(AFP) – For the first State of the Union address of his second term, US President Donald Trump decided to go long, broaching everything from the economy to Iran during his one hour and 47 minute speech to Congress. Here are five key moments from the longest-ever State of the Union address:
– **Supreme Court tension**
Upon entering the US Capitol, Trump shook hands with several Supreme Court justices in attendance — three of whom had ruled days earlier to strike down the global tariffs he had made his signature economic policy. Trump voiced his displeasure during the speech, calling the ruling “very unfortunate,” as the justices watched on from the front row. The president did not dwell long on the subject, however, and said his administration was already planning a legal work-around to keep the duties he insists will be paid for by foreign countries.
– **Team USA unifies**
During a speech marked by political divides between Trump’s Republicans and opposition Democrats, one of the few moments of unity occurred when the gold medal-winning US men’s Olympic hockey team entered the room. The entire audience rose and applauded, chanting “USA! USA!” in unison, to recognize the Olympians, who clinched America’s first ice hockey gold in 46 years.
– **Democratic resistance**
Congress plays a key, performative role during the State of the Union, applauding and standing up in agreement with the president or sitting still to voice their displeasure. Dozens of Democrats skipped the event altogether, and those in attendance largely stayed seated except on rare occasion. Several wore white to pay homage to the suffragette movement celebrating women’s right to vote, or donned pins demanding accountability over those named in the files released on sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. In one notable act of resistance, Democratic lawmaker Al Green was expelled after holding up a sign reading “Black people aren’t apes!” in response to a racist video of the Obamas shared by Trump.
– **Congresswoman heckles Trump**
Tensions soared when House Democrat Ilhan Omar, who has frequently sparred with Trump, shouted at the president while he spoke. “You should be ashamed of yourselves,” Trump told Democrats in attendance, who had refused to stand up throughout his address. “You have killed Americans,” Omar shouted in response, in reference to the deaths of two protesters at the hands of federal agents dispatched to Minneapolis last month. The lawmaker, whose district represents Minneapolis, later left the speech before Trump had finished.
– **Longest speech ever**
At one hour and 47 minutes, Trump delivered the longest State of the Union speech in US history, beating the previous record of one hour and 20 minutes set by former president Bill Clinton in 2000. The speech even outlasted Trump’s address to Congress last year shortly after taking office, which lasted one hour and 40 minutes.
© 2024 AFP
