How do you rate the State of the Union?

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<p>Friends,</p><p>President Trump will deliver his State of the Union address to Congress on Tuesday night. In that speech, the President will lay out how he believes things are going in the country.</p><p>But I’m not concerned with what the President thinks. I want to hear from you.</p> </div>
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<h5 style="text-align: center;"><strong><em>How do you rate the “State of the Union” in America?</em></strong></h5> </div>
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<img alt="**Alt text:** Bar chart showing survey results on how respondents rate the “State of the Union” in America. 69% said “Bad,” while 31% said “Good.” Survey conducted February 25, 2026, with 2,031 respondents." class="attachment-medium_large size-medium_large wp-image-5695" height="451" src="https://clyburn.house.gov/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/2026-2-25-Survey-State-of-the-Union-768x451.png" width="768" /> </div>
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<p>Here are the facts:</p><ul><li><a href="https://www.jec.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/democrats/2026/2/updated-data-american-families-have-already-paid-more-than-1-700-each-in-tariff-costs-since-trump-entered-office" rel="noopener external noreferrer" target="_blank">Trump&#8217;s tariffs have cost American families $1,700</a> on average since they were imposed last year.</li><li><a href="https://www.americanprogress.org/article/7-ways-the-big-beautiful-bill-cuts-taxes-for-the-rich/?utm_source=chatgpt.com#:~:text=This%20analysis%20documents,by%20deficit%20cost." rel="noopener external noreferrer" target="_blank">Of the $3.4 trillion in tax breaks</a> in Trump’s signature “big, beautiful bill” <a href="https://www.americanprogress.org/article/7-ways-the-big-beautiful-bill-cuts-taxes-for-the-rich/?utm_source=chatgpt.com#:~:text=This%20analysis%20documents,by%20deficit%20cost." rel="noopener external noreferrer" target="_blank">two-thirds</a> go straight to the richest 10% of Americans.</li><li><a href="https://www.wsj.com/economy/central-banking/feds-preferred-gauge-shows-accelerating-december-inflation-trends-ef90ef58?gaa_at=eafs&amp;gaa_n=AWEtsqe80Dn1PxaL92llXdI1YJZl2QHFkxYRuVUlIaNwiZwkT97HIP0UyWAIbfeXiaY%3D&amp;gaa_ts=699cb5ff&amp;gaa_sig=20se0dM4di5UvLq0EAvgPQJF9M1TjCm_aRVDsBZqZAdKcQHXKIZ9s0elLyDaczlgFSEIoVVDQ7sxXiD3kjQXRg%3D%3D" rel="noopener external noreferrer" target="_blank">Inflation accelerated</a> under the most recent Personal Consumption Expenditures (PCE) inflation report.</li><li><a href="https://www.nahb.org/news-and-economics/housing-economics/housings-economic-impact/households-priced-out-by-higher-house-prices-and-interest-rates?utm_source=chatgpt.com" rel="noopener external noreferrer" target="_blank">65% of Americans</a> households can’t afford to buy a median-priced home.</li><li><a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2026/02/17/new-cars-high-prices/?carta-url=https%3A%2F%2Fs2.washingtonpost.com%2Fcar-ln-tr%2F46c893c%2F6995f4e152f684690b0e1889%2F64c674dde2988a00c6f9846a%2F14%2F67%2F6995f4e152f684690b0e1889#:~:text=Bad%20auto%20loans,low%20credit%20scores." rel="noopener external noreferrer" target="_blank">6% of car loan</a> borrowers are severely delinquent—levels seen only during the pandemic and the financial crisis.</li><li><a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2026/02/20/student-loan-delinquency.html" rel="noopener external noreferrer" target="_blank">25% of all student loan borrowers</a> are in default, an additional 7.9 million people in the first three quarters of 2025 alone.</li><li><a href="https://finance.yahoo.com/personal-finance/personal-loans/article/credit-card-debt-hits-record-128-trillion-heres-why--and-how-to-get-ahead-of-it-185626113.html" rel="noopener external noreferrer" target="_blank">Credit card debt</a> reached an all-time high of <a href="https://finance.yahoo.com/personal-finance/personal-loans/article/credit-card-debt-hits-record-128-trillion-heres-why--and-how-to-get-ahead-of-it-185626113.html" rel="noopener external noreferrer" target="_blank">$1.28 trillion.</a></li><li><a href="https://tradingeconomics.com/united-states/consumer-confidence" rel="noopener external noreferrer" target="_blank">Consumer sentiment</a> has plummeted.</li></ul><p>Costs have been high since the pandemic, and Trump’s policies are making them even worse. <strong>And instead of working to make life more affordable for the American people, Trump has been busy:</strong></p><ul><li>Deploying masked, lawless ICE agents to American communities, which have resulted in the deaths of <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2026/01/08/us/renee-nicole-good-minneapolis-ice-shooting-hnk" rel="noopener external noreferrer" target="_blank">American</a> <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c62r4g590wqo" rel="noopener external noreferrer" target="_blank">citizens</a> and made <a href="https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/poll-nearly-two-thirds-of-americans-say-ice-has-gone-too-far-in-immigration-crackdown" rel="noopener external noreferrer" target="_blank">Americans feel less safe.</a></li><li><a href="https://www.militarynews.com/news/national/us-military-builds-up-the-largest-force-of-warships-and-aircraft-in-the-middle-east/article_edd12755-bacc-5a93-a085-145230c96896.html" rel="noopener external noreferrer" target="_blank">Assembling the largest force</a> of warships and aircraft to the Middle East since the Invasion of Iraq in preparation for a potential war with Iran.</li><li><a href="https://www.npr.org/2026/01/19/nx-s1-5682038/trump-greenland-nobel-peace-prize" rel="noopener external noreferrer" target="_blank">Threatening to take control of Greenland</a> after not being awarded a Nobel Peace Prize.</li><li><a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/donald-trump/trump-asked-dulles-penn-station-named-exchange-gateway-money-released-rcna257708" rel="noopener external noreferrer" target="_blank">Withholding funds for major infrastructure projects</a> unless a train station and airport were named after him.</li><li>Tearing down the East Wing of the White House to construct a <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2026/02/19/trumps-appointees-on-fine-arts-panel-ok-big-white-house-ballroom-00786568" rel="noopener external noreferrer" target="_blank">new lavish ballroom</a>, slapping his name of the <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2025/12/18/politics/trump-kennedy-center-name" rel="noopener external noreferrer" target="_blank">Kennedy Center</a>, and focusing on building a <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2026/01/31/trump-arch-memorial-circle/" rel="noopener external noreferrer" target="_blank">“triumphant arch”</a> that will dwarf the Lincoln Memorial.</li><li><a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/trump-administration/trumps-pardons-forgive-financial-crimes-came-hundreds-millions-punishm-rcna248277" rel="noopener external noreferrer" target="_blank">Pardoning wealthy white-collar criminals</a> that have defrauded and stolen from everyday Americans.</li><li>Using the levers of <a href="https://itep.org/president-trump-sues-american-people-for-10-billion-irs/" rel="noopener external noreferrer" target="_blank">government to</a> <a href="https://www.wsj.com/finance/currencies/trump-binance-changpeng-zhao-pardon-7509bd63?gaa_at=eafs&amp;gaa_n=AWEtsqf0jP8Jg8xDjSM5bUwAfHaU5i0i-kuKRrCr2QOhIM8qjMqu6do4W7NO1WFP9wQ%3D&amp;gaa_ts=699cc672&amp;gaa_sig=J0sQ-UsIfx876eHQliY-FKSNFWOxfymGltAESabPapgCTCr9YnFPg88J3qY_7brUtNosOGofqf61LXQ7auq6Dg%3D%3D" rel="noopener external noreferrer" target="_blank">enrich himself</a> <a href="https://www.npr.org/2026/01/14/nx-s1-5677024/trump-profits-merch-hotels-crypto" rel="noopener external noreferrer" target="_blank">and his family</a>, including a reported <a href="https://www.wsj.com/politics/policy/spy-sheikh-secret-stake-trump-crypto-tahnoon-ea4d97e8?gaa_at=eafs&amp;gaa_n=AWEtsqeTXoNeo4_1FSRz7DQda9DJQLoZ4SkP8eLPzgclJhck1UJPQLEhfCPmIyRHj7M%3D&amp;gaa_ts=699cc292&amp;gaa_sig=SnVom89Ce4yGVtMUL1nNidkGoH1mSw4LCrXm9U_CqR0g0L61H4D2GC7rFRZOdrtqmfZkdD4463Ak-LthzbbLGA%3D%3D" rel="noopener external noreferrer" target="_blank">$500 million investment by an Abu Dhabi royal</a> in Trump’s cryptocurrency in exchange for the administration approving AI chip sales to the United Arab Emirates.</li></ul><p>Donald Trump’s policies have done little to make you better off, but a lot to improve his life and those of other billionaires.</p><p>So how would I describe the State of the Union?</p><p>GOOD if you are a billionaire, BAD for the rest of us.</p><p>Sincerely,</p><p>Jim</p> </div>
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