House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries urged Democrats to attend Trump’s speech. Afterward, he called it "the most divisive" in history.
Jeffries accused Trump of failing to unite the country. He claimed the speech ignored "serious economic challenges facing everyday Americans."
"Instead, President Trump promoted the reckless Republican budget that sets up the largest cut to Medicaid in our country’s history," Jeffries said. "Democrats will continue to fight hard to make life better for the people, and together we will get through this turbulent moment."
Trump’s address lasted about an hour and 39 minutes. He covered topics from illegal immigration to emotional moments honoring special guests in the chamber.
In a post-speech interview, Jeffries didn’t hold back. He called Trump and his administration dishonest. "It’s always about him and never about the American people," he said. "This is why the economy is crashing. Things haven’t gotten better. They’re getting worse."
Jeffries took a sharp jab at Trump’s foreign policy. "The free world is falling apart because Donald Trump is playing footsie with Vladimir Putin," he said.
He also targeted Trump’s promise not to cut Social Security, Medicaid, or Medicare unless fraud was found. Jeffries dismissed it as a lie. "They’re going to go after Social Security benefits. I think that was clear after this speech," he said.
House Speaker Mike Johnson pushed back. He insisted Republicans wouldn’t cut benefits but were improving program efficiency. "What we're talking about is efficiencies in the programs to make them work better for the people who receive those benefits," Johnson said.
Jeffries ignored some of the night’s bipartisan moments. He made no comment on Trump swearing in a young cancer survivor as an honorary Secret Service agent. He also didn’t acknowledge the president’s surprise acceptance of a student into West Point.
Instead, he kept his focus on slamming the Republican agenda. "What’s going to move this country back in the right direction," he said, "is for the American people to fully understand the implications of this very divisive and extreme agenda that is being unleashed on the American people."