How Trump Should Respond to Political Violence in the State of the Union

President Donald Trump will deliver the first State of the Union address of his second term this week, and his speech will set the priorities of his administration and much of the Republican Party in this tumultuous midterm election year, already plagued by political violence.

The speech comes amid rising tensions abroad, cultural divisions at home, a Supreme Court ruling striking down some of Trump’s tariffs, and some good economic indicators. It also comes just days after Secret Service shot and killed a man trying to enter Mar-a-Lago while carrying a gun—highlighting the threat of political violence.

Here are five issues the president should address in his speech.

1. Affordability

Trump has repeatedly said that Democrats’ use of the term “affordability” is a “con job,” but Americans are concerned about paying the bills. Democrat Abigail Spanberger prevailed in the Virginia governor’s race last year partly for this reason.

Fortunately for the president, some indicators suggest that the affordability crisis Americans experienced under former President Joe Biden has largely abated.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that the real average hourly earnings for all employees increased 1.2% from January 2025 to January 2026, during Trump’s first year in office. This figure accounts for inflation.

This means Americans, who suffered with record inflation spurred by profligate government spending during the COVID-19 pandemic, finally have more money in their pockets.

Inflation, which reached a high of 9.1% in 2022, has eased significantly. The consumer price index, a key inflation measure, only increased 2.4% between January 2025 and January 2026, a decrease from 3.0% the year before.

Meanwhile, Trump’s policies will help address affordability. Last week, Trump’s Environmental Protection Agency formally rescinded the Endangerment Finding, the foundation of federal regulation of greenhouse gases. This move will help decrease the cost of gas, which will not just make it cheaper for Americans to drive, but will also further cut the costs of transportation for goods, leading to lower prices across the board.

The One Big Beautiful Bill Act prevented the largest tax increase in American history by extending the Trump 2017 tax cuts, and will prevent an estimated 51 million seniors from having to pay taxes on Social Security income. Many Americans will find more cash in their wallets from both decreased regulations and lower taxes.

Trump still needs to address the issue, if only to highlight this positive news. He should also address the cost and availability of housing—a key issue for young Americans looking to start their own families.

2. Corruption

Trump kicked off his second term with a massive effort to expose and root out the waste, fraud, and abuse in the federal government. The Department of Government Efficiency highlighted how Americans’ tax dollars subsidized “woke” causes like transgender ideology and “diversity, equity, and inclusion.” Some of this money also funded the very woke leftist groups that pushed federal policy to the Left under Biden.

Late last year, many Americans tuned in to the massive scandal in Minneapolis, where fraudsters systematically looted the federal treasury by claiming to feed needy children who didn’t even exist. Attorney General Keith Ellison was accused of promising to help the fraudsters.

The massive protests—and worse—against Immigration and Customs Enforcement distracted from this key issue, but Americans should still pay attention, and Minnesota is far from the only state to experience such fraud. The Small Business Administration has suspended more than 111,000 California borrowers suspected of committing $8.6 billion in pandemic-era fraud, for example.

Trump should highlight this corruption and pledge to continue rooting it out.

3. Foreign Policy

Trump’s speech comes at a tumultuous time. The president’s successful ouster of Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro has left confusion in Caracas. The socialist revolution that brought so much poverty and desolation to that country has not been reversed, and it remains to be seen how much Venezuela will change after Maduro.

The Iran regime, meanwhile, appeared on the brink of collapse amid protests at the start of the year, and Trump has moved military assets into the region. When asked about the prospect of imminent war with Iran, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth responded by urging Tehran to make a deal with the U.S.

Trump has proven himself willing to carry out tailored strikes that achieve strategic results without getting bogged down in “forever wars.” Democrats have sought to tie his hands on war powers, however.

The president should lay out his strategic vision, especially how he sees the U.S. combatting China, and explain how he plans to advance America’s interests without embroiling us in any quagmires.

4. Immigration

Trump gave the lie to Biden’s repeated claim that he needed legislation to close the border and stem the flood of illegal immigration. According to the Department of Homeland Security, border crossings decreased 93% from 2024 levels in 2025, and fentanyl trafficking at the southern border declined by more than half.

Trump promised to deport the approximately 10 million illegal aliens who entered the country under Biden, but the Left’s organized resistance has hampered this effort.

DHS deported more than 675,000 illegal aliens, and an estimated 2.2 million self-deported, leaving the country on their own accord.

Yet the administration has hit snags recently. Immigration and Customs Enforcement deployed a surge of agents to Minneapolis last year, as “sanctuary” policies made it difficult for ICE to coordinate with state and local officials to deport illegal aliens more safely.

Leftist groups organized a large number of “ICE Watch” bands to monitor—and, in some cases, physically obstruct—ICE. Two agitators who appeared to obstruct or interfere with federal agents, namely Renee Good and Alex Pretti, tragically lost their lives, inspiring yet more protests and ultimately leading Trump to change his approach.

The president should remind Americans that millions of illegal aliens remain in the country, tell the stories of victims who died at the hands of illegal alien criminals, and lay out his strategy to continue mass deportations after Minneapolis.

5. Political Violence

Finally, the president should address the rising political violence on the left, and the antisemitism from some commentators who claim to be on the right.

In the first two months of 2026, authorities have already arrested 10 people for making violent threats against Trump or members of his administration. A man allegedly attacked Vice President JD Vance’s Cincinnati home, while another allegedly cased Office of Management and Budget Director Russell Vought’s Northern Virginia home.

Earlier this week, a man who identified as transgender opened fire at a Rhode Island high school hockey game, killing two family members before turning the gun on himself. This marked the latest in a series of mass shootings carried out by people who identify as transgender. Trump should address this horrifying trend, while noting that most people who identify as transgender do not pose a violent threat.

Trump should also condemn the anti-ICE agitators who invaded a church service and chanted, “Who shut this down? We shut this down.” He should refrain from mentioning former CNN host Don Lemon by name, but he should emphasize why it is not a violation of free speech or a free press to prosecute agitators who interfered with evangelical Christians’ First Amendment right to exercise their religion.

Finally, Trump should condemn the rising specter of antisemitism among those who call themselves conservative. Influencers like Nick Fuentes, who openly praise Nazi dictator Adolf Hitler and who suggest the Jews are responsible for America’s social maladies, have no place in the conservative movement. While Trump’s support for Israel and his Jewish family members should already send the message that he does not align with these nefarious influences, he should take the opportunity to condemn them.

This article originally appeared at The Daily Signal.