Democrats boycott SOTU as Trump touts 'golden age' while Iran policy remains unclear

DESCRIPCIÓN DE IMÁGENES

VIDEO SHOWS: WRAP OF EDITS RELATED TO U.S. PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP'S STATE OF THE UNION ADDRESS

RESENDING WITH COMPLETE SCRIPT

SHOWS: U.S. President Donald Trump delivered his State of the Union address to a joint session of Congress on Tuesday (February 24) , a potentially pivotal moment as the White House seeks to firm up support among Republican voters ahead of November's midterm elections.

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WASHINGTON, D.C., UNITED STATES (FEBRUARY 24, 2026) (HOUSE TV - Access all)

1. (ON STAGE, CENTRE LEFT) U.S. VICE PRESIDENT, JD VANCE, AND HOUSE SPEAKER, MIKE JOHNSON (CENTRE RIGHT), VOICE HEARD SAYING (English): “Mr. Speaker, the President of the United States”

2. CROWD APPLAUDING

3. (FROM THIRD FROM LEFT) TIFFANY TRUMP, DONALD TRUMP JR, ERIC TRUMP, IVANKA TRUMP, BARRON TRUMP, AND FIRST LADY MELANIA TRUMP, STANDING AND CLAPPING TO WELCOME TRUMP

4. TRUMP ARRIVING, SHAKING HANDS WITH SUPREME COURT CHIEF JUSTICE JOHN ROBERTS AND SUPREME COURT JUSTICE ELENA KAGEN

5. TRUMP SHAKING HANDS WITH SUPREME COURT JUSTICE BRETT KAVANAUGH

6. HOUSE CHAMBER, VOICE HEARD SAYING (English): “The President of the United States.”, CROWD CHEERING AS TRUMP WALKS TO ROSTRUM

7. TRUMP LOOKING AT HOUSE CHAMBER

8. CROWD IN HOUSE CHAMBER CHEERING, THEN CHANTING (English): “USA! USA!”

In the longest State of the Union address in history that lasted approximately an hour and 47 minutes, Trump touted his economic record, boasting that he had ushered in a "golden age" and "a turnaround for the ages" in his first year back in the White House, as he sought to project an aura of success at a fraught moment for his presidency.

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WASHINGTON, D.C., UNITED STATES (FEBRUARY 24, 2026) (HOUSE TV- Access all)

9. TRUMP SPEAKING TO CONGRESS

10. (SOUNDBITE) (English) U.S. PRESIDENT, DONALD TRUMP, SAYING (SOUNDBITE PARTIALLY OVERLAYS SHOT 9):

"Members of Congress and my fellow Americans, our nation is back. Bigger, better, richer, and stronger than ever before."

11. LAWMAKERS AND ATTENDEES APPLAUDING

12. (SOUNDBITE) (English) U.S. PRESIDENT, DONALD TRUMP, SAYING:

"You've seen nothing yet. We're going to do better and better and better. This is the golden age of America."

13. LAWMAKERS AND ATTENDEES APPLAUDING

14. (SOUNDBITE) (English) U.S. PRESIDENT, DONALD TRUMP, SAYING:

"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. 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. It is indeed a turnaround for the ages."

15. LAWMAKERS AND ATTENDEES APPLAUDING

16. (SOUNDBITE) (English) U.S. PRESIDENT, DONALD TRUMP, SAYING (SOUNDBITE PARTIALLY OVERLAYS SHOT 15):

"Today, our border is secure. Our spirit is restored. Inflation is plummeting. Incomes are rising fast. The roaring economy is roaring like never before, and our enemies are scared, our military and police are stacked, and America is respected again, perhaps like never before."

17. WHITE FLASH

Trump, who has excoriated the U.S. Supreme Court's decision striking down his sweeping tariffs, came face-to-face with some of the justices when he delivered his State of the Union address. The president called the Supreme Court's ruling "very unfortunate" and "disappointing" during his speech, but reiterated his administration's longstanding position that alternative legal mechanisms can be used to impose similar tariffs.

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WASHINGTON, D.C., UNITED STATES (FEBRUARY 24, 2026) (HOUSE TV - Access all)

18. (SOUNDBITE) (English) U.S. PRESIDENT, DONALD TRUMP, SAYING

"And then just four days ago, an unfortunate ruling from the United States Supreme Court. It just came down. It came down. Very unfortunate ruling.”

19. WHITE FLASH

20. (SOUNDBITE) (English) U.S. PRESIDENT, DONALD TRUMP, SAYING:

“So despite the disappointing ruling, these powerful, country-saving—it's saving our country the kind of money we're taking in—peace protecting, many of the wars I settled was because of the threat of tariffs. I wouldn't have been able to settle them without—will remain in place under fully approved and tested alternative legal statutes.”

Trump briefly laid out his case for a possible attack on Iran in his speech, saying he would not allow "the world's number one sponsor of terror" to have a nuclear weapon.

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WASHINGTON, D.C., UNITED STATES (FEBRUARY 24, 2026) (HOUSE TV - Access all)

21. TRUMP AT PODIUM

22. (SOUNDBITE) (English) U.S. PRESIDENT, DONALD TRUMP, SAYING (SOUNDBITE PARTIALLY OVERLAYS SHOT 21):

"For decades, it had been the policy of the United States never to allow Iran to obtain a nuclear weapon. Many decades. Since they seized control of that proud nation 47 years ago, the regime and its murderous proxies have spread nothing but terrorism and death and hate."

23. WHITE FLASH

24. (SOUNDBITE) (English) U.S. PRESIDENT, DONALD TRUMP, SAYING:

"They've (Iran) already developed missiles that can threaten Europe and our bases overseas and they're working to build missiles that will soon reach the United States of America. After Midnight Hammer (U.S. bombing mission to degrade Iran's nuclear program) they were warned to make no future attempts to rebuild their weapons program, in particular nuclear weapons, yet they continue. They're starting it all over we wiped it out and they want to start all over again and are at this moment again pursuing their sinister ambitions. We are in negotiations with them. They want to make a deal, but we haven't heard those secret words. 'We will never have a nuclear weapon'."

25. TRUMP BEING APPLAUDED BY SOME LAWMAKERS AND SPECTATORS

26. (SOUNDBITE) (English) U.S. PRESIDENT, DONALD TRUMP, SAYING (SOUNDBITE PARTIALLY OVERLAYS SHOT 25):

"My preference—my preference is to solve this problem through diplomacy. But one thing is certain, I will never allow the world's number one sponsor of terror, which they are by far, to have a nuclear weapon. Can't let that happen."

On the topic of immigration, Trump repeated the same rhetoric on immigration that animated his 2024 campaign, claiming undocumented migrants were responsible for a wave of violent crime despite studies showing that is not the case.

As Trump praised his immigration enforcement, Democrat Ilhan Omar, who represents a Minneapolis U.S. House district, shouted in his direction, "You have killed Americans!"

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WASHINGTON, D.C., UNITED STATES (FEBRUARY 24, 2026) (HOUSE TV - Access all)

27. SOME LAWMAKERS APPLAUDING

28. (SOUNDBITE) (English) U.S. PRESIDENT, DONALD TRUMP, SAYING:

“After four years in which millions and millions of illegal aliens poured across our borders totally unvetted and unchecked. We now have the strongest and most secure border in American history by far.”

29. DEMOCRATIC U.S. REPRESENTATIVES ILHAN OMAR OF MINNESOTA AND RASHIDA TLAIB OF MICHIGAN SHOUTING BACK AT TRUMP

30. LAWMAKERS APPLAUDING IN HOUSE CHAMBER

31. (SOUNDBITE) (English) U.S. PRESIDENT, DONALD TRUMP, SAYING (SOUNDBITE PARTIALLY OVERLAYS SHOT 30):

"To stop illegal aliens and others who are unpermitted persons from voting in our sacred American elections. That cheating is rampant in our elections. It's rampant.”

Democratic U.S. Representative Al Green was removed from the House Chamber for the second consecutive year after waving a sign at Trump that read, "Black people aren't apes." The message referred to a social media video Trump posted with a clip depicting former President Barack Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama as apes.

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WASHINGTON, D.C., UNITED STATES (FEBRUARY 24, 2026) (U.S. NETWORK POOL - No use USA)

32. VARIOUS OF U.S. REPRESENTATIVE TEXAS DEMOCRAT, AL GREEN, BEING ESCORTED OUT OF THE CHAMBER WHILE HOLDING A SIGN READING (English) “BLACK PEOPLE AREN’T APES!”

WASHINGTON, D.C., UNITED STATES (FEBRUARY 24, 2026) (REUTERS - Access all)

33. (SOUNDBITE) (English) U.S. REPRESENTATIVE TEXAS DEMOCRAT, AL GREEN, SAYING:

"I wanted him to know that portraying President Obama and First Lady Obama, as members of the primate family, is not only unacceptable, it is something that is deplorable and something that we will not tolerate. At least I will not."

34. (MUTE) VARIOUS STILL IMAGES OF GREEN HOLDING A SIGN AFTER TRUMP ARRIVED TO DELIVER HIS ADDRESS

A group of U.S. lawmakers, including Democratic Senator from Connecticut Chris Murphy, abandoned Trump's State of the Union speech for an outdoor rally to protest his policies.

As Murphy spoke on stage during the rally, a protester interrupted him and said "Go Trump" into the microphone before being led away.

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WASHINGTON, D.C., UNITED STATES (FEBRUARY 24, 2026) (REUTERS - Access all) (NIGHT SHOT)

35. U.S. DEMOCRAT SENATOR FROM CONNECTICUT, CHRIS MURPHY SPEAKING ON STAGE, PROTESTER HOLDING PLACARD, READING (English) “NO MONEY FOR ICE” INTERRUPTING MURPHY, SAYING (English): "GO TRUMP!" BEFORE BEING LED AWAY

Aliya Rahman, a U.S. citizen with autism, was escorted out of the chamber during Trump's address. Rahman, a Bangladeshi American resident of Minneapolis and a guest of Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN), lives with autism and a traumatic brain injury. Earlier this month, she testified before Congress about being detained by federal officers while en route to a medical appointment.

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WASHINGTON, D.C., UNITED STATES (FEBRUARY 24, 2026) (REUTERS – Access all) (MUTE)

36. VARIOUS STILL PHOTOGRAPHS OF ALIYA RAHMAN BEING REMOVED FROM CHAMBER DURING TRUMP’S STATE OF THE UNION ADDRESS

Virginia Governor Abigail Spanberger, a Democrat whose decisive victory in November was an early midterm warning sign for Republicans, delivered her party's official response.

Speaking in Williamsburg, Virginia, at the House of Burgesses that predates the signing of the U.S. Declaration of Independence and its 250th anniversary, which Trump repeatedly referred to, Spanberger criticized Trump for abandoning struggling Americans.

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WILLIAMSBURG, VIRGINIA, UNITED STATES (FEBRUARY 24, 2026) (UNRESTRICTED POOL – Access all)

37. ATTENDEES CLAPPING AS U.S. GOVERNOR OF VIRGINIA, ABIGAIL SPANBERGER, STANDING READY AT PODIUM TO DELIVER DEMOCRATIC RESPONSE TO TRUMP’S STATE OF THE UNION ADDRESS

38. WHITE FLASH

39. (SOUNDBITE) (English) U.S. GOVERNOR OF VIRGINIA, ABIGAIL SPANBERGER, SAYING:

“Since this president took office last year, his reckless trade policies have forced American families to pay more than $1,700 each in tariff costs.”

40. WHITE FLASH

41. (SOUNDBITE) (English) U.S. GOVERNOR OF VIRGINIA, ABIGAIL SPANBERGER, SAYING:

“And even though the Supreme Court struck these tariffs down four days ago, the damage to us, the American people, has already been done.”

42. WHITE FLASH

43. (SOUNDBITE) (English) U.S. GOVERNOR OF VIRGINIA, ABIGAIL SPANBERGER, SAYING:

“Our president told us tonight that we are safer - because these agents arrest mothers and detain children? Think about that. Our broken immigration system is something to be fixed, not an excuse for unaccountable agents to terrorize our communities.”

44. WHITE FLASH

45. (SOUNDBITE) (English) U.S. GOVERNOR OF VIRGINIA, ABIGAIL SPANBERGER, SAYING:

“There's the cover up of the Epstein files, the crypto scams, cozying up to foreign princes for airplanes and billionaires for ballrooms. Putting his name and face on buildings all over our nation's capital. This is not what our founders envisioned. Not by a long shot.”

46. WHITE FLASH

47. (SOUNDBITE) (English) U.S. GOVERNOR OF VIRGINIA, ABIGAIL SPANBERGER, SAYING:

“So I'll ask again, is the president working for you? We all know the answer is no.”

Democrats and activists opposed to Trump held an event on Tuesday to counter the U.S. President as he delivered his State of the Union address.

The event, called “State of the Swamp”, was organised by anti-Trump group Defiance.org and speakers included actors Robert De Niro, Mark Ruffalo, author Marianne Williamson and a number of politicians.

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WASHINGTON, D.C., UNITED STATES (FEBRUARY 24, 2026) (REUTERS – Access all)

48. ACTOR, ROBERT DE NIRO, SPEAKING ON STAGE

49. (SOUNDBITE) (English) ACTOR, ROBERT DE NIRO, SAYING:

“The bottom line is that I feel betrayed by my country. It doesn’t have to be perfect but it does need to return to our values that gave us our strength and humanity.”

50. ACTOR AND ACTIVIST, MARK RUFFALO, SPEAKING ON SCREEN AT EVENT

51. ROB POTYLO, ALSO KNOWN AS ROBBY ROADSTEAMER, DRESSED AS GIRAFFE, SITTING NEXT TO SPEAKERS INCLUDING ACTIVIST DRESSED IN FROG COSTUME