President Donald Trump didn’t waste time drawing a clear line between his agenda and the Democrats’ during his first official State of the Union of his second term, taking direct aim at their opposition to his signature “Big Beautiful Bill.”
Speaking to Congress, Trump said the nation is being built for hardworking Americans, not political elites, and urged lawmakers to pass what he described as the largest tax cuts in American history. He praised Republicans for delivering those cuts and thanked them for standing firm, while pointing out that every Democrat voted against them. According to Trump, Democrats wanted “large scale tax increases to hurt the people instead.” Subtle as a freight train, but accurate.
Trump highlighted key provisions from the bill, including no tax on tips, no tax on overtime, and no tax on Social Security for seniors. He also noted that interest on auto loans is now tax deductible for the first time, but only if the car is made in America — a policy that manages to reward workers and patriotism in one shot, which probably explains why some people hate it.
Democrats staged their own form of protest, with several holding counter-events instead of attending the speech. Senators Adam Schiff and Ruben Gallego skipped it entirely. Congressman Al Green was removed from the chamber for the second year in a row after holding a sign that read “Black people aren’t apes” as Trump entered. Because when you don’t have a tax plan, you bring poster board.
Inside the chamber, Republicans greeted Trump’s remarks with repeated standing ovations. Early in the address, Trump declared, “This is the golden age of America,” before contrasting the current moment with what he described as the crisis he inherited a year earlier: a stagnant economy, record inflation, an open border, weak military and police recruitment, rampant crime, and global chaos.
Now, Trump said, the country has seen “a transformation like no one has ever seen before” and called it “a turnaround for the ages.” His message was simple and unapologetic: Republicans cut taxes and put Americans first, while Democrats tried to block it.
And judging by the applause in the room — and the results in people’s paychecks — the president made one thing clear: the fight over taxes isn’t just political theater, it’s about who actually wants Americans to keep more of their own money. The golden age, according to Trump, is already underway.
