President Trump delivered a raw, divisive, ugly, and long State of the Union speech last night, the bully-in-chief at the bully pulpit. He was unchained. The country was treated to false claims, demonizing of immigrants, and celebration of the deployment of American troops against American citizens.
Shouting matches ensued. “I ended eight wars,” claimed Trump. “That’s a lie,” shouted Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Michigan. A minute later, the president said of the Russia-Ukraine war: “It never would have happened if I were president.” Countered Tlaib: “What are you talking about.”
Instead of national unity, Trump preached division, demonizing Minnesota where two unarmed anti-ICE citizens were shot dead by federal enforcers. “You’ve killed Americans,” shouted Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minnesota. To which Trump responded: “You ought to be ashamed of yourselves.”
Whereas George Washington stepped back from the presidency, Trump came across as the American Mussolini. In the tradition of authoritarians, his vehicle was to deploy fear — fear of the vulnerable. He seemed to become unhinged about 50 minutes into a 108-minute tirade.
“We did not hear the truth from our president,” said Gov. Abigail Spanberger of Virginia in Democrats’ response to Trump. Of Trump policies, especially tariffs, she added: “Everyday Americans are paying the price.”
Spanberger said those Americans should be asking themselves, “Is the president working for you? Is he keeping America safe?” To Trump’s claim of a new “Golden Age,” she depicted a costly America of fool’s gold.
Out of a tumultuous evening, one thing came clear: The 2026 midterm elections will be an epic battle. The Democrats will be “laser-focused“ on the economy, in Spanberger’s words, while Trump travels the country touting members cheering him on last night. He will complete his claim: “Democrats are destroying our country.”
Trump repeated his big lie of election fraud, calling for nationalization of the election, making false claims of “illegals” voting in U.S. elections. He called for an end to “crooked mail-in ballots.” Our Sen. Maria Cantwell responded by pointing out, under the Constitution, states set elections. Said she: “There is no role for the president.”
About 40 Democrats boycotted the Trump tantrum. The ranks included Sens. Cantwell and Patty Murray. The dissenters staged a Peoples’ State of the Union on the U.S. Capitol Mall.
Trump is an enormous threat to our Republic. He is not an entertainer but a narcissist and would-be dictator. Words of welcome to America are inscribed below the Statue of Liberty. Of Somali immigrants, Trump declared last night: “we’re getting them the hell out of here.”
It wasn’t funny. Nor was it entertaining. Rather, it commands a reengagement in America’s civic life. We’ve come 250 years. Do we lose it all now?
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