WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump delivered the State of the Union. The challenge for him now is to try to make that message stick.
His address Tuesday was a declaration of pride in the achievements of his second term, as he boasted of an economic renaissance at home while he imposed a new world order abroad.
Trump will get his first opportunity to test drive that midterm year message this week when he travels to Texas, where the Latino voters whose shift toward Trump in his successful 2024 reelection campaign highlighted how he reshaped the Republican coalition.
The White House aims to promote that message to a broader electorate that's largely disenchanted with Trump's job performance, while a looming conflict in the Middle East threatens to shift focus from his domestic priorities. Trump also has a proclivity to go off-script during political rallies, such as during a speech last week in Rome, Georgia, asserting he's "solved" affordability when high prices remain a chief concern for voters.
Still, the themes of economic prosperity and a more secure America that Trump emphasized in his 108-minute speech Tuesday will underpin the broader narrative he and his fellow Republicans will try to sell to voters this November.
A slew of Cabinet officials — including Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins — blanketed the airwaves Wednesday, promoting the highlights from Trump's address.
President Donald Trump exits the House Chamber on Tuesday after delivering the State of the Union address to a joint session of Congress in the House chamber at the U.S. Capitol in Washington.
'Big moments'
Presidents often travel immediately after delivering the State of the Union to amplify their agenda. President Joe Biden, for instance, went to swing states such as Wisconsin and Pennsylvania the day after his speech in the last two years of his term.
Vice President JD Vance will be first to hit the road with a Thursday visit to a Wisconsin factory. Trump won't leave the Washington area until Friday, when he heads to Texas to talk about the economy and energy policies just days ahead of the state's March 3 congressional primaries.
"Donald Trump is a master at the big moments, so he obviously cares a lot about how the speech goes, but what he cares a lot about are the clips that get replayed over and over again from the State of the Union," said Austin Cantrell, who served as an assistant White House press secretary in Trump's first term.
Cantrell, who's now with the Chattanooga, Tennessee-based firm Bridge Public Affairs, said: "I don't expect this to be some Aaron Sorkin-esque, perfectly choreographed post-State of the Union media fan-out."
President Donald Trump delivers the State of the Union address Tuesday to a joint session of Congress in the House chamber at the U.S. Capitol in Washington.
Six years ago, it was Trump's move to award conservative radio host Rush Limbaugh with the Presidential Medal of Freedom, America's highest civilian honor, that surprised the audience. Tuesday's address — record-breaking in its length — included similar attention-grabbing moments.
He said he'd give the same honor to Connor Hellebuyck, goaltender for the U.S. men's hockey team, fresh off winning a gold medal at the Winter Olympics in Milano-Cortina, Italy. Trump called Hellebuyck and his teammates into the House chamber, where they were greeted with applause.
Out on the trail
Trump also used his speech to roll out new proposals to address affordability concerns, while castigating Democrats for opposing policies he said have led to a more prosperous, safer America. Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger, in Democrats' response, argued costs remain high for many Americans and families are still struggling under Trump's policies.
Trump called on both parties to "protect American citizens, not illegal aliens," and pushed for measures to limit mail-in ballots and tighten voter identification rules, while warning about the dangers of unchecked, illegal migration.
President Donald Trump, left, applauds Tuesday with Vice President JD Vance, center, and House Speaker Mike Johnson of La., as he delivers the State of the Union address to a joint session of Congress in the House chamber at the U.S. Capitol in Washington.
"I do think a lot of the success outlined in the State of the Union will be a part of the Republican message in the fall," Sen. Eric Schmitt, R-Mo., another close Trump ally, told the AP, pointing to the GOP's achievements on tax policy and border security.
Senior White House officials promised that Trump will travel the country regularly until the midterms. He so far hit critical battleground states such as Michigan, Pennsylvania and North Carolina on his economy tour, but he also traveled to reliably conservative Iowa and the congressional district of former Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene.
How Americans feel about Trump remained relatively stable throughout his second term, making it unlikely that one speech will meaningfully shift the way he's perceived.
His approval rating has changed very little during his second term, Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research polling found, falling only slightly from 42% in March 2025 to 36% in early February.
