Utah Republicans get shoutout in Trump's State of the Union speech

SALT LAKE CITY — In President Donald Trump's record-long State of the Union address on Tuesday evening, Utahns got not just one but two shoutouts during the prime-time speech.

About halfway through the address, the president called on Congress to pass the SAVE America Act, Utah Sen. Mike Lee's signature election integrity bill that would implement stricter guardrails for voting in federal elections. The measure passed the House earlier this month but faces a more complicated road in the Senate due to filibuster rules.

"Perhaps most importantly, I'm asking you to approve the SAVE America Act to stop illegal aliens and others who are unpermitted persons from voting in our sacred American elections," Trump said in his speech, prompting a standing ovation on the Republican side of the chamber.

Lee was seen with a wide smile on his face inside the room, and immediately took to social media to call for a vote in the Senate.

"President Trump is right — Americans demand the SAVE America Act to protect their elections from illegal voters," Lee said in a statement. "If Senate Democrats want to get in the way, we can make them stand up, filibuster, and fail. Republicans should pass the SAVE America Act to secure our elections and deliver on our promises to the American people!"

Another Utah Republican got a shoutout earlier in Trump's address — although it was a bit more subtle.

While the president introduced some of his guests sitting in the chamber, he lauded the creation of what is known as Trump accounts, a pilot program created last year to equip all children with savings accounts that accumulate interest until they are adults.

For children born between Jan. 1, 2025, and Dec. 31, 2028, a one-time credit of $1,000 from the federal government will be deposited. Parents, friends and private organizations can then contribute up to $5,000 a year until the child turns 18.

The concept of the accounts was heavily influenced by Rep. Blake Moore, whom Trump gave credit for naming the program.

"I did not name that, nobody believes I did not name that," Trump said. "It was named by a very tall man standing right there in the third row. Nice man, a good man."

Moore later responded in a social media post with a photo of him standing next to Trump, a few inches taller than the 6-foot-3 president.

"He may know me by my height more than by my name, but at least (the president) knows I'm proud to have worked with him to enact historic investment accounts for every American child," Moore wrote in a post on X.

In all, Trump's address lasted about one hour and 47 minutes, making it the longest State of the Union address in presidential history. It was even longer than his one hour and 39-minute joint address to Congress last March, then marking the longest presidential address to lawmakers in recent history.

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