'We’re winning so much.' Trump's State of the Union seeks to calm economic jitters ahead of midterms

He tried to appeal to bipartisan patriotic sentiments, dramatically inviting the Olympic gold-medal-winning U.S. men’s hockey team into the House chamber to applause. The team came to the Capitol after an afternoon visit to the White House.

“Our country is winning again. In fact, we’re winning so much that we really don’t know what to do about it. People are asking me, please, please, please, Mister President, we’re winning too much. We can’t take it anymore," Trump said before introducing the team. “We’re not used to winning in our country until you came along.”

The hockey team, wearing their medals and sweaters that said “USA” in large letters, drew a bipartisan standing ovation. Trump pointed to the Democratic side of the chamber and quipped, “That’s the first time I ever I’ve ever seen them get up.”

In another made-for-TV moment, Trump announced he would be awarding the Presidential Medal of Freedom, America’s highest civilian honor, to the hockey team’s goaltender, Connor Hellebuyck. Trump made a similar surprise announcement in 2020, bestowing the award on conservative radio host Rush Limbaugh during the speech.

Trump offered relatively few new policy ideas early in his address but nonetheless vowed of the nation, “It is indeed a turnaround for the ages."

Trump championed his immigration crackdowns and slashing of the federal government, as well as his push to preserve widespread tariffs that the Supreme Court just struck down and his ability to direct quick-hit military actions around the world, including in Iran and Venezuela.

The president also plans to announce that tech companies involved in artificial intelligence are agreeing to pay higher electricity rates in areas where their data centers are located, according to a White House official who insisted on anonymity to discuss the speech.

Data centers tend to use large volumes of electricity, potentially increasing the cost of power to other consumers in the area.

Trump decried the Supreme Court rejecting his signature tariff policies, calling it “an unfortunate ruling.” And he talked about his attempts to maneuver around that decision without depending on Congress or spooking financial markets.

“It's saving our country,” Trump said of tariffs, adding that they were “peace-protecting."

The Supreme Court justices in attendance were the same who came to Trump’s address to a joint session of Congress last March: Chief Justice John Roberts, as well as Justices Brett Kavanaugh, Amy Coney Barrett and Elena Kegan.

Trump greeted the justices and even shook hands before his speech began with Coney Barrett, after previously slamming her for siding with the majority against Trump's tariffs — despite him appointing her to the high court in his first term.

Before Trump's speech, Senate Democrats blocked a bill to restore funding to the Department of Homeland Security, pressing for new limits on immigration enforcement that Republicans have opposed.

“Tonight, I am demanding the full and immediate restoration of all funding for the Border Security and Homeland Security of the United States,” Trump plans to say, according to the excerpts.

Michael Waldman, Clinton's former chief speechwriter, said second-term presidents "have a tough job because what they all want to say is, ‘Hey, look what a great job I’ve been doing — why don’t you love me?’”

Affordability questions loom large

No matter what his prepared remarks say, Trump relishes deviating into personal grievances.

His lack of messaging discipline has been on display after concerns about the high costs of living helped propel Democratic wins around the country on Election Day last November. The White House subsequently promised that the president would travel the country nearly every week to reassure Americans he was taking affordability seriously. But Trump has spent more time blaming Democrats and scoffing at the notion that kitchen table issues demand attention.

Trump instead frequently boasts of having tamed inflation and says he has the economy humming, given that the Dow Jones Industrial Average recently exceeded 50,000 points for the first time.

Such gains don't feel tangible to those without stock portfolios, however. There also are persistent fears that tariffs stoked higher prices, which could eventually hurt the economy and job creation. Economic growth slowed in the last three months of last year.

It is potentially politically perilous ahead of November elections that could deliver congressional wins to Democrats, just as 2018’s blue wave created a strong check to his administration during his first term.

Democrats' response to Trump's speech will be delivered by Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger, whose affordability-focused message helped her flip a Republican-held office in November. Several congressional Democrats, meanwhile, skipped Trump's speech in protest.

Foreign policy in focus

Trump's address comes as two U.S. aircraft carriers have been dispatched to the Middle East amid tensions with Iran.

The president has repeatedly recounted how U.S. airstrikes last summer pounded Tehran's nuclear capabilities, and laud the raid that ousted Venezuelan President Nicolas Nicolás Maduro, as well as his administration's brokering of a ceasefire in Israel’s war with Hamas in Gaza.

But he also strained U.S. military alliances with NATO, thanks to his push to seize Greenland from Denmark and his failure to take a harder line with Russian President Vladimir Putin in seeking an end to its war in Ukraine. Tuesday was the fourth anniversary of the Russia-Ukraine war.