"In a sprawling speech that clocked in at 10,887 words and lasted for an hour and 47 minutes, Trump championed his administration's economic achievements, highlighting rising incomes, plummeting core inflation, and a stock market that has hit 53 record highs since his election. And yet, despite the expansive runtime, the word "debt" crossed the president's lips only one time."
"While Trump sidestepped talking about the national debt, he did briefly touch on the federal budget. He officially announced a "war on fraud" to be led by Vice President JD Vance, claiming that if the administration is able to find enough fraud in the system, "we will actually have a balanced budget overnight.""
"But according to fiscal responsibility groups, any gains that would be recuperated in the "war on fraud" wouldn't even make a dent in the national debt. Carolyn Bourdeaux, Executive Director of Concord Action, said her organization appreciated the nod to the idea of a balanced budget, but Trump's proposals would not move the U.S. closer to that goal."
President Trump delivered a record-length State of the Union address on February 24, 2026, lasting one hour and 47 minutes with 10,887 words. He highlighted economic accomplishments including rising incomes, declining core inflation, and 53 stock market record highs. However, despite the extensive speech focused on the economy, Trump avoided mentioning the national debt, which stands at nearly $38.8 trillion. He announced a "war on fraud" led by Vice President JD Vance, claiming fraud elimination could balance the budget overnight. Fiscal responsibility groups dispute this claim, arguing that fraud reduction alone cannot meaningfully address the national debt or achieve budget balance.
Read at Fortune
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]