Opinion

LIZ PEEK: America expected one thing from Trump’s State of the Union. It got another

It was a good night for the president. It was a bad night for Democrats

By Liz Peek Fox News

Published February 25, 2026 2:21am EST

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President Donald Trump: Our nation is back

President Donald Trump touts the nation's comeback and 'golden age of America' during the State of the Union address.

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Call me crazy, but I loved President Trump’s State of the Union speech.

Yes, it was long — the longest in at least 60 years — but it was also entertaining. It was optimistic, positive and hopeful about America’s future. Right off the bat, on Tuesday night, Trump introduced the U.S. men’s Olympic hockey team, and though they didn’t lead the chamber in singing the national anthem (my secret hope), they did show off their gold medals to thunderous applause and shouts of "U-S-A! U-S-A!" That set the celebratory and triumphant tone of the evening.

Trump did not appear to be a president under siege, struggling with sagging approval ratings; far from it. He was at his best; he was relaxed, at times funny, and appropriately incredulous at the smallness and absurdity of his Democratic opponents. My guess is that he gets a much-needed bounce from this performance — not only because of his likable delivery, but also because he reviewed the enormous number of accomplishments that he and his Cabinet have racked up in a single year.

As important, he avoided picking a fight with the Supreme Court, which could easily have soured the mood. He described the Supreme Court’s ruling declaring his tariffs illegal as "disappointing" and "unfortunate," but then moved on, talking up the importance of tariffs in leveling the playing field for U.S. firms and in attracting trillions of dollars of investment into the United States.

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