‘Golden age of America’: Donald Trump claims inflation drop, zero illegal immigration in SOTU 2026

Washington, DC: Addressing a joint session of Congress in his 2026 State of the Union speech, Donald Trump projected an upbeat picture of the United States, claiming his administration had delivered a historic turnaround within a year of taking office.

“… We're going to do better and better and better. This is the golden age of America. When I last spoke in this chamber 12 months ago, I had just inherited a nation in crisis with a stagnant economy, inflation at record levels, a wide-open border, horrendous recruitment for military and police, rampant crime at home, and wars and chaos all over the world. But tonight, after just one year, I can say with dignity and pride that we have achieved a transformation like no one has ever seen before and a turnaround for the ages. It is indeed a turnaround for the ages…,” the US President said.

Trump asserted that his administration had made significant progress on immigration enforcement, stating, “In the past nine months, zero illegal aliens have been admitted to the United States. We will always allow people to come in legally, people who will love our country and will work hard to maintain it. The flow of deadly fentanyl across our border is down by a record 56 per cent in one year. Last year, the murder rate saw its single largest decline in recorded history. This is the biggest decline. The lowest number in over 125 years...”

On the economy, he claimed inflation had fallen sharply, and fuel prices had eased. “Gas prices have reduced considerably… Mortgage rates are the lowest in 4 years, and falling fast—and the annual cost of the typical new mortgage is down almost $5,000 dollars just since I took office… US oil production is up by 60,000 barrels a day,” he said, adding that the economic recovery had been swift.

“The Biden administration and its allies in Congress gave us the worst inflation in the history of our country. But in 12 months, my administration has driven core inflation down to the lowest level in more than 5 years, and in the last 3 months of 2025, it was down to 1.7%,” Trump told lawmakers.

On employment generation, Trump claimed that, “More Americans are working today than ever. Most jobs have been added in the private sector…”

As he arrived to address a joint session of Congress, Trump was welcomed with cheers and a standing ovation from Republicans -- while many Democrats remained firmly seated.

"My fellow Americans, our nation is back bigger, better, richer and stronger than ever before," said Trump.

In what promised to be a marathon speech to lawmakers, Trump was trying to sell voters on the achievements of a breakneck and deeply divisive first year back in power.

But the 79-year-old remains deeply unpopular in opinion polls, and Republicans fear they could lose their wafer-thin majority in the House to the Democrats -- paralysing the rest of Trump's second term and exposing him to a possible third impeachment.

Trump, however, struck a defiant tone in the first official State of the Union of his second term.

"Tonight, after just one year, I can say with dignity and pride that we have achieved a transformation like no one has ever seen before, and a turnaround for the ages," Trump said.