On Feb. 24, 2026, Donald Trump delivered the State of the Union Address for his second term in office. In this, he addressed several topics, claiming to have developed significant economic advances and foundational immigration policies for Americans.
These subjects are heavily connected with the Quad Cities. With heightened ICE activity reported near areas like Des Moines and Iowa City, Bettendorf residents have grown wary of Trump’s harmful legislation and its long-term implications.
The State of the Union Address is a required annual speech where the president reports to Congress on the condition of the nation. The president outlines an agenda, communicating the administration’s top priorities, accomplishments and visions for the future. This address is an opportunity to shape public opinion and rally political support.
Trump instead exploited this privilege with a speech long on spectacle and short on truth.
Following a tedious monologue about liberty and triumph in America, Trump dived into his economic accomplishments and policies. “The price of eggs is down 60%. The cost of chicken, butter, fruit, hotels, automobiles, rent is lower today than when I took office by a lot. And even beef, which was very high, is starting to come down significantly,” said Trump.
But yet, Quad City residents aren’t facing these dramatic changes. In reality, price increases have slowed, but overall costs remain higher than they were five years ago. According to federal data, the recent census also shows that egg prices have dropped around 34.2% since Jan. 2025. While a significant decrease, it is not 60% like the president claimed. Additionally, these effects don’t necessarily reflect Trump’s policies; most of these fluctuations are merely a result of wholesale egg prices.
For students like Atharva Anthati, the State of the Union Address proved to be a weak public statement. “I think that Trump really likes to exaggerate events that happened during his presidency in order to appeal to his following,” Anthati said. “Inflation has only really been modestly dipping, and the price of eggs isn’t really any basis to call this the ‘golden age’ of our economy.”
Trump went on to discuss his booming immigration policies, stating that illegal immigration has come down to zero during his presidency. “After four years in which millions and millions of illegal aliens poured across our borders totally unfettered and unchecked, we now have the strongest and most secure border in American history, by far,” said Trump.
Not only is this objectively untrue, but the term “alien” easily dehumanizes a person’s worth to nothing more than their tangible legal status.
ICE in itself has done more than deport illegal immigrants; rather, it has struck fear into the hearts of Pleasant Valley high schoolers. “We all hear the horror stories of deportation facilities functioning similarly to concentration camps. It’s not a matter of being afraid because we don’t have a green card, it’s a matter of what they could do,” said senior Lili Guicho. “They resort to words to dehumanize us, calling us “aliens” as though we aren’t humans too. We can only imagine what they’d actually do if they arrested us.”
Beyond the extent of immigration and economic changes, Trump also commented on healthcare as a whole. “We’re also working to make it easier for Americans to save for retirement. And under this administration, we will always protect Social Security and Medicare,” he said. “Since I took office, the typical 401(k) balance is up by at least $30,000. That’s a lot of money.”
Political promises are not factual claims, and they don’t demonstrate actual change.
Fact-checks of similar claims show that Trump has frequently exaggerated gains in retirement accounts. While stock markets did rise during parts of his presidency, that doesn’t necessarily mean that the 401(k) increased by a fixed amount- a generally misleading statement on his behalf. This statement doesn’t exactly help healthcare providers, either, nor does it provide any good for the general elderly population.
Trump, throughout the duration of his 107-minute speech, boasted about how his administration made life more affordable and safe for American citizens. Federal data, however, proved otherwise. Recognizing these inconsistencies in his information can provide some truth and insight to his shallow claims.
