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

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“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.”

President Donald Trump delivers the State of the Union address to a joint session of Congress in the House chamber at the US Capitol in Washington. (AP Photo)

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

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: