Trump in State of the Union address: "The American golden age has only just begun"

"My fellow citizens, America is back!" U.S. President Donald Trump declared Tuesday evening in his joint address to Congress, proclaiming that the country had been "restored to its former glory."

"It has been nothing but swift and unrelenting action to usher in the greatest and most successful era in the history of our country. We have accomplished more in 43 days than most administrations accomplish in 4 years or 8 years—and we are just getting started," he said.

Trump also announced his desire to create a "Golden Dome" air defense system inspired by Israel’s Iron Dome, promising, "This will be our greatest era. We are going to renew the promise of the American dream."

"My fellow Americans, get ready for an incredible future, because the golden age of America has only just begun. It will be like nothing that has ever been seen before," he declared.

With several released hostages and the families of freed captives in attendance, including Eli Sharabi, Omer Shem Tov, Yair Horn, and Keith and Aviva Siegel, Trump touted his administration’s efforts to bring American citizens home. "In the Middle East, we are bringing back our hostages from Gaza," he stated.

He also referenced his previous diplomatic achievements: "In my first term, we achieved one of the most groundbreaking peace agreements in generations, the Abraham Accords, and now we’re going to build on that foundation to create a more peaceful and prosperous future for the entire region."

Despite anticipation in Israel, this ended up being his only mention of the hostages and the Middle East in a speech that lasted over an hour and a half and was largely light on foreign policy. While Trump acknowledged some individuals in the audience, none of the former hostages—including U.S.-Israeli citizen Keith Siegel—were given a personal shout-out.

Trump devoted much of his address to his battle against Washington’s bureaucracy, pledging to "drain the swamp" and dismantle entrenched resistance within the government. "My administration will reclaim power from this unaccountable bureaucracy, and we will restore true democracy to America again. And any federal bureaucrat who resists this change will be removed from office immediately."

At the start of Trump’s speech, he was met with jeers from Democratic members of Congress and cheers of "USA!" from Republicans. Speaker of the House Mike Johnson ordered Rep. Al Green (D-TX) removed after repeated interruptions, directing the sergeant at arms to restore order.

Trump struck a triumphant tone as he concluded his speech, declaring: "I return to this chamber tonight to report that America’s momentum is back. Our spirit is back. Our pride is back. Our confidence is back. And the American Dream is surging—bigger and better than ever before. The American Dream is unstoppable, and our country is on the verge of a comeback the likes of which the world has never witnessed, and perhaps will never witness again."

He claimed that "now, for the first time in modern history, more Americans believe that our country is headed in the RIGHT direction than the WRONG direction."