President Trump said in his State of the Union address before a joint session of Congress that his administration inherited a “very bad” economic and security situation from the previous administration, asserting that in just one year it had achieved what he described as an “unprecedented transformation.”

Trump said in his address, which about 30 Democratic members did not attend, that the American economy “is taking off with unprecedented momentum.”

Trump set a new record for the longest State of the Union address, exceeding one hour and 50 minutes, surpassing the record set by Bill Clinton in his final speech in 2000.

He appeared more disciplined than usual, largely sticking to the written text and avoiding his typical digressions.

Iran and nuclear ambitions

Trump said that Iran has still not adhered to refraining from seeking a nuclear weapon, referring to last year’s U.S. operation known as “Midnight Hammer”, which targeted Iranian nuclear facilities.

 “After Operation Midnight Hammer, they were warned against any future attempts to rebuild their weapons program, and yet they continue,” he said. “At this very moment, they are once again pursuing their evil nuclear ambitions.”

Trump added that Iran wants to reach an agreement to avoid further U.S. strikes but has not committed to not manufacturing a nuclear weapon.

“I prefer to solve this problem through diplomacy, but one thing is certain: I will never allow the world’s largest sponsor of terrorism to own a nuclear weapon,” he said.

Tariffs and the Supreme Court

Despite his usual criticism of his Democratic predecessor Joe Biden and Democratic lawmakers, Trump avoided attacking the Supreme Court of the United States, which on Friday ruled much of his tariff system unlawful, describing the ruling as “regrettable” after previously criticizing the justices personally. He insisted that the tariffs “will remain in effect under alternative legal authorities that are fully approved and tested”, adding they “work well” and could “fully replace income taxes” in the future.

Healthcare and drug costs

Trump said he is facing “one of the biggest abuses of our time, the exorbitant cost of healthcare”, arguing that insurance companies benefited greatly from the Affordable Care Act. He pledged to push for price transparency in healthcare and end the “extremely inflated cost of prescription drugs.”

Voting law and midterm elections

Trump urged Congress to pass the “Save America Act,” which requires proof of citizenship when registering to vote ahead of the midterm elections. He said the law would protect elections from “widespread fraud”, adding that the reason Democrats oppose it “is because they want to cheat” and asserting, “the only way they can win elections is by cheating, and we will stop that.”

[Editor’s note: The “proof of citizenship” papers would include a passport, which most Americans don’t have, or a birth certificate matching a voter’s current name, which would be a problem for married women who took their husbands’ last names or anyone who changed their names for any reason]

Gender policy and crime

Trump called on states to ban gender-related medical care for children without parental consent, telling Congress, “Surely we can all agree that no state should be allowed to take children from their parents and turn them into another gender.”

Addressing Democratic lawmakers who did not stand to applaud, he added, “These people are crazy.”

Trump said crime levels in major U.S. cities reflect “pro-crime policies”, accusing politicians of releasing criminals onto the streets through lenient policies, and called on Congress to pass strict laws to stop repeat violent offenders from being released.

Economic achievements

Trump reviewed what he considered economic accomplishments, including inflation falling to “its lowest level in more than five years”, the stock market hitting 53 new record highs since the election, and attracting what he said was more than $18 trillion in investment over one year.

However, public opinion polls show a large segment of Americans remain dissatisfied with the economy’s direction.

Immigration and border security

On immigration, Trump stressed that U.S. borders are “the strongest and most secure in history”, saying fentanyl flow across the border has dropped by 56 percent in one year and that illegal crossings at the U.S.–Mexico border reached their lowest levels at the end of last year.

He reaffirmed that “the state of the Union is strong” and “America is winning again”, adding that “our enemies are afraid” and that the military and security agencies are strong.

Minnesota’s immigration controversy

 Democratic Muslim U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar represents Minnesota’s Fifth Congressional District, which covers the city of Minneapolis. Trump launched a sweeping immigration crackdown there  last year — known as Operation Metro Surge, a large-scale deployment of federal immigration agents that drew widespread protests after at least two U.S. citizens were fatally shot in January by federal immigration agents while protests were occurring against immigration raids by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection.

Omar is also a member of Minnesota’s Somali American community, which has been repeatedly targeted by Trump for criticism. The president previously said members of that community should “go back where they came from.”

Clash with Democratic lawmakers

President Trump also said that Omar and fellow Democratic Muslim U.S. Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D- Detroit), should be “committed to a mental institution” and sent back to their “original countries” after they engaged in a heated exchange with him during the address.

“Can’t take two Muslimas [Muslim women] talking back and correcting him so now he is crashing out. #PresidentMajnoon,” Tlaib, the first woman of Palestinian descent in the U.S. Congress, wrote later on social media.

Majnoon is an Arabic word that translates as “possessed by an evil spirit, mad or fanatical.”

Trump’s post on Truth Social singled out Tlaib and Omar, but did not mention Democratic Representative Sarah McBride of Delaware, whom NBC said also shouted in protest during the president’s speech.

Trump also did not mention Democratic Representative Al Green of Texas, who was removed from the House floor during Trump’s address for holding a sign that said “Black people aren’t apes” — in reference to a racist video of former President Obama and his wife, Michelle, that Trump recently shared on social media.