- Today
- Holidays
- Birthdays
- Reminders
- Cities
- Atlanta
- Austin
- Baltimore
- Berwyn
- Beverly Hills
- Birmingham
- Boston
- Brooklyn
- Buffalo
- Charlotte
- Chicago
- Cincinnati
- Cleveland
- Columbus
- Dallas
- Denver
- Detroit
- Fort Worth
- Houston
- Indianapolis
- Knoxville
- Las Vegas
- Los Angeles
- Louisville
- Madison
- Memphis
- Miami
- Milwaukee
- Minneapolis
- Nashville
- New Orleans
- New York
- Omaha
- Orlando
- Philadelphia
- Phoenix
- Pittsburgh
- Portland
- Raleigh
- Richmond
- Rutherford
- Sacramento
- Salt Lake City
- San Antonio
- San Diego
- San Francisco
- San Jose
- Seattle
- Tampa
- Tucson
- Washington
Washington Today
By the People, for the People
Trump Delivers Record-Setting State of the Union, Pelosi Dismisses It as 'Lazy'
Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi criticized the nearly 2-hour address, saying Trump spent too much time on things she deemed unimportant.
Published on Feb. 27, 2026
Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›
Former President Donald Trump delivered the longest State of the Union address in American history on Tuesday night, clocking in at nearly 1 hour and 48 minutes. After the speech, former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi criticized it as "lazy," arguing that Trump spent too much time honoring wounded service members and Gold Star families instead of focusing on policy. Pelosi's complaint appeared to have a personal dimension, as Trump used part of the address to call on Congress to pass a bill restricting members from trading stocks, a move that would directly impact Pelosi and her husband.
Why it matters
Pelosi's criticism of Trump's lengthy address highlights the partisan divide in Washington, where the standards for what constitutes a substantive speech seem to shift based on the speaker's political affiliation. Trump's record-setting speech also raised questions about the purpose and format of the State of the Union address, with some arguing that lengthy oratory does not necessarily equate to effective governance.
The details
Trump's State of the Union address broke his own previous record, lasting nearly 1 hour and 48 minutes and containing an estimated 10,599 words. Pelosi, who was present for the speech, later criticized it as "lazy," arguing that Trump spent too much time recognizing wounded service members and Gold Star families instead of focusing on policy. However, Trump also used a significant portion of the address to call on Congress to pass the Stop Insider Trading Act, which would restrict members of Congress, their spouses, and their dependents from trading stocks. This proposal directly impacted Pelosi, who has faced scrutiny for her own investments in recent years.
- On Tuesday night, February 27, 2026, President Donald Trump delivered the longest State of the Union address in American history.
- After the speech, former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi criticized it as "lazy" in an interview with CNN.
The players
Donald Trump
The former President of the United States who delivered the record-setting State of the Union address.
Nancy Pelosi
The former Speaker of the House of Representatives who criticized Trump's speech as "lazy" after it concluded.
What they’re saying
“It's one thing to acknowledge patriotism and people getting well and everything when you have absolutely nothing to do with their courage or the rest.”
— Nancy Pelosi, Former House Speaker (CNN)
“They stood up for that. I can't believe it. I can't believe it.”
— Donald Trump (Fox News)
“Did Nancy Pelosi stand up? If she's here, doubt it.”
— Donald Trump (Fox News)
What’s next
The Stop Insider Trading Act that Trump called for during the speech currently has 91 Republican and 2 Democratic co-sponsors in the House. The bill's progress will be closely watched in the coming weeks and months.
The takeaway
Pelosi's criticism of Trump's lengthy State of the Union address as "lazy" highlights the partisan divide in Washington, where the standards for what constitutes a substantive speech seem to shift based on the speaker's political affiliation. This incident underscores the need for a more objective and constructive dialogue around the purpose and format of the State of the Union address.
