President Donald Trump declared “our nation is back” as he hailed a “turnaround for the ages” under his administration during his State of the Union address at the US Capitol.
The annual speech - traditionally used by presidents to outline their agenda for the year ahead - was boycotted by almost 40 Democrat lawmakers, including Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.
Members of Congress from both parties were in attendance, alongside US Supreme Court justices and senior military officials.
As he took to the podium, the President kicked off his address by declaring that "our nation is back".
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Addressing the state of the economy and global conflicts, Mr Trump slammed the previous administration under Joe Biden, claiming he had inherited a dire situation.
However, he insisted that under his leadership the US has "achieved a transformation like no one has seen before".
The President described it as a "turnaround for the ages".
He went on to declare that America’s economy is "roaring like never before" before briefly being heckled by a member of the audience - a protest quickly drowned out by chants of “USA”.
The President said the US has 'achieved a transformation like no one has seen before'
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Mr Trump slammed the previous administration under Joe Biden
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Mr Trump went on to claim that Joe Biden had overseen the "worst inflation in the history of our country", adding that "in 12 months my administration has driven down core inflation down to the lowest level in more than five years".
He pointed to the stock market, saying it had set "53 all time record highs since the election".
The President also claimed his administration had attracted more than $18trillion (£13.3trillion) in international investment since the start of his second term in the White House.
Turning to immigration, the Republican hailed the achievement of historic lows in illegal crossings at the southern border and a reduction in fentanyl entering the US.
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Mr Trump went on to declare that America’s economy is 'roaring like never before'
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The Republican hailed the achievement of historic lows in illegal crossings
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He said: "After four years in which millions and millions of illegal aliens poured across our borders, totally unfettered and unchecked, we now have the strongest and most secure border in American history.
"The flow of deadly fentanyl across our border is down by a record 56 per cent in one year."
The President made affordability a central theme of his address, turning to the rising cost of healthcare, housing and energy in the US.
He described healthcare costs as "crushing", branding the system "one of the biggest rip-offs of our times".
The President introduced Mr Kirk’s wife, Erika, to Congress
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Mr Trump also paid tribute to conservative influencer Charlie Kirk, who was shot dead during an event at Utah Valley University in September.
He introduced Mr Kirk’s wife, Erika, to Congress before urging Americans to "reject political violence of any kind".
The President praised the assassinated influencer as being "responsible for a large growth in religious belief", adding: "we love religion, and we love bringing it back".
The 47th President also made history on Tuesday night, delivering the longest State of the Union address on record and surpassing Bill Clinton’s final speech in 2000.
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