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WATCH: 'Can't let' Iran have a nuclear weapon, Trump says

Politics Feb 24, 2026 11:30 PM EST

President Donald Trump said he wants to prevent Iran from having a nuclear weapon during his State of the Union address Tuesday.

Watch the full clip in our video player above.

The U.S. has been building up its largest military presence of American warships and aircraft in decades in the Middle East, as the Trump administration plans to restart talks with Iran over its nuclear program.

"I will never allow the world's No. 1 sponsor of terror, which they are by far, to have a nuclear weapon," the president said. "Can't let that happen."

Trump's address comes after 13 months of break-neck deregulation, a record number of executive actions, mass layoffs, aggressive immigration tactics and more.

Ahead of the speech, Trump was expected to outline his administration's accomplishments, make his case for keeping his party in power this November and celebrate the 250th anniversary of America's independence.

At the same time, a number of pain points have threatened to overshadow Trump's positive messages during his primetime speech.

On Friday, the Supreme Court delivered a major setback to Trump's agenda when it struck down his sweeping tariffs. A partial government shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security, brought on by Democratic opposition to Trump's aggressive immigration enforcement, seems to have no end in sight. And questions about the Jeffrey Epstein investigation continue to dog his administration.

According to the latest PBS News/NPR/ Marist poll, 60% of Americans say the country is worse off compared to a year ago, while 40% believe the country is in better shape.