Rep. Nancy Pelosi sharply dismissed President Donald Trump’s State of the Union address on Tuesday night, Feb. 24, 2026, summarizing it with a single word: “lazy.”
The 85-year-old former House Speaker, who memorably tore up Trump’s 2020 address behind him, shared her critique during CNN’s post-speech discussion. Her blunt comment followed Trump’s marathon speech—the longest State of the Union ever at one hour and 48 minutes, surpassing Bill Clinton’s 2000 address by 20 minutes.
“I thought the speech was lazy,” Pelosi said. “It’s fine to applaud patriotism or people’s recovery when you had nothing to do with their courage, but to spend an hour and a half on it? What is the real state of the nation?”
Pelosi, who announced in November 2025 that she would not seek reelection, was particularly dissatisfied with Trump’s limited remarks about Ukraine. The speech came on the fourth anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion—something Pelosi argued made Trump’s minimal attention to the conflict inexcusable. The California Democrat questioned whether he even used “a sentence and a half” to address a war where “democracy is at risk.”
The address took a confrontational turn when Trump criticized congressional stock trading and called out Pelosi directly. He urged Congress to pass the Stop Insider Trading Act, introduced by Rep. Bryan Steil (R-Wis.), which would block lawmakers, their spouses, and dependent children from purchasing publicly traded stocks and require seven days’ notice before selling them.
After acknowledging bipartisan applause, Trump quipped, “Did Nancy Pelosi stand up—if she’s here? Doubt it.” The remark referred to years of scrutiny over trades by Pelosi and her husband Paul, a venture capitalist, which contributed to their significant wealth during her time in office.
Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) stood to applaud when Trump addressed the topic. CNN host Kasie Hunt pressed Pelosi on Trump’s jab, asking how she would reply.
Pelosi responded that she did stand during Trump’s comments, as did many Democrats. She maintained that her family’s financial dealings were legitimate and added that if they weren’t, legal action would have been taken.
The Stop Insider Trading Act has picked up more than 90 House cosponsors and moved out of committee in a 7–4 vote along party lines. The bill would broaden the disclosure rules set by the 2012 STOCK Act, though some Democrats argued it doesn’t go far enough since lawmakers could still keep their existing stock portfolios.
The president spent roughly six minutes commending the U.S. Olympic men’s hockey team, which had won gold at the Milan Cortina Winter Games two days earlier with a 2–1 overtime victory over Canada—the first U.S. men’s hockey gold 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. During catastrophic Fourth of July flooding in Central Texas in 2025, Ruskan saved 165 people at Camp Mystic during his first rescue mission. Nearly 140 people died in the floods, including 27 campers and counselors at the Christian camp along the Guadalupe River.
Trump highlighted the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, a major tax and budget measure he signed into law on July 4, 2025. Pelosi criticized the package for cutting Medicaid and social programs to finance tax reductions for wealthy Americans. She accused Trump of cutting half a trillion dollars from Medicare and a trillion from Medicaid through his policies.
Virginia Governor Abigail Spanberger delivered the Democratic response from Colonial Williamsburg. As Virginia’s first female governor, Spanberger focused on affordability—a key message Democrats plan to push ahead of the midterm elections. She argued that Trump’s tariffs amount to another major tax burden on American families.
The address came just four days after the Supreme Court invalidated Trump’s sweeping tariffs in Learning Resources, Inc. v. Trump, ruling 6–3 that he exceeded his authority under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act. Trump responded by imposing 15% global tariffs under a separate statute, creating new legal complications.
Trump called on Congress to solidify his executive actions designed to lower prescription drug costs and restrict investment firms from purchasing single-family homes. He blamed former President Joe Biden and Democrats for rising prices and increasing health care expenses.
Trump’s speech came as polls show affordability remains Americans’ top concern. A CNN survey found that only 38 percent of viewers reacted positively—the lowest rating for any Trump address—compared to 57 percent for his first one in 2017.
