Rep. Nancy Pelosi offered a harsh critique of President Donald Trump’s State of the Union address on Tuesday night, Feb. 24, 2026, brushing it off with one word: “lazy.”
The 85-year-old former House Speaker, who famously ripped up Trump’s 2020 speech while standing behind him, delivered her pointed assessment during CNN’s post-speech coverage. Her blunt remark followed Trump’s address—the longest State of the Union ever at one hour and 48 minutes, beating Bill Clinton’s 2000 record by 20 minutes.
“I thought the speech was lazy,” Pelosi said. “It’s one thing to praise patriotism and recovering Americans when you played no role in their bravery or circumstances, but to spend an hour and a half on it—what does that say about the state of the country?”
Pelosi, who announced in November 2025 that she would not seek another term, was especially critical of Trump’s brief mention of Ukraine. The speech coincided with the four-year anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion—a moment Pelosi said demanded far more attention. She questioned whether Trump devoted even “a sentence and a half” to a conflict where “democracy is at stake.”
The address turned confrontational when Trump criticized congressional stock trading and singled out Pelosi. He urged lawmakers to approve the Stop Insider Trading Act, introduced by Rep. Bryan Steil (R-Wis.), which would bar members of Congress, their spouses, and dependents from buying publicly traded stocks and require seven days’ public notice before selling them.
After seeing both parties applaud the proposal, Trump joked, “Did Nancy Pelosi stand up—if she’s here? Doubt it.” The comment alluded to the long-running scrutiny of Pelosi and her venture capitalist husband Paul over his profitable trades throughout her time in office. The couple amassed significant wealth during her decades in Congress.
Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) rose to applaud Trump’s remarks on the issue. CNN host Kasie Hunt pressed Pelosi during the interview, asking how she would respond to the president’s jab.
Pelosi dismissed the criticism, asserting she did stand along with other Democrats. She insisted nothing was improper about her family’s trading and emphasized that if wrongdoing existed, it would result in prosecution.
The Stop Insider Trading Act has gained more than 90 House cosponsors and advanced out of committee on a 7–4 party-line vote. The bill would add stricter rules beyond the 2012 STOCK Act’s reporting requirements, though some Democrats argue it still falls short because members could keep their current stock portfolios.
The president spent about six minutes praising the U.S. Olympic men’s hockey team, which won gold at the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics just two days earlier with a dramatic 2–1 overtime win over Canada—the first men’s hockey gold for the U.S. since 1980. During the address, Trump awarded goalie Connor Hellebuyck the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
Trump also recognized Coast Guard rescue swimmer Scott Ruskan, presenting him with the Legion of Merit for extraordinary bravery. Ruskan saved 165 people at Camp Mystic during catastrophic flooding in Central Texas in 2025—his first-ever rescue mission. Nearly 140 people died in the floods, including 27 campers and counselors at the girls’ Christian camp on the Guadalupe River.
Trump praised the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, the sweeping tax and budget law he enacted on July 4, 2025. Pelosi criticized the measure for slashing Medicaid and social programs in exchange for tax breaks for wealthy Americans. She accused Trump of removing half a trillion dollars from Medicare and a trillion from Medicaid through his legislative initiatives.
Virginia Governor Abigail Spanberger delivered the Democratic response from Colonial Williamsburg. Spanberger, the first woman to serve as Virginia’s governor, emphasized affordability—a message Democrats aim to highlight nationally ahead of the midterm elections. She warned that Trump’s tariffs amount to a massive new tax burden on American families.
The speech followed just four days after the Supreme Court invalidated Trump’s broad tariffs in Learning Resources, Inc. v. Trump, ruling 6–3 that he exceeded his powers under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act. In response, Trump imposed 15 percent global tariffs under a different law, raising fresh legal questions.
Trump urged Congress to make his executive orders on lowering prescription drug prices and curbing investment firms from buying single-family homes permanent. He blamed former President Joe Biden and Democratic lawmakers for rising prices and escalating health care costs.
Trump’s address came as polls show Americans remain worried about affordability. A CNN survey found only 38 percent of viewers reacted positively—the lowest rating for any Trump address—compared with 57 percent for his first in 2017.
