New research shows Trump’s first year delivered record returns for oligarchs while working families fall behind: For oligarchs, the state of the union has never been better

As President Trump prepares to deliver Tuesday night’s State of the Union address, Our Revolution, the nation’s largest independent political organizing group, is pointing its eight million members toward its Defund the Oligarchy campaign and releasing new return on investment data to frame what it calls the real state of the union.

Ahead of the speech, the group is circulating sector by sector research to members, reporters and activists that draws a stark contrast between Trump’s rhetoric and the economic reality unfolding under his administration.

While billionaire donors and corporate backers are posting historic returns on their political investments, the broader economy is moving in the opposite direction for working families.

New economic analysis compiled by Our Revolution shows job growth slowing and layoffs rising, with 1.17 million layoffs in 2025, hiring down 35 percent, and 72,000 manufacturing jobs lost. Overall unemployment has climbed to 4.4 percent, with youth unemployment reaching 10.8 percent. Household costs remain elevated, with electricity prices up 9 percent and Trump’s tariffs projected to cost families an additional $1,700 per year. Real wage growth for working class Americans has slowed, and labor’s share of the economy has fallen to its lowest level on record.

Our Revolution’s oligarchy research findings highlight
AI oligarchs and Trump
A 686,011 percent return on investment. Major tech executives have seen their combined net worth increase by $494 billion amid deregulation and AI expansion.

Big oil oligarchs and Trump
A 33,443 percent return. After spending $443 million to elect Trump and MAGA Republicans, fossil fuel interests secured more than $153 billion in subsidies and giveaways.

Deportation oligarchs and Trump
An 11,050 percent return. Private detention and deportation contractors now stand to reap billions annually as ICE enforcement and surveillance budgets expand.

Trump himself
Since securing the GOP nomination, Trump’s net worth has nearly tripled, rising from $2.3 billion to $6.7 billion through crypto ventures, licensing deals and regulatory shifts.

In total, more than $172.5 billion in gains have flowed to key donor sectors through contracts, deregulation, and tax advantages tied directly to political influence.

Organizers say the goal is to sharpen the contrast heading into the State of the Union and make clear that while the president may claim economic strength, the measurable beneficiaries of his first year have been oligarchs, not working people.

Our Revolution is also partnering with the People’s State of the Union to elevate this contrast nationally and amplify voices demanding that government serve working people rather than billionaire donors.

“The State of the Union is strong if you are an oligarch,” said Joseph Geevarghese, Executive Director of Our Revolution. “But for working people who were promised lower costs and economic relief, the data tells a very different story. Political power is being converted into private profit at an unprecedented scale. If Democrats want to win, they need to expose that betrayal clearly and relentlessly. They should point to the return on investment Trump’s billionaire donors are receiving through contracts, tax breaks, and deregulation, and make clear that this is not economic policy. It is political profiteering. The contrast is simple: while families are struggling to pay rent and afford groceries, oligarchs are cashing in. That is the real State of the Union.”

As first reported by The Guardian, the data anchors Our Revolution’s Defund the Oligarchs campaign, launched nationally last month and reinforced by a newly introduced resolution from Representatives Tlaib, Jayapal, Lee and Ramirez. The measure calls for ending corporate tax breaks, subsidies and federal contracts for billionaire backed companies, tightening oversight of political profiteering, and redirecting public resources toward healthcare, housing, education, and other public investments driven by community need rather than donor influence.

About Our Revolution
Our Revolution is America’s largest grassroots independent political organizing group, born out of Senator Bernie Sanders’s 2016 presidential campaign. It focuses on mobilizing communities, electing progressive champions, advocating for progressive policies, and transforming the Democratic Party to serve people, not corporate interests.