Trump in SOTU address says all countries fear ‘far worse’ tariff terms, want existing deals to continue with US

Trump State of The Union Speech: US President Donald Trump said that all countries which had signed tariff deals before the Supreme Court of the United States’ order striking down his policies want to continue “along the same path”. Trump said that one of the primary reasons that his country saw an economic turnaround was his tariff policies. He said “deals are all done”. “The big story was how Donald Trump called the economy correctly. Twenty-two Nobel Prize winners and economists got it totally wrong. And just four days ago, an unfortunate ruling from the United States Supreme Court, it just came down. Very unfortunate ruling. ALSO READ | Trump calls on Congress to clear ‘Dalilah Law’ to curb illegal aliens. What is it? “But the good news is that all countries and corporations want to keep the deals that the already made, knowing that the legal power that I as President have to make a new deal could be far worse for them. And therefore, they will continue to work along the same successful path that we had negotiated before the Supreme Court’s unfortunate involvement,” he said. ## Tariffs will replace Income Tax: Trump Trump repeated his claim of having stopped many “wars” with his tariff threats. He said despite the Supreme Court’s “disappointing” ruling, the tariffs will remain in place under fully approved and tested alternative legal ways. He said those alternatives could be a little more complex but better. “These “powerful countries’ saving is saving our country”… Many of the wars I settled was because of the threat of tariffs…,” he said. He said the new solution will be stronger and better and Congressional action will not be necessary. “As time goes by, the tariffs paid by foreign countries substantially replace the modern -day system of income tax, taking a great financial burden off the people I love.” ## ‘Bigger, better, richer’ Trump began his speech saying: “Our Nation is BACK—bigger, better, richer, and stronger than ever before.” He said: “I had inherited a nation in crisis, with stagnant economy, inflation and record levels, wide open borders, horrendous equipment for military and police, and wars and chaos all over the world. But within one year, we have achieved a transformation like no one has seen before.” Speaking about his anti-illegal immigration policy, he said: “In the past nine months, zero illegal aliens have been admitted to the United States. But we’ll always allow people to come in legally and work hard to maintain our country.” He further said that the flow of “deadly fentanyl” is down by 56%. He also said that last year, the murder rate in the US saw its single largest decline in recorded history. “The lowest number in over 125 years,” he said. > .@POTUS: “In the past 9 months, ZERO illegal aliens have been admitted to the United States… The flow of deadly fentanyl across our border is down by a record 56%…And last year, the murder rate saw its single largest decline in recorded history…the lowest number in over 125… pic.twitter.com/IG6Llnh48P — Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) February 25, 2026 .@POTUS: “In the past 9 months, ZERO illegal aliens have been admitted to the United States… The flow of deadly fentanyl across our border is down by a record 56%…And last year, the murder rate saw its single largest decline in recorded history…the lowest number in over 125… pic.twitter.com/IG6Llnh48P — Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) February 25, 2026 ## Oil-rich Venezuela is US’s ‘new friend and partner’ Trump said the oil-rich Venezuela, whose President Maduro US captured recently, is America’s “new friend and partner”. “American oil production is up by more than 600,000 barrels a day and we just received from our new friend and partner Venezuela 18 million barrels of oil,” he said He further said American natural gas production is at an all time high because he delivered on his promise of “drill baby, drill”. Watch Trump’s full SOTU speech below: Abhishek Chakraborty is an Assistant Editor with The Indian Express in Delhi, working at the intersection of digital-first journalism, editorial decision-making, and audience engagement. He is closely involved in shaping and commissioning stories for the digital platform, with a focus on breaking news, explanatory journalism, and sharp, reader-oriented presentation. His work spans editorial planning, real-time news judgment, headline optimisation, and platform strategy, including search and social distribution. He has a strong interest in the evolution of news consumption in the digital ecosystem. He is particularly interested in how national newsrooms adapt to platform-led distribution models, data-informed editorial choices, and the balance between speed, depth, and credibility in digital-first journalism. His core interest areas are business, science, and political news. Education and interest areas: Abhishek holds a postgraduate degree in Political Science and a graduate degree in Journalism. His academic grounding informs his reportage and editing, particularly on politics, governance, and public policy. He is interested in the future of digital journalism, newsroom transformation, and the evolving relationship between technology, platforms, and public discourse. Abhishek hails from Assam's Guwahati and is proficient in English, Bengali, Assamese and Hindi. When not in the newsroom, Abhishek can be found exploring food trails around Delhi and Northeast India. In his leisure, Abhishek likes to go on long drives or bike rides, play cricket and games, and explore historical places. Work experience: Abhishek has over 11 years of experience at The Times of India, The Quint, India Today, ABP Network, and now, at The Indian Express. ... Read More