Five defining moments from Trump’s marathon State of the Union address

WEB DESK: United States President Donald Trump delivered the first State of the Union of his second term in a speech that stretched to one hour and 47 minutes, the longest in US history. Speaking before a joint session of Congress at the United States Capitol, he touched on a wide range of issues, from the economy to foreign policy, while drawing sharp reactions from both allies and opponents.

Here are five of the most notable moments from the address:

Friction with the Supreme Court

As he entered the chamber, Trump greeted several justices of the Supreme Court of the United States, including three who had recently voted to invalidate his sweeping global tariff policy.

During the speech, the president criticised the ruling as “very unfortunate,” signalling his frustration while the justices looked on. He indicated that his administration was exploring legal avenues to preserve the tariffs, which he has repeatedly argued would be borne by foreign exporters.

Rare bipartisan applause for Olympic champions

Amid visible partisan divides in the chamber, one of the few moments of collective enthusiasm came when the US men’s Olympic hockey team — fresh from winning gold — was recognised.

Lawmakers from both parties stood and applauded, chanting “USA” as the athletes were honoured for securing the country’s first Olympic ice hockey gold medal in nearly half a century.

Protest and walkouts by Democrats

The address was marked by pointed Democratic dissent. Some opposition lawmakers chose not to attend, while many who did remained seated throughout much of the speech.

Several Democratic members wore white in tribute to the women’s suffrage movement, while others displayed pins referencing files related to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

Texas Representative Al Green was escorted out after raising a sign reading “Black people aren’t apes!” in protest of a racially offensive video involving former president Barack Obama that Trump had shared.

Heated exchange with Ilhan Omar

Tensions escalated when Minnesota Representative Ilhan Omar interrupted the president during his remarks.

After Trump accused Democrats of failing to stand in support of his policies, Omar shouted back, blaming the administration for the deaths of two protesters during a federal operation in Minneapolis last month. She later exited the chamber before the speech concluded.

A record-setting address

Clocking in at one hour and 47 minutes, the speech set a new benchmark for length, surpassing the previous record of one hour and 20 minutes delivered by Bill Clinton in 2000.

The address also exceeded the duration of Trump’s own remarks to Congress at the start of his term last year, underlining his decision to deliver an expansive and wide-ranging message to lawmakers and the nation.