During his State of the Union address, United States President Donald Trump urged lawmakers to stand if they agreed that the first duty of the American government is to protect its own citizens “not illegal aliens.” The remark drew enthusiastic applause from Republicans, while most Democrats remained seated in visible protest.
The moment quickly emerged as one of the defining highlights of the address, underscoring the sharp partisan divide in Congress.
Sharp Divide on Immigration
Trump reiterated his administration’s tough stance on illegal immigration, claiming dramatic progress in border enforcement.
“In the past nine months, zero illegal aliens have been admitted to the United States,” he said. “We will always allow people to come in legally people who will love our country and will work hard to maintain it.”
He further claimed that the flow of fentanyl across the border had fallen by a record 56 percent within a year and that the national murder rate recorded its single largest decline in history.
Deportations Intensified
Over the past year, the Trump administration has stepped up deportations of undocumented immigrants, including Indian nationals residing in the US without legal status. Immigration enforcement has remained central to the President’s policy narrative and political messaging.
Inflation, Fuel Prices and Economic Claims
Trump also used the address to praise his administration’s economic performance, contrasting it with the previous government.
“The Biden administration and its allies in Congress gave us the worst inflation in the history of our country,” Trump said. “But in 12 months, my administration has driven core inflation down to the lowest level in more than five years.”
He added that inflation fell to 1.7 percent in the last three months of 2025. Gasoline prices, which he said had peaked at over $6 per gallon in some states under his predecessor, have now dropped below $2.30 in most states and even as low as $1.85 in Iowa.
“This is the golden age of America,” he declared.
America at 250
Looking ahead, Trump referenced the upcoming 250th anniversary of the United States in 2026 marking two and a half centuries since the signing of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776.
The Semiquincentennial, he said, will serve as both a commemoration of the nation’s founding and a renewal of its commitment to self-governance.
