In record State of the Union, Trump spars with Dems, touts economy and immigration

The speech was a chance for Trump to make his case ahead of the midterms.

ByAlexandra Hutzler, Ivan Pereira, and Meredith Deliso
Last Updated: February 24, 2026, 11:57 PM EST

President Donald Trump delivered his State of the Union Tuesday night in Washington, as a majority of Americans disapprove of how he is handling inflation, tariffs, relations with other countries, immigration and the economy, according to an ABC News/Washington Post/Ipsos poll.

For Trump, the speech was a chance to make the case directly to millions of Americans ahead of November's midterm elections where control of Congress is at stake. Dozens of Democrats, meanwhile, skipped the speech in protest.

Key Headlines

Here's how the news developed:
Feb 24, 2026, 6:37 PM EST

Melania Trump's guests are related to her education, tech and foster care initiatives

First lady Melania Trump is bringing two guests to the State of the Union address to help highlight her AI and foster care initiatives.

First lady Melania Trump stands next to her 2025 inaugural gown in the Flag Hall of the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History in Washington, February 20, 2026.
Elizabeth Frantz/Reuters

She'll be joined by Sierra Burns, who is a recipient of the first lady's Foster Youth to Independence Program and Everest Nevraumont, a 10-year old student who has talked about her AI use in her education, according to the first lady's office.

"Sierra and Everest embody my ongoing mission to uplift America’s foster youth and expand opportunity for our next generation through education and technology," Melania Trump said in a statement.

ABC News’ Fritz Farrow

Feb 24, 2026, 6:48 PM EST

Schumer predicts a ‘painful and tedious’ speech

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said Trump’s speech would be “painful and tedious for the American people,” and that the president would blame Democrats and the Supreme Court for the nation’s troubles.

“America is deeply unhappy with Trump's leadership, and he'll blame everyone else for our country's troubles. He'll blame Biden, he'll blame the Supreme Court. He'll point the finger at everyone but himself,” Schumer said Tuesday afternoon.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer speaks to reporters at the Capitol in Washington, Feb. 12, 2026.
J. Scott Applewhite/AP

"So tonight, Americans aren't going to get the real state of the union ... What Americans will get is a state of deception, a state of denial,” he said.

Schumer said that some of the chaos was the administration’s crackdown on immigration, Trump's tariff policies and his involvement with the Jeffery Epstein investigation.

-ABC News’ Isabella Murray

Feb 24, 2026, 6:07 PM EST

Epstein Files Transparency Act bipartisan co-authors to sit next to each other at speech

Reps. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., and Ro Khanna, D-Calif. -- two of the leading co-authors of the Epstein Files Transparency Act -- will sit next to each other at the State of the Union address.

Representatives Thomas Massie and Ro Khanna speak outside the Department of Justice in Washington, February 9, 2026.
Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP via Getty Images

This is notable because it is often rare to see Democrats and Republicans sitting together on the House floor during the State of the Union.

Khanna and Massie plan to show their support for Epstein survivors, with the Democrat inviting Epstein survivor Haley Robson as his guest to the address.

-ABC News' Lauren Peller

Feb 24, 2026, 6:34 PM EST

Democrats say Trump must make his case on Iran to the American people

House and Senate Democratic leaders said Tuesday that Trump needs to better explain his aims for Iran after congressional leaders were briefed by Secretary of State Marco Rubio and CIA Director John Ratcliffe.

“This is serious, and the administration has to make its case to the American people,” Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said.

An F-35C Lightning II, attached to Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 314, prepares to launch from the flight deck of Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln in the Arabian Sea, Feb. 15, 2026.
Seaman Daniel Kimmelman/US Navy

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries questioned whether Iran’s nuclear program has been "completely and totally obliterated" as the White House claimed after the U.S. military struck Iranian facilities in June.

“If that, in fact, was true, what is the urgency as of this moment? That's an open question, and the American people need a real explanation,” Jeffries said.

Rubio and Ratcliffe briefed the Gang of 8 -- the majority and minority leaders of the House and Senate and the top Republicans and Democrats on the intelligence committees from each chamber -- remotely as the lawmakers met in a secure location.

-ABC News’ Isabella Murray and Noah Minnie

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