What Trump's State of the Union 2026 means for the world

Donald Trump’s State of the Union address on 24 February 2026 came at a moment of pressure at home. Legal setbacks over tariffs, a divided Congress and persistent scrutiny over immigration policy have tightened the political atmosphere in Washington. A president under pressure often looks abroad for leverage - and this speech made clear that Trump intends to double down on the themes that have defined his second term: tariffs, Iran, immigration and military strength.

For international audiences, the message was clear. America First remains firmly in place.

Back to Plan A

Trump not only defended the use of import duties after the Supreme Court ruled that he had exceeded his authority in imposing sweeping across-the-board raises, he promised more.

"So despite the disappointing ruling, it's saving our country ... many of the wars I've settled was because of the threat of tariffs, I wouldn't have been able to settle them without. [They] will remain in place under fully approved and tested alternative legal statutes."

Although the ruling insisted that revenue-raising was a matter for Congress, Trump told the chamber he wouldn't be needing their consent for the new measures.

For trading partners, this was intended to be a clear signal that legal obstacles at home will not soften Washington’s trade stance. Trump went further, reviving a long-held claim that tariffs could replace income tax revenue altogether. "I believe the tariffs paid for by foreign countries will, like in the past, substantially replace the modern-day system of income tax."

Economists dispute that foreign countries bear the full cost of tariffs, but the political message was blunt: the era of predictable US trade policy is not returning any time soon.

Iran and the magic words

The sharpest foreign policy focus was Iran. The United States has built up its largest regional military presence since the Iraq war, amid rising tensions over Tehran’s nuclear programme and missile development.

Trump framed Iran as an existential threat. "For decades, it had been the policy of the United States never to allow Iran to obtain a nuclear weapon. Many decades. Since they seized control of that proud nation 47 years ago, the regime and its murderous proxies have spread nothing but terrorism and death and hate. They've killed and maimed thousands of American service members and hundreds of thousands and even millions of people… this is some terrible people. They've already developed missiles that can threaten Europe and our bases overseas, and they're working to build missiles that will soon reach the United States of America."

While expressing a preference for diplomacy, he drew a firm red line. "My preference is to solve this problem through diplomacy. But one thing is certain, I will never allow the world's number one sponsor of terror, which they are by far, to have a nuclear weapon."

Immigration and crime

Immigration remains central to Trump’s domestic and international messaging. He declared: "After four years in which millions and millions of illegal aliens poured across our borders totally unvetted and unchecked, we now have the strongest and most secure border in American history by far. In the past nine months, zero illegal aliens have been admitted to the United States. But we will always allow people to come in legally, people that will love our country and will work hard to maintain our country."

He also linked immigration to crime and social disorder, inviting into the chamber families who had become victims.

And he didn't forget to mention his favourite theme, frauds perpetrated by some members of the Somali community: "The Somali pirates who ransacked Minnesota remind us that there are large parts of the world where bribery, corruption, and lawlessness are the norm, not the exception."

For many countries, particularly in Africa and Latin America, such rhetoric reinforces the perception of a United States that sees migration primarily through a lens of threat rather than opportunity. Trump insisted that he was ready to welcome in people who love the US, although in the past he has indicated that the ones he would like to see coming are from Norway, Sweden or white South Africans.

Military prowess

Trump balanced his hard-line positions with repeated praise for the armed forces. "Our military and police are stacked." "We have the most powerful military on Earth." "we love our military."

At the same time, he renewed sweeping claims about his role as a peacemaker. "In my first 10 months, I ended eight wars, including Cambodia and Thailand; Pakistan and India - would have been a nuclear war - 35 million people, said the Prime Minister of Pakistan, would have died if it were not for my involvement; Kosovo and Serbia; Israel and Iran; Egypt and Ethiopia; Armenia and Azerbaijan; the Congo and Rwanda; and of course the war in Gaza which proceeds at a very low level."

Some of those conflicts - Serbia and Kosovo, Ethiopia and Egypt - were either long-running diplomatic tensions or disputes that had not escalated into full-scale wars. For Trump, it didn't matter. He was the bringer or war or peace.

The broader message

Taken together, the speech offered a message of continuity rather than change. Whether that will be enough to revive the president's flagging approval ratings remains to be seen. And if it doesn't, the world may experience a new phase of America First.

World Reframed is produced in London by Global South World, part of the Impactum Group. Its editors are Duncan Hooper and Ismail Akwei.

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