State of the Union LIVE updates: President Donald Trump to address the United States

President Donald Trump is delivering his State of the Union address in his second presidential term.

In today’s address, the US president is expected to navigate a mix of domestic victories and legal hurdles as he sets the stage for the 2026 midterm elections.

Watch the address live here.

He’s not hiding any feelings towards his predecessor, not that we expected he would, but Trump now says he’s confronted “one of the biggest rip-offs of all time” – the Affordable Care Act.

“Since the passage of the unaffordable Care Act, sometimes referred to as Obamacare, big insurance company has gotten rich,” he said.

“It was meant for the insurance companies, not for the people, with our government giving them hundreds and hundreds of billions of dollars a year as their stock prices soared ... like nothing else.

“That’s why I introduced the great health care plan. I want to stop all payments to big insurance companies and instead give that money directly to the people so they can buy their own health care, which will be better health care at a much lower cost.

“In addition, my plan requires maximum price transparency. That’s a big deal … and I did that in my first term, and the Democrats immediately terminated it with full knowledge that they were doing a very bad thing for the people. Costs [were] going to go way up, and that’s what happened, and now I’m bringing them way down on health care and everything else. I’m also ending the wildly inflated cost of prescription drugs like has never happened before.”

The Supreme Court justices sat stony faced in the front row while Trump trashed their “unfortunate” and “disappointing” decision to strike down his so-called reciprocal tariffs.

Only four of the nine justices are here – Chief Justice John Roberts, Amy Coney Barrett, Brett Kavanaugh and Elena Kagan. Of those, only Kavanaugh backed Trump’s tariffs.

“They’re right in front of you,” one Democrat yelled as Trump spoke.

As you would expect, the judges - including Chief Justice John Roberts - are refraining from showing any reaction to anything Trump says.

“It’s saving our country, the kind of money we’re taking in,” Trump said of his tariffs.

Still, he held himself back from repeating the rage he showed towards the court and its justices on social media over the past few days.

Trump says his tariffs have saved his country billions, despite the “Supreme Court’s unfortunate ruling” just four days ago.

“One of the primary reasons for our country’s stunning economic turnaround, the biggest in history … were tariffs,” he said.

“These tariffs took in hundreds of billions of dollars to make great deals for our country, both economically and on a national security basis, everything was working well.

“Countries that were ripping us off for decades are now paying us hundreds of billions of dollars. They were ripping us so badly. You all know that. Everybody knows that, even the Democrats know it. They just don’t want to say it.

“We made deals. The deals are all done, and they’re happy. They’re not making money like they used to, but we’re making a lot of money.”

“And then just four days ago, an unfortunate ruling from the United States Supreme Court, it just came down. [A] very unfortunate ruling. But the good news is that almost all countries and corporations want to keep the deal that they already made.”

Now I know why they needed the aisles of the press gallery clear – the gold medal-winning USA men’s hockey team just entered.

I’m literally standing half a metre from winning goalscorer Jack Hughes – broken teeth and all.

I don’t think anything else that can happen tonight can possibly top that.

In his speech, Trump said he would be awarding Olympic goaltender Connor Hellebuyck the “highest civilian honour”.

“I just want to tell you that the members of this great hockey squad will be very happy to hear... that I will soon be presenting Connor with our highest civilian honour, which we will be given, and which has been given to many athletes over the years.

“But when I say many, not too many, like 12 ... it’s the Presidential Medal of Freedom.”

The US isn’t used to winning, according to their leader. But now, under his guidance, they can get comfortable coming first, he says.

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, Mr. President, we’re winning too much. We can’t take it anymore. We’re not used to winning in our country until you came along with just always losing, but now we’re winning too much. And I say no, no, no, you’re going to win again.”

You’re going to win big. You’re going to win bigger than ever, and to prove that point, here with us tonight is a group of winners who just made the entire nation proud – the men’s gold medal Olympic Hockey Team.”

The US men’s hockey team has walked in to applause, still wearing their Olympic gold medals.

Green has just been escorted out of the chamber. He got into a verbal altercation with a couple of Republicans on his way out.

Trump is now listing the major milestones his administration has achieved since “inheriting a nation in crisis” after beating former president Joe Biden at the most recent election.

Trump said that nation had “a stagnant economy, inflation at record levels, a wide open border, horrendous recruitment for military and police, rampant crime at home, and wars and chaos all over the world”.

“But tonight, after just one year, I can say with dignity and pride that we have achieved a transformation like no one has ever seen before, and a turnaround for the ages. It is indeed a turnaround for the ages.”

Half of the crowd is up on their feet every second sentence, cheering as Trump confirms that under his leadership, murder rates are down, illegal aliens have been stamped out, fuel prices are down, and mortgage rates are the lowest they’ve been in years. The other side of the room, however, is remaining seated the entire time.

“And for all of these reasons, I say tonight, members of Congress, the state of our union is strong.”

President Trump has begun his speech, which is expected to continue for quite some time.

In the first few minutes, after the crowd chanted “USA, USA, USA”, Trump declared America is “so back”.

Trump said:

Our nation is back, bigger, better, richer and stronger than ever before.

Less than five months from now, our country will celebrate an epic milestone in American history - the 250th anniversary of our glorious American independence.

This July 4, we will mark two and a half centuries of liberty and triumph, progress and freedom in the most incredible and exceptional nation ever to exist on the face of the earth, and you’ve seen nothing yet. We’re going to do better and better and better.”

President Donald Trump has just walked in to applause and a standing ovation from most – but protest from one.

Democratic congressman Al Green is holding up a handwritten sign that says “Black People Aren’t Apes”.

You may remember Green was kicked out last year for disrupting Trump’s speech.

He tried to hold the sign up to Trump’s face as the president passed by, but one of Trump’s supporters batted it away.

It’s a clear reference to Trump reposting a video on social media that included a depiction of Barack and Michelle Obama as apes.

Trump later deleted the post, and the White House blamed a staffer.

Green refused to sit down, standing with his sign held up towards Trump.

First lady Melania Trump entered the chamber to sustained applause. The Supreme Court justices have also arrived – I expect they may rate a mention in Trump’s speech, and not positively.

In the gallery I can also see Trump’s children: his daughters Ivanka and Tiffany, and sons Donald Trump Jr, Eric (who is planning that tower on the Gold Coast) and the young Barron.

Now members of Trump’s cabinet are filing in.