The US President Donald Trump said he had transformed America from a “dead country” into the world’s hottest economy in just 12 months after inheriting crisis-level inflation and stagnation, adding that he had secured commitments worth more than $18 trillion from across the globe.
Addressing the 2026 State of the Union, Trump said, “A short time ago, we were a dead country. Now we are the hottest country anywhere in the world.”
Trump added, “In four long years, the last administration got less than $1 trillion in new investment in the United States. In 12 months, I secured commitments for more than $18 trillion pouring in from all over the globe. Think of it, much less than $1 trillion for four years versus much more than $18 trillion for one year. What a difference a president makes.”
Highlighting that he inherited a nation in crisis with a stagnant economy and record inflation, Trump said this is the golden age of America and that “we’re going to do better and better and better.” He added that after just one year, he could say with dignity and pride that the country had achieved a transformation like no one had ever seen before, “a turnaround for the ages.”
“We’re going to do better and better and better. This is the golden age of America. When I last spoke in this chamber 12 months ago, I had just inherited a nation in crisis with a stagnant economy, inflation at record levels, a wide-open border, horrendous recruitment for military and police, rampant crime at home, and wars and chaos all over the world. But tonight, after just one year, I can say with dignity and pride that we have achieved a transformation like no one has ever seen before and a turnaround for the ages. It is indeed a turnaround for the ages,” Trump said.
Criticising the Biden administration over inflation, Trump said the previous administration and its allies in Congress gave the country the worst inflation in its history. “But in 12 months, my administration has driven core inflation down to the lowest level in more than five years,” he said.
“The Biden administration and its allies in Congress gave us the worst inflation in the history of our country. But in 12 months, my administration has driven core inflation down to the lowest level in more than five years. And in the last three months of 2025, it was down to 1.7 per cent. Gasoline, which reached a peak of over $6 a gallon in some states under my predecessor. It was, quite honestly, a disaster. is now below $2.30 a gallon in most states, and in some places, $1.99 a gallon. And when I visited the great state of Lowa just a few weeks ago, I even saw $1.85 a gallon for gasoline,” Trump said.
“American natural gas production is at an all-time high because I kept my promise to drill, baby, drill,” he added.
Trump said, “As thousands of new businesses are forming in factories, plants, and laboratories are being built, we have added 70,000 new construction jobs in just a very short period of time. It’s getting bigger and bigger and stronger. American oil production is up by more than 600,000 barrels a day, and we just received from our new friend and partner, Venezuela, more than 80 million barrels of oil.”
