Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., criticized President Donald Trump’s State of the Union address as “lazy” following his record-setting speech Tuesday night, even as historical data shows the president delivered the longest such address in American history, as reported by Fox News.
Trump’s speech lasted 1 hour and 48 minutes, making it the longest State of the Union on record, according to the American Presidency Project (APP).
The 2026 address surpassed his previous record and moved him ahead of former President Bill Clinton in total time among official State of the Union speeches.
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“I thought the speech was lazy,” Pelosi told CNN after the address.
Nancy Pelosi calls President Trump “lazy” for spending “an hour and a half” awarding veterans medals during his SOTU address.
JAKE TAPPER: “What was your reaction to what you heard this evening?”
PELOSI: “I thought the speech was lazy. You know, it’s one thing to acknowledge… pic.twitter.com/ADmgCxJK4T
— Vigilant Fox (@VigilantFox) February 25, 2026
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According to APP data, Trump now holds three of the top five longest State of the Union-related speeches, including his 2025 address before a joint session of Congress, which was not technically a State of the Union because it occurred during the first year of his term.
The top five longest speeches, including time for applause and standing ovations, are:
Donald Trump, 2026 – 1 hour, 48 minutes
Donald Trump, 2025 – 1 hour, 40 minutes
Bill Clinton, 2000 – 1 hour, 29 minutes
Bill Clinton, 1995 – 1 hour, 25 minutes
Donald Trump, 2019 – 1 hour, 22 minutes
Tuesday night’s address officially gave Trump the longest recorded State of the Union speech, placing him ahead of Clinton in the historical rankings.
In addition to the length of the speech, Trump also holds the unofficial record for the most words delivered in a State of the Union address.
His 2026 speech is estimated at 10,599 words, according to APP. Some written-only State of the Union messages in American history have exceeded that word count.
Pelosi criticized the president for dedicating portions of the speech to recognizing individuals and celebrating American achievements.
Among those acknowledged were the gold-medal-winning Team USA men’s hockey team, Erika Kirk, the widow of Charlie Kirk, Purple Heart recipient Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe, 24, and the Gold Star parents of U.S. Army Spc. Sarah Beckstrom, 20, a member of the West Virginia National Guard.
Wolfe and Beckstrom were shot by an Afghanistan war refugee while serving as part of the Trump administration security detail in Washington, D.C., last year.
“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,” Pelosi told CNN.
“But you spend an hour and a half doing it — what is the state of the nation?”
During the address, President Trump directly referenced Pelosi while urging Congress to advance legislation aimed at restricting stock trading by members of Congress and their families.
“Let’s also ensure that members of Congress cannot corruptly profit from using insider information,” Trump said, drawing one of the few bipartisan standing ovations of the night.
“They stood up for that. I can’t believe it. I can’t believe it,” he added, gesturing toward the Democrat side of the chamber.
“Did Nancy Pelosi stand up – if she’s here – doubt it,” he continued.
President Trump “can’t believe it” as Elizabeth Warren STANDS UP for his plan to stop insider trading in Congress.
“They stood up for that. I can’t believe it.”
“Did Nancy Pelosi stand up if she’s here? Doubt it.” pic.twitter.com/1iR0mZ9c3J
— Vigilant Fox (@VigilantFox) February 25, 2026
“Pass the Stop Insider Trading Act without delay.”
The proposed legislation, which currently has 91 Republican and two Democratic co-sponsors in the House, would prohibit members of Congress, along with their spouses and dependents, from trading stocks.
Pelosi and her husband, Paul Pelosi, have faced scrutiny in recent years over their investments. The former House speaker is among the wealthiest members of Congress.
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