US President Donald Trump delivers the State of the Union address to a joint session of Congress. Photo: AP/PTI
I will make peace wherever I can, confront threats to America: Trump
In national address, Trump outlines stance on Iran, Ukraine, Venezuela and tariffs, seeks to reassure Americans amid rising concerns over military use
US President Donald Trump on Wednesday (February 25) used his latest national address to defend his foreign policy decisions, even as public concern grows over the economy and America’s global military role.
While the speech leaned heavily on domestic issues, Trump highlighted developments involving Iran, brokering a fragile ceasefire deal in Gaza, the Russia-Ukraine War, Venezuela, and trade disputes, arguing that his approach balances diplomacy and military strength.
Currently, polls show the American public increasingly concerned about the economy. According to a survey conducted by The Associated Press-NORC Centre for Public Affairs Research earlier this month and in January, 61 per cent of Americans disapprove of Trump’s handling of foreign policy, while 56 per cent believe he has gone too far in using US military power abroad.
But Trump attempted to make the case that he's taking the right approach, balancing domestic policy concerns while using America's military might when needed.
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“As president, I will make peace wherever I can, but I will never hesitate to confront threats to America wherever we must,” Trump said.
Here are a few moments where Trump sought to explain his foreign policy approach 13 months into his second term:
Renewed warning
Trump explained why his administration is again considering military action against Iran, months after claiming US strikes had destroyed key Iranian nuclear facilities.
“We wiped it out, and they want to start all over again. And they're at this moment again pursuing their sinister ambitions,” Trump said. “We are in negotiations with them. They want to make a deal, but we haven't heard those secret words: We will never have a nuclear weapon.”
Earlier in the day, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Tehran would not develop nuclear weapons.
US officials are continuing talks with Iranian representatives, though disagreements remain over Iran’s missile programme and regional alliances.
Venezuela operation
Trump again celebrated last month's capture of the Venezuelan leader in an audacious military operation, saying the US “just received from our new friend and partner, Venezuela, more than 80 million barrels of oil.”
The Trump administration had previously said it was orchestrating the effort to sell a total of about 30 to 50 million barrels of Venezuelan oil that had been stranded by a partial blockade imposed by the administration.
Trump paid tribute to a helicopter pilot who was wounded in the operation but still managed to carry out the mission and paused to award him the Congressional Medal of Honour.
He also introduced a former political prisoner, Enrique Márquez, who was freed by the Venezuelan government last month following the US operation. He was a presidential candidate in the 2024 election and a former member of the National Electoral Council.
“This was an absolutely colossal victory for the security of the United States,” Trump boasted.
Action against Maduro
Trump's action against Maduro, coupled with an increasingly aggressive posture in the Western Hemisphere aimed at eliminating drug trafficking and illegal migration, is a concern for many in the region — although they also have won support from some smaller countries.
Trump has likened the strategy to the Monroe Doctrine, with its rejection of outside influences and assertion of US primacy throughout what the administration considers to be “America's backyard." US forces, under Trump's orders, have carried out dozens of military strikes on alleged drug-running vessels in the Caribbean, seized sanctioned oil tankers and tightened the embargo of Cuba as part of what the president is referring to as the “Donroe Doctrine.”
"We're also restoring American security and dominance in the Western Hemisphere, acting to secure our national interests and defend our country from violence, drugs, terrorism and foreign interference," Trump said.
Tariff strategy
The president, ahead of the address, ridiculed the six justices, including two conservatives he appointed in his first term, who last week struck down his use of a 1977 legal authority he had cited for most of the tariff hikes he imposed over the past year on friends and foes alike.
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He described the decision as “an unfortunate ruling from the United States Supreme Court” but warned that countries attempting to renegotiate trade terms could face higher tariffs.
“The good news is almost all countries and corporations want to keep the deal that they already made," Trump said.
He added, “The legal power that I as president have to make a new deal could be far worse for them, and therefore they will continue to work along the same successful path we had negotiated before the Supreme Court's unfortunate involvement."
(With agency inputs)