The biggest takeaways from Trump's record-breaking State of the Union address
· Axios
President Trump's remarks during Tuesday's State of the Union address focused on the stark contrast between the GOP and Democratic opposition, underscoring culture-war flashpoints and carefully acknowledging guests to reflect his political messaging.
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The big picture: The speech took place with quite a few members of Congress missing — though that didn't stop several Democrats from shouting their objections or heckling the president during his 108-minute-long speech.
Here are the top 5 most notable moments from the 2026 SOTU:
"You should be ashamed of yourself"
One of the most heated interactions of the night occurred after Trump asked the audience to stand up if they agreed with his statement that the "first duty of the American government is to protect American citizens, not illegal aliens."
- Many Democrats in attendance did not stand up, to which the president said that they should be "ashamed."
- The admonishments led to multiple Democrats yelling at him, including Reps. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.) and Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.). The pair exited the chamber shortly after.
Trump's medal offerings
Trump presented awards throughout his speech, starting with the Presidential Medal of Freedom, which he awarded to Team USA hockey goalie Connor Hellebuyck.
- The award is considered the U.S. government's highest civilian honor and is usually presented to recognize a lifetime of significant achievements in the arts, public service, science, or other fields, per the Library of Congress.
- Petty Officer Scott Ruskan, a U.S. Coast Guard rescue swimmer, was awarded the Legion of Merit for his efforts during the fatal Fourth of July flooding in Texas.
Zoom in: Trump awarded Purple Hearts to Sarah Beckstrom, 20, who died from injuries one day after an Afghan national shot her and her fellow National Guardsmen in an ambush-style attack near the White House in November 2025.
- Andrew Wolfe, who survived the attack, was also present at the Capitol to receive the honor.
Zoom out: The president also presented two Congressional Medals of Honor — the highest and most prestigious military award given to service members for acts of valor.
- Chief Warrant Officer Eric Slover, who was injured during the U.S. operation in Venezuela in January, was the first to receive the award.
- The final medal of the night was given to Royce Williams, a 100-year-old veteran who aided in a secret mission during the Korean War.
Spotlight on the U.S. Hockey team
The gold medal-winning U.S. men's hockey team made a mid-speech VIP entrance, during which they received one of the longest standing ovations of the night.
- The team's 2026 win was the first time men took home the top prize since the famous 1980 "Miracle on Ice."
The intrigue: The president faced backlash earlier this week for seemingly lamenting that he had to invite the women's hockey team to the speech as well, saying that if he didn't, he'd probably be "impeached."
- The women's team ultimately declined the invitation, citing scheduling conflicts. Trump said Tuesday that the women will visit the White House at a later date.
Al Green's return
Rep. Al Green (D-Texas) held a sign reading "BLACK PEOPLE AREN'T APES!" during the president's entrance into the chamber.
- A verbal altercation broke out as multiple Republicans, including House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.) and Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.), attempted to force Green to put down the sign.
- Green was escorted out of the House shortly after.
Context: The sign was referencing an overtly racist video clip of the Obamas posted on President Trump's Truth Social earlier this month, which portrayed former President Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama as apes.
- A White House official blamed a staffer for erroneously posting the video, but Trump later admitted he saw the beginning of the video and "didn't make a mistake" by approving it being shared on his account.
No love for tariffs
The president slammed the Supreme Court for striking down many of his tariffs last Friday, calling it a "very unfortunate" ruling.
- The chamber did not respond with raucous applause as they did for other policies, reflecting the uneasiness of even Republican members to release their constitutional authority to levy tariffs to the president.
Go deeper: Dems defy own leaders by relentlessly disrupting SOTU