'Regret over tariff ruling' Trump says, "Many countries want to maintain trade agreements" (comprehensive)

Red tie, Stars and Stripes pin as he walks in
"America is back, richer and stronger than ever"
Emphasizes victims of "illegal immigrants"... stays silent on Ukraine

Trump Donald, President of the United States, is speaking during the first State of the Union address to the U.S. Congress since the start of his second administration, held around 9 p.m. local time on the 24th. AP Yonhap News

"It was a very regrettable ruling. Without the tariff policy, there would have been no economic performance."

U.S. President Donald Trump expressed regret over the recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling on reciprocal tariffs during his State of the Union address to a joint session of Congress in Washington, D.C., on the night of the 24th (local time), and argued that many countries want to maintain their existing trade agreements.

During the 108-minute address, he devoted most of his time to boasting about the achievements of the past year. In particular, he sought to rally his core base that supports his anti-immigration policies by putting forward the families of those killed by immigrants staying illegally in the United States. With the November midterm elections in mind, he also appeared to focus on issues closely tied to voters, such as prices and "affordability" of the cost of living. In contrast, he had little to say on foreign affairs, including Ukraine, which is marking the fourth anniversary of the outbreak of war.

Red tie, Stars and Stripes pin as he walks in

At around 9 p.m. that night (11 a.m. on the 25th Korea time), President Trump entered the Capitol wearing a red tie and an American flag pin. He began by declaring, "America is back," adding, "It has returned bigger, richer, and stronger than ever before." The address drew more attention than usual as it was his first State of the Union since regaining power.

Regarding the Supreme Court’s recent ruling that reciprocal tariffs are unlawful, President Trump said, "The (Supreme) Court issued a regrettable decision, but there is also good news," and went on to say, "Most countries and companies are trying to honor the agreements they have concluded with the United States."

President Trump is pointing at something with his finger. Reuters, Yonhap News

He also said that he knows "that as president I have the legal authority to negotiate a new agreement with them that could be far worse for them." He continued, "I will be able to impose tariffs by using alternative laws," adding, "Even if it may be somewhat complicated, I will use other laws to impose tariffs through proven procedures without congressional approval."

Immediately after last week’s ruling that the tariffs were unlawful, President Trump announced that he would apply a 10% tariff rate on each country based on Section 122 of the Trade Act. As of 12:01 a.m. the previous day, a 10% global tariff has taken effect. The Trump administration is maintaining its plan to raise this to 15%, but has not yet specified a concrete deadline. At the same time, it has also launched tariff investigations under Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act and Section 301 of the Trade Act.

To Iran: "We will never allow you to have nuclear weapons"

With nuclear talks with Iran just two days away, he also noted that Iran has not declared its intention to abandon nuclear weapons. President Trump said, "We are negotiating with them (Iran)," and added, "They want a deal, but we have not yet heard the secret words, 'We will never possess nuclear weapons.'"

He went on, "I prefer to resolve this issue through diplomacy. But one thing is certain," stressing, "I will not allow the world’s largest state sponsor of terrorism to possess nuclear weapons. No country should doubt America’s resolve."

President Trump also said that Iran has already developed missiles capable of threatening Europe and overseas U.S. military bases, and that it is now seeking to develop missiles that could soon reach the U.S. mainland. This is seen as laying the groundwork for potential military action if Iran refuses U.S. demands for denuclearization.

He further stated, "As president, I will seek peace whenever possible, but when necessary, I will never hesitate to confront threats directed at the United States."

The United States and Iran are scheduled to sit down for a third round of talks in Geneva, Switzerland, on the 26th of this month. The Trump administration is expected to urge Iran at that meeting to halt its development of nuclear weapons. In this context, on the 23rd the U.S. State Department ordered the evacuation of staff from the U.S. Embassy in Lebanon, prompting speculation that U.S. airstrikes against Iran might be imminent. In fact, President Trump on this day lavished praise on last June’s "Midnight Hammer Operation," which destroyed three of Iran’s largest uranium enrichment facilities, and also mentioned that Iranian authorities killed 32,000 protesters last month.

To U.S. tech firms: "Cover your own power needs"

President Trump Donald is speaking. Reuters and Yonhap News

President Trump also said he is pushing "rate payer protection pledges" that would require major technology companies to cover the electricity needed for artificial intelligence (AI) data centers on their own. This comes amid concerns in some U.S. states that the expansion of AI infrastructure could put a heavy burden on the power grid and lead to higher electricity bills.

He said, "Many Americans worry that the energy demand of AI data centers will unfairly raise their electricity bills," adding, "Our power grid is outdated. It cannot handle the required electricity demand. So I told them to build their own power plants. They will produce the electricity they use themselves."

President Trump also said that after the ouster of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, the United States secured more than 80 million barrels of oil from Venezuela. "We have just received more than 80 million barrels from our new friend and partner, Venezuela," he said, adding, "U.S. oil production has increased by more than 600,000 barrels per day."

Silence on foreign affairs... no support for Ukraine

In contrast, despite Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s appeal for support the previous day, President Trump ultimately did not issue a statement of support for Ukraine, which is marking the fourth anniversary of the war. Earlier, the United States abstained from voting on a pro-Ukraine resolution adopted at the UN General Assembly, saying that it could put pressure on peace talks.

In his address, President Trump said of the war in Ukraine only that "25,000 massacres have taken place because of the war between Russia and Ukraine," and that "if I had been president, such a war would never have broken out." President Zelensky had previously urged President Trump in a CNN interview to make a public declaration of support for Ukraine in his State of the Union address.

Meanwhile, after the speech, Republican lawmakers gave him a standing ovation. Democratic lawmakers, on the other hand, left the chamber immediately without applauding. The Associated Press reported that immediately after President Trump finished his speech and stepped down from the podium, some lawmakers shook their heads and sneered.