WTAS: Trump’s Rambling SOTU Mocked Americans’ Concerns, Offered No Real Plans to Lower Costs Arrow

During his State of the Union address last night, Donald Trump offered no new proposals to meaningfully make life more affordable for working families. As Trump rambled on for 107 minutes, he claimed that America has entered a new "Golden Age" and that we're "winning too much" - but working families aren't buying it. As the cost of living skyrockets, job growth stagnates, and health care premiums spike, Trump's speech did nothing but mock the millions of everyday Americans who are struggling under his cost-of-living crisis.

Here's what people are saying about Trump's failed State of the Union address:

On the Airwaves:

On CNN: "A CNN poll found nearly half of the people who watched the speech said that the president focused too little on the economy and the cost of living."

Michigan voter on CNN: "I didn't like the speech because he did not talk about what he was doing to make our lives better… He's not talking about [the economy] at all… People's health insurance premiums are going up. What is he doing for that? What is he doing for our seniors?"

Minnesota farmer on MS NOW: "Farmers are really hurting right now with the tariffs, the price of corn, the price of beans. They are losing money with every acre that they're planting…Beef will stay high because young farmers can't afford to start farming."

Headlines:

Wall Street Journal: "Trump Hails an Economic Turnaround Many Voters Don't See"

Key Point: "Polls find that Americans are unhappy with Trump's handling of the economy. In a Wall Street Journal survey last month, voters gave the president low marks when asked if he cares about 'people like you' is looking out for the middle class and has the right priorities. […] Trump might face hurdles in persuading Americans that the traditional measures of the nation's economic health are strong at a moment when economic sentiment is low. While inflation has cooled, U.S. economic growth slowed at the end of last year. The economy created only 181,000 jobs in 2025, though gains rebounded in January."

NBC News: "Trump touts a 'roaring economy' in his State of Union as Americans continue to struggle"

Key Point: "Declaring 'a turnaround for the ages,' President Donald Trump offered a version of America's standing in his State of the Union address Tuesday night that is at odds with the perceptions of the electorate. […] But Americans tell pollsters, in survey after survey, that they are not satisfied with the economy 13 months into Trump's second presidency. Nor do most of them approve of his handling of the other key pillar of his agenda, a mass deportation campaign or of the overall job he has done in the Oval Office."

Politico: "What Trump avoided in the State of the Union could haunt him in November"

Key Point: "Then there were the issues he avoided addressing: Trump offered no new ideas on housing or health care, two defining issues of the midterm campaign. He made no mention of the Jeffrey Epstein scandals consuming politics in Washington and far beyond."

TIME: "Trump's State of the Union-the Longest Ever-Struggled to Land its Points"

Key Point: "The whole night seemed driven by gimmicks more than a clear or coherent message, and was devoid of any new policy ideas that would be obvious wins for GOP lawmakers. […] Sprinkled throughout the speech were the typical Trump whoppers. 'The roaring economy is roaring like never before,' Trump claimed, despite the economy growing at roughly the same pace in 2025 as it did in 2024. 'Inflation is plummeting,' Trump said, despite inflation being stuck higher than the target set by the Federal Reserve. Despite increases in wages, they're being outpaced by the costs of goods and services."

Editorial and Opinion Pages:

USA Today Opinion: "Trump's State of the Union described an economy that isn't real"

[Rex Huppke, 2/25/26]

Key Point: "Based on his State of the Union address, President Donald Trump's plan to help Americans who are frustrated with the economy is to bore them to death with a torrent of lies. In his seemingly endless speech on Feb. 24 - one of the top Google searches during it was 'How long is the State of the Union' - Trump claimed, 'This is the golden age of America.' He said that 'inflation is plummeting,' and that 'the roaring economy is roaring like never before.' Trump said: 'We are doing really well. Those prices are plummeting downward.' He was painting a fanciful picture of an America that doesn't exist. An America that American voters who wrestle with monthly bills and see their own grocery store receipts know doesn't exist."

Boston Globe: Boasting, bashing, and lying: Three writers on Trump's State of the Union address

[Joan Vennochi, Abdallah Fayyad and Noah Rothman, 2/25/26]

"President Trump used his State of the Union to remind us that his tax and spending policies are, to put it mildly, a complete and total scam.

"The president, of course, tried to put his own spin on it, claiming that his administration 'lifted' people out of poverty, that his tariffs - which the Supreme Court struck down - saved taxpayers' money, and that his tax cuts have benefited average, hardworking Americans.

"But when you look at the facts, the truth about Trump's policies is that they're the exact opposite of how he described them. He suggested, for example, that he 'lifted 2.4 million Americans - a record - off of food stamps,' but it would be more accurate to say that those millions of people were kicked off of food stamps because of new rules and work requirements that don't actually help alleviate poverty, as studies have repeatedly shown. …

"On the surface, 'no tax on tips' sounds like a decent way to give low-wage workers a boost. But in reality, it's more like a tax credit to big businesses, who can keep their workers' wages low, all while falsely promising their workers that they'll be taking more money home in untaxed tips. Yet most low-wage workers won't see tangible benefits. …

"So while Trump spent some time in his speech touting his tax cuts, what he was really celebrating were the tax cuts that he, his friends, and their big businesses have gotten, all while workers struggle to make ends meet."

Charlotte Observer: Trump's State of the Union squanders chance to change unhappy NC voters | Opinion

[Paige Masten, 2/25/26]

" [Working families] care about kitchen table issues like the price of groceries, housing and health care. All of those things have gotten more expensive. Trump claimed that prices are actually going down, which is false.

"Besides, voters don't need reassurance. They need answers, and Trump did not offer much by way of a solution on Tuesday. He spent just shy of three minutes talking about affordability, according to NBC News, which is only slightly longer than the amount of time he spent talking about the U.S. men's hockey team and their Olympic gold medal. He didn't really announce any new plans to address voters' economic woes, and he doubled down on tariffs, which more than half of North Carolinians disapprove of, polls show. …

"And one of the more astonishing moments came when Trump bragged that 'in one year, we have lifted 2.4 million Americans - a record - off of food stamps.' Those people were 'lifted' off of food stamps because Republicans kicked them off. He also insisted he would 'protect Medicaid' despite slashing funding for it last year. …

"For as much as Trump bragged about 'winning too much,' his prolonged obstinance on voters' biggest sore spots suggests that in November, Republicans might find themselves losing, in North Carolina and beyond."

Northjersey.com: Who's to blame for NJ's affordability crisis? Trump and Kean | Opinion

[Mitchelle Drulis, 2/25/26]

"In his State of the Union address, President Donald Trump once again tried to paint a rosy picture of an economy that working families simply aren't experiencing. Here in New Jersey, people feel the truth every time they open their bills. Household electricity costs have climbed more than 15%, driven in large part by federal policies that undermine clean energy and limit the affordable options available to our state.

"New Jerseyans made their priorities clear in the 2025 gubernatorial election: we want leaders who take rising costs seriously and who recognize that clean energy is not just an environmental goal, it's a powerful economic engine. Gov. Mikie Sherrill won because she focused on making our state more affordable, lowering utility bills and protecting the clean energy jobs that keep New Jersey competitive.

"Yet even as families struggle, the administration in Washington, D.C. has dismissed the affordability crisis as a 'hoax' while advancing policies that push prices even higher. …

"Regardless of what Trump said in his address, there will be no real acknowledgment of the higher bills, lost jobs, and weakened energy security these policies have created."

Arizona Republic: Trump played carnival barker at his State of the Union | Opinion

[Bill Goodykoontz, 2/24/26]

"In the first official State of the Union address of his second term, Donald Trump played a lot of roles ― President of the United States, narrator, carnival barker, junior-high bully ― but one more than all of the others: game-show host.

"On the political front, it was about what you would expect, though Trump didn't offer much in the way of selling a possible war with Iran. Mostly it was brag, lie, blame, wash, rinse, repeat. …

"Trump did it all night, recognizing one guest after another, most of them heroes. He handed out medals all night, including two Medals of Honor. He said he will award U.S. hockey goalie Connor Hellebuyck the Presidential Medal of Freedom. At one point, Trump actually uttered the words, 'Come on down!' as he introduced another guest.

"Is this the State of the Union or 'The Price Is Right'?"

Palm Beach Post: Palm Beach County deserves a better State of the Union | Opinion

[Lois Frankel, 2/24/26]

"On day one, the president promised to bring prices down. Instead, families in our community are paying more - more for groceries, more for rent and mortgages, more for insurance, more for utilities, more for child care, and more for health care. Many are working harder than ever and still falling further behind.

"That is the real state of the union. …

"The president spoke of strength and progress. But strength isn't bravado. And progress isn't chaos.

"Policies driven by self-dealing, reckless tariffs, and cruel disruptive immigration enforcement don't lower prices - they create uncertainty and drive costs higher. Presidential bluster does nothing for a senior choosing between food and medicine or for parents trying to make payroll and child care work in the same week.

"The true measure of a State of the Union isn't the applause inside the chamber. It's whether people feel more secure at their kitchen tables.

"Too many in Palm Beach County - and across America - do not."

Philadelphia Inquirer: There's no room in the union for Trump's chaotic imperial presidency | Editorial

[The Editorial Board, 2/24/26]

"When the president addresses Congress on Tuesday at the annual State of the Union address, he will do so with a 60% disapproval rating, according to a Washington Post-ABC News-Ipsos poll. …

"Rather than focusing on the kitchen-table issues that won him a return trip to the White House, Trump has ramped up the cruelty of his anti-immigrant policies and ignored the economic pressures many people face.

"Instead of presiding over cooling inflation, the president's obsession with tariffs cost American families an extra $1,000 last year. In place of policies that would make owning a home more affordable and bring down the cost of rent, Trump said he wants to keep housing prices high. Contrary to what the administration wants people to believe, mass deportations don't create jobs; they stunt economic growth.

"The tax cuts promised in Trump's signature piece of legislation, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, mostly benefited the very wealthy. The law allots billions to hire U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents and build vast detention facilities on the back of steep cuts to Medicaid and food assistance."

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: State of the Union address was obscenely long Trump rally | Opinion

[Rex Huppke, 2/25/26]

"Based on his State of the Union address, President Donald Trump's plan to help Americans who are frustrated with the economy is to bore them to death with a torrent of lies…

"He was painting a fanciful picture of an America that doesn't exist. An America that American voters who wrestle with monthly bills and see their own grocery store receipts know doesn't exist….

"A CBS News/YouGov poll before Trump's speech found 69% of voters wanted Trump to talk about prices and the cost of living. But all the president did was tell Americans that everything is great, because he is great, and all he is capable of is greatness.

"He did nothing to explain to people how he plans to make their lives better than they are right now….

"For the majority of Americans unhappy with Trump, they didn't have to endure much. It was clear from the jump that they would get nothing but rehashed nonsense and phony descriptions of an economic boom they're not experiencing.

Online:

Emily Gee on X: Is replacing all income taxes with tariffs mathematically possible? No.

And even if you could, it would be terrible for everyone but the rich. From

@CAPAction (h/t @Brendan_Duke):

Chris Brennan on X: An unsurprising and uninspiring state of the union address from Trump - short on substance, shifty on facts, and stacked with spectacle. Don't expect this to move the needle on the midterms. A long speech soon to be forgotten.

Erik Wasson on X: Biggest policy announcement of Trump SOTU was actually touting a bipartisan retirement savings law signed by Biden

G Elliott Morris on X: Trump spent all of 2 minutes talking about affordability during his SOTU address, according to NBC News - the same amount of time he spent talking about the performance of the U.S. men's olympic hockey team

Tom Bonier on X: Well, so far Trump has spent about 70 mins doubling down on the policies that large majorities of Americans have already rejected, and has provided no plan to address the country's biggest concern - affordability.

Aaron David Miller on X: Trump's SOTU was eminently forgettable. And tedious. There was no news; no memorable lines; and nothing to commend it. To think Lincoln required only 272 words at Gettysburg and just over 2 minutes to deliver it.

Ron Filipkowski on X: Trump talked for nearly two hours, gave out medals, praised sports teams, lied constantly, made zero new policy proposals, suggested we are about to bomb another country again, and got standing ovations from Republicans after every line. Nothing new for average working Americans.

The Maine Wonk on X: SOTU looked behind not forward. All vibes/optics. Gotcha moments for ads & exploiting trauma for political gain.

-Double down on tariffs & corp tax cuts
-No tariff relief for working Americans
-No mention of CC interest rates
-No Epstein prosecutions
-No new ideas for housing/health care
-Nothing about infrastructure