Trump sets record for longest State of the Union speech
· RTE.ieUS President Donald Trump delivered the longest-ever State of the Union address, beating Bill Clinton's 2000 record of one hour and 20 minutes.
President Trump also smashed his own one hour and 40 minute record for a presidential speech to Congress, which he set last March in an annual address that was not technically a State of the Union.
Mr Trump touched on a number of key points during his speech, including the Supreme Court's ruling that struck down his global tariffs.
He criticised the decision in front of several justices who had supported it, calling it "very unfortunate."
Among those in attendance at the joint session of Congress were Chief Justice John Roberts and Justice Amy Coney Barrett - both conservatives - who alongside liberal Justice Elena Kagan had joined a 6-3 majority to rule against many of Mr Trump's tariffs.
But the president added that US trading partners "want to keep the deal that they already made" with his administration, "knowing that the legal power that I as president have to make a new deal could be far worse for them."
'Golden age of America'
At the start of his address, Mr Trump declared that "this is the Golden Age of America", seeking to project an aura of success at a fraught moment for his presidency and his Republican Party.
"Our nation is back - bigger, better, richer and stronger than ever before," he said after taking the stage to cheers of "USA, USA" from his party's members of Congress.
President Trump also said that the United States had received more than 80 million barrels of oil from Venezuela since Washington's ouster of the South American country's leader Nicolas Maduro.
"We just received from our new friend and partner, Venezuela, more than 80 million barrels of oil," Mr Trump said.
"American oil production is up by more than 600,000 barrels a day," he added.
President Trump ordered the seizure of socialist leader Mr Maduro in January on allegations of drug trafficking and other crimes, and since then has eased oil sanctions on the country in a bid to boost production.
Board of Peace
Mr Trump, who has openly coveted the Nobel Peace Prize and set up his own 'Board of Peace,' said that he would prefer to solve Iran's nuclear programme issue with diplomacy.
"They've already developed missiles that can threaten Europe and our bases overseas, and they're working to build missiles that will soon reach the United States of America," Mr Trump said.
He also touted his record of brokering peace deals.
Yesterday marked the fourth anniversary of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, a reminder that he has yet to resolve the war he once said he could end in 24 hours.
'Victory on the economy'
Mr Trump claimed "victory on the economy" during his address, a message Republican politicians running for re-election are unlikely to welcome.
He argued that he inherited a poor economy from Democratic predecessor Joe Biden and that Democrats have overstated affordability concerns.
Mr Trump also pointed to stock market gains, private-sector investments and his tax-cut legislation as evidence that he has helped the economy.
The president also touted his tough border policies and his deportation campaign, despite polls showing most Americans believe his administration has gone too far in rounding up undocumented immigrants.
'People's State of the Union’
Some 30 elected Democrats skipped President Trump's address to the US Congress to attend a ‘People's State of the Union.’
The president "makes a mockery of this institution and he does not deserve an audience," Senator Chris Murphy told a crowd assembled in front of the US Capitol ahead of Mr Trump's speech.
Those expected to speak at the alternate event, held on the National Mall, include an alleged victim of the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, people whose family members have been deported and public health researchers laid off amid budget cuts.
The annual speech carried enormous stakes for the president, with his approval ratings slumping, anxieties rising over Iran and Americans struggling with the cost of living as the November midterm election nears.
The televised prime-time speech to Congress, his second in the 13 months since returning to the White House, offered Mr Trump a chance to persuade voters to keep his fellow Republicans in power.
A Reuters/Ipsos poll showed six in 10 Americans, including 30% of Republicans, think Mr Trump, 79, has become erratic as he ages. Only 40% of respondents approved of his job performance, compared with 58% who disapproved.