the backdrop of a widening Democratic protest.

More than 30 congressional Democrats boycotted the address altogether, while others attended alternative events designed to compete with the president’s messaging.

Democrats who skipped the president’s formal address to Congress said they were doing so because they do not want to give credence to Trump. Others showed their opposition by inviting guests who have been affected by his agenda.

California Democrat Rep. Robert Garcia invited Annie Farmer, a survivor of Jeffrey Epstein, a convicted sex offender whose trafficking crimes have dogged Trump since he returned to office a year ago.

Several Democratic lawmakers voiced their opposition to the administration’s handling of the Epstein files by wearing pins that showed support for survivors. “Release the files,” read the pins.

The tension also spilled into the his confrontations with the judicial branch.

In attendance were four of the nine Supreme Court justices, including three who ruled against Trump’s preferred tariff policy. After the court ruling, Trump said the justices who had voted against his policy were “barely” invited to his address. It is unclear whether the absences were related to the president’s disdain for the court over the outcome of the legal case.

Since the ruling, Trump has asserted he intends to use new avenues to sidestep Congress to levy the tariffs and added that almost all countries and corporations “want to keep the deal that they already made” anyway.

“In the future, Tariffs, paid for by foreign countries — will substantially “replace the modern day system of income tax,” taking a great financial burden off from the people I love,” he said.

A year into his second presidential term, Trump’s approval rating has slumped to 37%, down from 40% in the fall with a noted decline in support within the Republican Party, according to a recent Pew Research poll.

The president’s tariff policy also languished in the polls, as six in 10 Americans surveyed this month said they oppose the policy. Of that group, about 40% strongly disapproved. Just 37% surveyed said they supported the measures — 13% of whom expressed strong approval.

House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) told reporters Monday that it would be a “challenge to find consensus on any path forward on the tariffs, on the legislative side.”

In his speech, Trump did not mention this, but he did call on Republicans to approve new voting rules blocking mail-in-ballots and requiring voters to show proof of citizenship at the polls

Democrats have largely seen the move as a pretext for bogus voter fraud claims down the line, as congressional Republicans tee up new barriers to voter registration through the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act.

“The Trump administration is not being shy about threatening to undermine and steal this November election,” Padilla said earlier in the day. “They know that their record is not just unpopular but has been so harmful to working families that their only hope to stay in power is to initiate a voter purge.”

Democrats’ concerns have been heightened by comments from Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem last week in which she outlined plans to station federal immigration agents at polling stations “to make sure we have the right people voting, electing the right leaders.”

Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger delivered the Democratic rebuttal after the event, outright condemning the president’s speech and asserting that Trump has worsened the economy, destabilized national security and terrorized communities through his deportation policy.

“We did not hear the truth from our president,” she said.

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