CBS Evening News host Tony Dokoupil shared his thoughts on President Donald Trump‘s State of the Union address Tuesday night (February 24), calling it “extraordinary” and “historic.”
After Trump’s record-breaking 1 hour and 47 minute speech, Dokoupil told viewers, “The first State of the Union address of Donald J. Trump’s second term is in the books. It was an extraordinary speech, the longest to a joint session in history, the longest State of the Union in history.”
He went on to say the address was “vintage Trump: combative, populist. Historic for other reasons, as well.”
The former CBS Mornings co-host, who was promoted to Evening News in January 2026, noted how the first half of the speech was “all about the economy, an issue we know a lot of Americans want to hear about.”
Dokoupil said Trump touted his impact on the economy, but did so “against a wall of negative opinion that we see in our polls.”
However, the “heart of the speech,” Dokoupil stated, was on culture issues. “Immigration, gender, voter I.D., and a line that wasn’t in the script but he ad-libbed, ‘The first duty of elected officials is to protect Americans, not illegal aliens.’ He seemed at times to be goading Democrats into reacting, and at times they took that bait.”
Chief Washington Correspondent Major Garrett also addressed Trump’s ad-lib, saying, “Whether it was ad-libbed or not, the first obligation, American citizens versus illegal aliens, was meant to create a visual moment of perpetual contrast. It oversimplifies the issue dramatically. But if anyone has learned how to master that art, some call it a dark art, in American presidential politics, it’s Donald Trump.”
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Ahead of Trump’s address, Dokoupil sat down with Mike Johnson, where he asked the House Speaker about some Democrats boycotting the president’s SOTU.
“I think it’s detestable that members would boycott the speech,” Johnson said. “We’ve never done that. It doesn’t matter if there’s a Democrat president, you go and respect the office, you respect the decorum, the institution, the tradition of having had this speech made.”
This came after several Democrats, including Sens. Ed Markey of Massachusetts, Jeff Merkley of Oregon, Chris Murphy of Connecticut, Tina Smith of Minnesota, and Chris Van Hollen of Maryland, planned to attend the “People’s State of the Union” at the National Mall at the same time as Trump’s address.
“We play for one team,” Johnson added. “We’re all for America.”
CBS Evening News With Tony Dokoupil, Weeknights, 6:30/5:30c, CBS
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