The Moments That Stood Out in Trump's State of the Union Address

WSJ Opinion: Potomac Watch

The Wall Street Journal

News, Society & Culture

4.2 • 2.8K Ratings

🗓️ 25 February 2026

⏱️ 23 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Donald Trump declares victory on the economy, frames the Democratic Party as extreme, and offers praise for JD Vance and Marco Rubio, in one of the longest State of the Union speeches in recent times. But what's the agenda that Republicans can carry into the midterms? Plus, Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger delivers a Democratic response that starts with affordability, yet her party’s nominees in November might be moving further left. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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0:28.3	among real estate professionals from the opinion pages of the wall street journal this is potomac watch
0:40.1	Donald Trump delivers his 2026 pages of the Wall Street Journal. This is Potomac Watch. Donald Trump delivers his 26th State of the Union address, declaring victory on the economy and presenting Democrats
0:45.6	as extreme on illegal immigration and more. As Virginia Governor Abigail Spanberger keeps
0:51.4	her response focused on affordability, overreach by immigration agents,
0:55.8	and what she characterized as Trump corruption.
0:59.2	Welcome, I'm Kyle Peterson with the Wall Street Journal.
1:01.9	We're joined today by my colleagues on the journal's opinion pages, columnists Matt Cottenetti, and Bill McGern.
1:09.1	Well, the state of our union is long.
1:11.6	President Trump delivering, by some estimates, the lengthiest address in a decade.
1:16.3	Maybe a list of laundry lists is one way to put it.
1:20.0	Some high points to my eye hanging metals on the U.S. helicopter pilot who was injured flying
1:26.7	American forces into Venezuela to capture Nicholas
1:29.6	Maduro, plus a 100-year-old Korean War dog-fighting ace. Trump's comments about the glory of
1:36.7	the country's coming 250th anniversary. And then a few points where I thought he was politically
1:42.4	effective in trying to put Democrats on the defense, including this one.
1:47.1	So tonight I'm inviting every legislature to join with my administration in reaffirming a fundamental principle.
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