The speech is a chance for Trump to make his case ahead of the midterms.
Last updated: Wednesday, February 25, 2026 2:49AM GMTof how the president is handling inflation, tariffs, relations with other countries, immigration and the economy, according to an ABC News/Washington Post/Ipsos poll.
For Trump, the high-profile speech is a chance to make the case directly to millions of Americans ahead of November's midterm elections where control of Congress is at stake. ABC News has special coverage of the State of the Union and the Democratic response. Watch ABC News Live in the video player above. The address is also streaming on Disney+ and Hulu.: False, but crossings are down drastically After using executive authority to enforce a series of restrictive policy measures at the southern border, the Trump administration has severely decreased the number of people who crossed the border illegally, down from the record highs of the Biden administration. According to the data collected by Customs and Border Protection, in 2024, the last full year of Biden's presidency, there were over 1.5 million encounters with migrants attempting to illegally cross the border. In 2025, the first full year of Trump's second term in office, that number dropped to just under 28,000. Those low trends continue in 2026, but have never been at "zero" as the president has often suggested. The numbers suggest migrants are still attempting to cross the border, and it would be impossible to know if any had gone through unnoticed.While touting his accomplishments, Trump said, "We ended DEI in America" -- referring to diversity, equity and inclusion practices, a frequent target of his administration. Trump said they got a record number of "job-killing regulations" and decreased the number of people on food stamps by 2.4 million.The USA women's hockey team - who, like their male counterparts were champions at the recent Olympics in Milano-Cortina - will get their due from Washington soon. The women's team had declined an invitation from Trump to attend Tuesday's State of the Union, due to the timing of the address. As the gold medal-winning men's team made their appearance during the speech, Trump announced that the women's team "will soon be coming to the White House."President Trump introduced the men's hockey team at the State of the Union, with athletes entering the House chamber wearing their gold medals. Goalie Connor Hellebuyck gestures as members of the U.S. Men's Olympic hockey team are recognized by President Donald Trump in Washington, DC, on February 24, 2026. The team flew to Washington earlier Tuesday on a government plane and spent the day at the White House. Trump specifically shouted out goalie Connor Hellebuyck for his performance, and said he will be awarding him the Presidential Medal of Freedom -- the nation's highest civilian honor.
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State of the Union live updates: President Trump delivering State of the Union addressThe speech is a chance for Trump to make his case ahead of the midterms.
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State of the Union live updates: President Trump delivering State of the Union addressThe speech is a chance for Trump to make his case ahead of the midterms.
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State of the Union live updates: President Trump delivering State of the Union addressThe speech is a chance for Trump to make his case ahead of the midterms.
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State of the Union live updates: President Trump delivering State of the Union addressThe speech is a chance for Trump to make his case ahead of the midterms.
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State of the Union live updates: President Trump delivering State of the Union addressThe speech is a chance for Trump to make his case ahead of the midterms.
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