JAMES CARTER: The State Of The Union Speech President Trump Should—And Could—Deliver

Tonight, I come before Congress not to recite grievances. I come to report the results.

For too long, Americans were told that decline was inevitable —that we had to accept bad trade deals, closed factories, poisoned streets, soaring prices, and a federal government that spent more and delivered less. We were told that strength was “provocative,” borders were “old-fashioned,” and that America should apologize rather than lead. Those days are over.

This administration chose a different path: leverage instead of lectures, results instead of rhetoric, and America First not as a slogan, but as a governing principle.

Take tariffs—perhaps the most misunderstood tool in modern economic policy. For decades, our leaders treated tariffs as a dirty word, even as foreign nations used them freely against American workers and businesses. We changed that. Tariffs are not an end in themselves; they are leverage. When used strategically, they produce wins.

We used that leverage to confront the flow of fentanyl and its chemical precursors into our country. For years, Americans buried their sons and daughters while politicians issued press releases. We applied real economic pressure on countries that looked the other way as deadly drugs crossed borders. The message was simple: if you want access to the American market, you must act responsibly. Cooperation followed, and lives are being saved.

We also used tariffs to do what past administrations promised but never delivered: lowering unfair tariff and non-tariff barriers on American goods. Foreign governments quietly taxed our exports, manipulated regulations, and shut out U.S. companies, while enjoying near-total access to our markets. That imbalance is changing. Our farmers, manufacturers, and innovators are finally competing on a level field.

The result? Something remarkable happened. Instead of capital fleeing America, investment started pouring in. Trillions of dollars in foreign and domestic investment are being committed to build factories, expand energy production, develop advanced manufacturing, and create jobs that cannot be outsourced. Companies are choosing to build here because America is once again strong, predictable, and unapologetic about defending its interests.