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Democrats’ big misfire at State of the Union has GOP strategists salivating: ‘Huge moment’
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Republican political strategists are salivating over what they perceive as a misfire by the Democratic Party during President Donald Trump’s State of the Union address, arguing incidents of clear defiance and contempt for Trump’s message will be «huge» for the GOP in the upcoming midterm elections.
One of the most dramatic moments of Trump’s address on Tuesday night came when the president challenged every lawmaker in the chamber to stand if they believe their first duty is to protect American citizens rather than illegal immigrants.
«One of the great things about the State of the Union is how it gives Americans the chance to see clearly what their representatives really believe,» Trump said. «So tonight, I’m inviting every legislator to join with my administration in reaffirming a fundamental principle: if you agree with this statement, then stand up and show your support: The first duty of the American government is to protect American citizens, not illegal aliens.»
As Trump said this, Republicans stood while Democrats remained seated, prompting condemnation from the president. The White House called the moment a «must-watch.»
Reps. Ilhan Omar, left, and Rashida Tlaib shout at President Donald Trump as he delivers his State of the Union address on Feb. 24, 2026, in Washington, D.C. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
Ryan James Girdusky, a GOP strategist with 1776 Project PAC, was quick to recognize the significance of the moment, writing on X, «A billion dollar ad just wrote itself because they wouldn’t stand.»
«Trump just orchestrated a great midterm ad, stand if you care about American citizens over illegal aliens and all the Democrats sat,» wrote Girdusky.
Tim Murtaugh, a former Trump senior advisor and campaign communications director, told Fox News Digital that «it was a huge moment because it forced the Democrats to self-identify as radicals who would rather defend illegal aliens over law-abiding American citizens.»
«There could be no clearer illustration that Democrats root against America when they’re not in power,» said Murtaugh, who runs Line Drive Public Affairs.
He accused Democrats of being «embarrassed to be Americans, whether they’re in power or not.»
«In their mind, good news for Americans is bad news for Democrats,» said Murtaugh. «They aren’t going to solve any problems — they’re only going to add to them — and the American people got to see them proclaim it themselves.»
«That moment will certainly be useful, and President Trump knows them so well he was able to make them do it,» he added.
OMAR SHOUTS ‘YOU ARE A MURDERER’ AND ‘LIAR’ AT TRUMP DURING STATE OF THE UNION ADDRESS
President Donald Trump raises his fist during the State of the Union address, on Tuesday, Feb. 24, 2026, at the U.S. Capitol. (Official White House Photo by Emily J. Higgins)
Lora Ries, director of the Border Security and Immigration Center at The Heritage Foundation, told Fox News Digital that congressional Democrats «clearly showed America they believe their number one duty is to protect illegal aliens, not American citizens.»
«Hopefully, that opened many more eyes to see that Democrats, to hang onto power, rely on illegal aliens (and other noncitizens) to illegally vote, have their ballots harvested, and for their headcount in the U.S. Census to maintain their congressional districts and the number of presidential electoral votes in their states,» said Ries, adding, «This is why Democrats refuse to vote for proof of citizenship during voter registration or proof of ID when voting.»
She advocated for passage of the Save America Act, which she said, «Would make these changes, which are critically needed to bring integrity to, and confidence in, our federal elections.» The Save Act, officially the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act, has passed the House but faces an uncertain path in the Senate.
While Republicans have predicted that the Democrats’ sitting moment will loom large in the midterm elections, not all see it that way. Former President Barack Obama speechwriter and Democratic strategist Jon Favreau mocked Republicans for calling attention to the moment, posting on X that «It’s genuinely so funny how hard they’re trying to make this a thing.»
DEMS TAP ICE DETAINEES, SUSPECTED ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS AS GUESTS FOR TRUMP’S SPEECH: DHS
President Donald J. Trump delivers the first State of the Union address of his second term to a joint session of Congress at the U.S. Capitol on Tuesday, Feb. 24, 2026. (Kenny Holston /Pool via Reuters)
Courtney Rice, Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee communications director, told Fox News Digital, «House Democrats have been clear that we need to secure the border and reform the broken immigration system, both of which can be done without shooting American citizens on their own streets and terrorizing communities.»
Rice said, «Republicans’ overreach in enacting their immigration enforcement has turned voters against them,» which she said is reflected in polling.
«Trump continues to downplay and mock voters’ concerns over how expensive everything is – and Republicans refuse to say or do anything to the contrary,» she said, adding, «Their cruelty and refusal to listen to voters’ concerns will be why they lose in November.»
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Meanwhile, Stephen Miller, deputy chief of staff for policy and Homeland Security advisor, said the moment in which Democrats refused to stand sent «chills to the bone» and said it «will live for a thousand years.»
«Democrats declared to the world their searing disdain for, and profound disloyalty to, the actual citizens of the United States. They were repeatedly entreated to stand. Over and over. They refused,» said Miller.
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donald trump,elections,midterm elections,congress,state of the union,democratic party,immigration
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Former top Harris adviser ignites backlash over ‘political props’ comment targeting USA men’s hockey team
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Symone Sanders, who formerly served as a top adviser to then-Vice President Kamala Harris and the 2020 Biden campaign, complained during President Donald Trump’s State of the Union address Tuesday night that the Olympic Gold-winning U.S. men’s hockey team «allowed themselves to be used as political props.»
«They should not be used as political props though, and frankly, allowed themselves to be used as political props,» Sanders, who is currently co-hosting a weeknight show on MS NOW, said after the president introduced the team during his address. He later gave the nation’s highest civilian honor to the team’s goalie.
«I think that is going to be the question and the discussion going forward,» she continued. «It is very clear why the president did this. What is unclear, to me, is why the men’s hockey team allowed themselves to be utilized in this particular fashion.»
Members of the Team USA Men’s Hockey Team wave to the audience as U.S. President Donald Trump delivers his State of the Union address during a Joint Session of Congress at the U.S. Capitol on February 24, 2026, in Washington, DC. Trump delivered his address days after the Supreme Court struck down the administration’s tariff strategy and amid a U.S. military buildup in the Persian Gulf threatening Iran. (Win McNamee/Getty Images)
Sanders went on to claim that «no one is against USA and our Olympic athletes.»
Critics on X slammed the MS NOW host as a «political prop» herself in response to her criticism. Others pointed out that the hockey team’s appearance was one of the only times Democrats stood throughout Trump’s speech.
«Miserable people. Just miserable,» a prominent conservative video producer wrote on X.
«Shut the puck up!» conservative media personality Bo Snerdley posted on X.
«Because Democrats never use people as political props,» Tim Graham, the NewsBusters executive editor, sarcastically wrote on X.
Members of the Team USA Men’s Hockey Team wave to the audience as U.S. President Donald Trump delivers his State of the Union address during a Joint Session of Congress at the U.S. Capitol on February 24, 2026, in Washington, DC. Trump delivered his address days after the Supreme Court struck down the administration’s tariff strategy and amid a U.S. military buildup in the Persian Gulf threatening Iran. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
TEAM USA GOALIE JAKE OETTINGER REACTS TO TRUMP’S LOCKER ROOM COMMENTS ABOUT THE WOMEN’S HOCKEY TEAM
Polling data showed that the president’s introduction of the gold medal-winning USA men’s Olympic hockey team during the State of the Union address on Tuesday night was met with largely positive bipartisan reactions among voters.
Lee Carter, of the polling group Maslansky & Partners, said independent voters especially loved the moment when the players entered the House Chamber wearing their gold medals and USA sweatshirts, and were met with thunderous «U-S-A» chants.
Trump had invited the team to the State of the Union address Sunday night as they celebrated their 2-1 win over Canada in the finals of the Winter Olympics. While honoring the team during his address, President Trump added that he would honor goaltender Connor Hellebuyck with the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
Symone Sanders Townsend, Co-Host MSNBC’s The Weeknight, Former Chief Spokesperson for Vice President Harris appears on «Meet the Press» in Washington D.C. on Sunday, May 4, 2025. (Photo by: Shannon Finney/NBC via Getty Images)
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According to the polling group, visual dials showed Independent voter reaction had the largest spike during the moment. Dials showed reaction from Republican voters, who were already energized by the speech, also increased, while reaction from Democrat voters, who were overall the least enthused during Trump’s speech, also saw a slight bump.
The polling group said 29 Democrat voters, 41 Republican voters and 30 Independent voters were involved in the voter dials.
Fox News Digital’s Stephen Sorace contributed to this reportRelated Article
state of the union,fox news media,olympics,donald trump,politics,congress
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JD Vance advirtió a Irán que tome “en serio” las advertencias de Donald Trump antes de nuevas negociaciones
REUTERS/NATHAN HOWARD
El vicepresidente de Estados Unidos, JD Vance, lanzó el miércoles una advertencia directa al régimen de Irán para que tome “en serio” la posibilidad de una acción militar estadounidense, un día después de que el presidente Donald Trump utilizara su discurso sobre el Estado de la Nación ante el Congreso para construir el argumento político que podría justificar un ataque. Las declaraciones, hechas en Fox News a pocas horas de una nueva ronda de negociaciones nucleares en Ginebra, elevan la presión sobre Teherán en el momento de mayor tensión bilateral desde los bombardeos estadounidenses contra instalaciones nucleares iraníes el año pasado.
“No se puede dejar que el régimen más peligroso y extremista del mundo tenga armas nucleares”, dijo Vance, quien subrayó que Trump cuenta con “otras herramientas a su disposición” más allá de la diplomacia y que “ha demostrado voluntad de usarlas”. El vicepresidente precisó que la administración espera “poder llegar a una buena resolución sin recurrir a lo militar”, pero dejó abierta esa vía de forma explícita: si la diplomacia no bastara, el presidente tiene “ese derecho”.
La advertencia llega en un contexto de movilización militar significativa. Washington ha desplegado dos portaaviones en la región y tiene cazas F-22 estacionados en Israel. Según fuentes citadas por CNN, la Casa Blanca ha sido informada de que el ejército podría estar listo para un ataque en cuestión de días si las negociaciones fracasan. El secretario de Defensa, Pete Hegseth, confirmó públicamente que las fuerzas estadounidenses se preparan para el caso de que los contactos diplomáticos no den resultado.
En su discurso del martes ante el Congreso, Trump acusó a Irán de poseer ya misiles capaces de alcanzar Europa y bases militares estadounidenses en el exterior, y de estar desarrollando proyectiles de largo alcance que podrían llegar al territorio continental de Estados Unidos. También calificó de “siniestras” las ambiciones nucleares de la República Islámica y afirmó que Teherán trabaja para reconstruir el programa nuclear golpeado por los ataques estadounidenses en 2025. El propio mandatario señaló en una reunión previa al discurso que el régimen iraní quiere un acuerdo “más que Estados Unidos”, pero exigió escuchar las palabras que aún no ha oído: “Nunca tendremos un arma nuclear.”
Irán rechazó las acusaciones de Trump sobre su programa de misiles tachándolas de “grandes mentiras” y reiteró que no persigue la obtención de armas nucleares, posición que mantiene desde hace décadas ante organismos internacionales. El presidente iraní, Masoud Pezeshkian, mostró sin embargo una actitud conciliadora antes de la cita en Ginebra, describiendo un “panorama favorable” para las conversaciones mientras el canciller Abbas Araghchi viajaba a Suiza al frente de la delegación negociadora.
El contexto de la tercera ronda es complejo. Las dos anteriores —celebradas en Mascate el 6 de febrero y en Ginebra el 18 de febrero— arrojaron resultados modestos. Según fuentes citadas por The Jerusalem Post, las conversaciones han sido “productivas” pero persisten “brechas significativas”. Araghchi habló de entendimiento en “principios rectores”, mientras Vance sostuvo después de la segunda ronda que Irán no está dispuesto a reconocer las “líneas rojas” de Trump, en particular la exigencia de una renuncia verificable e indefinida al desarrollo de armamento nuclear.
El enviado presidencial Steve Witkoff, según el medio Axios, planteó también que cualquier acuerdo futuro debe tener vigencia permanente, a diferencia del pacto de 2015 —el JCPOA, que Trump abandonó en su primer mandato en 2018— que establecía limitaciones con fecha de caducidad.
La tensión se extiende más allá de la mesa de negociaciones. Irán realizó maniobras navales en el Estrecho de Ormuz durante la semana pasada, llegando a cerrar parcialmente ese paso estratégico durante varias horas. Cerca del 31% de los flujos mundiales de petróleo crudo por vía marítima transitan ese estrecho, según datos de la firma de inteligencia de mercados Kpler, lo que convierte cualquier escalada en una amenaza directa para los precios globales de la energía.
Irán también anunció ejercicios conjuntos con Rusia en el Mar de Omán, una señal dirigida a Washington y a sus aliados en el Golfo. En paralelo, el Departamento de Estado ordenó la evacuación del personal no esencial de la embajada de Estados Unidos en Beirut ante la posibilidad de ataques aéreos.
La tercera ronda de Ginebra llega, por tanto, con las posiciones alejadas y el reloj corriendo. Si la diplomacia no entrega resultados tangibles en las próximas semanas, la administración Trump habrá construido ya el relato político que necesita para justificar ante la opinión pública una opción que, hasta ahora, sigue siendo la última sobre la mesa.
North America,Government / Politics
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KYIV, Ukraine — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says Russia is trying «to play with the president of the United States» and stalling U.S.-brokered efforts to end the war.
In an interview with Fox News in Kyiv, Zelenskyy pushed back on suggestions from President Trump that Ukraine is holding up the peace process.
«We always supported peace,» Zelenskyy said. «When you are at your home, in your house, on your territory, in your city, of course you want to stop it.»
Instead, Zelenskyy charged that Russia is attempting to drag out discussions to avoid making concessions.
«They try to play with the president of the United States,» he said.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is interviewed by Fox News senior foreign affairs correspondent Greg Palkot in Kyiv, Ukraine, Feb. 25, 2026. (Fox News)
Asked by Fox News if he thinks Vladimir Putin is playing a game, Zelenskyy replied, «Yeah, I think so. Yeah. He needs to postpone any kind of negotiations.»
Zelenskyy said Ukraine is ready to freeze the conflict along its current lines, proposing a ceasefire followed by negotiations. But he said he would not accept a Russian demand for Ukraine to surrender territory the Russian army has not been able to capture in four years of fighting.
Fox News spoke with Zelenskyy at his offices in Kyiv, a heavily guarded complex where the lights are dimmed and sandbags dot the corridors. Among the grand marble staircases and high ceilings, walls are decorated with giant portraits of soldiers, standing some 12 feet tall.
TRUMP, ZELENSKYY TO MEET SUNDAY, AS UKRAINIAN LEADER VOWS COUNTRY WILL ‘DO WHATEVER IT TAKES’ TO END WAR
President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin shake hands during a news conference after their meeting to negotiate an end to the war in Ukraine at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage, Alaska, Aug. 15, 2025. (Kevin Lamarque/Reuters)
Speaking one day after the conflict entered its fifth year, Zelenskyy accepted that some in Ukraine are weary of war. But he said peace proposals so far are heavily tilted toward Russia’s demands.
«Everybody wants peace, and a lot of people are tired,» Zelenskyy said. «But believe me, not everybody is ready … to eat what Putin cooked for us.»
The Ukrainian leader urged President Trump to visit his country, saying, «He will see such a result of the attacks. And he will see how the nation really lives. Not just surviving.»
Portraits of Ukrainian soldiers at the Memorial for the Fallen at Independence Square Maidan on the third anniversary of Russia’s invasion in Kyiv Monday, Feb. 24, 2025. (Bo Amstrup/NTB/AFP via Getty Images)
Despite massive losses, Zelenskyy hailed Ukraine’s fight.
«Russia couldn’t and can’t occupy us. They didn’t win, and for us, it’s a victory. We defended our independence and freedom,» he said.
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«They didn’t change the country. They didn’t change our flag.
«I’m sure that Russia recognized — really recognizes now — that it was a big mistake.»
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