Call me crazy, but I loved President Trump’s State of the Union address.
Yes, it was long – the longest in at least sixty years – but it was also entertaining. It was optimistic, positive and hopeful about the future of America. On Tuesday night, Trump immediately introduced the U.S. Olympic men’s hockey team, and while they didn’t lead the singing of the national anthem (my secret hope), they did show off their gold medals to thunderous applause and shouts of “USA! USA!” That set the festive and triumphant tone of the evening.
Trump did not appear to be a beleaguered president, struggling with declining approval ratings; far from it. He was at his best; he was relaxed, sometimes funny and rightly incredulous about the smallness and absurdity of his Democratic opponents. I suspect this performance will give him a much-needed boost – not only because of his sympathetic demeanor, but also because he discussed the enormous amount of achievements he and his cabinet have achieved in one year.
Equally important, he avoided a fight with the Supreme Court, which could easily have soured the mood. He described the Supreme Court’s ruling declaring his tariffs illegal as “disappointing” and “unfortunate,” but then went on to discuss the importance of tariffs in leveling the playing field for American businesses and attracting trillions of dollars of investment into the United States.
He also filled the gallery with a crowd of sympathetic and admirable people whose lives and experiences not only served to demonstrate the policies he proclaimed but also inspired the public.
Who couldn’t applaud the children who survive serious injuries, or the pilot injured during the extraction of Venezuela’s illegitimate president, Nicolás Maduro, who managed to carry out the mission and subsequently received the Medal of Honor? Or the National Guardsman shot in the head who recovers against all odds? The stories are heartwarming and contain much that is exceptional about the United States: the courage, sacrifice and patriotism that characterize so many heroes.
President Trump’s main mission has been to remind people that President Joe Biden left a mess behind and that he is working to fix it.
President Trump’s main mission has been to remind people that President Joe Biden left a mess behind and that he is working to fix it. Trump inherited from Biden an economy dependent on massive federal spending, an open border unprotected from a flood of criminals pouring in among the millions who entered illegally, and prices that rose more than 20% in four short years.
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A massive influx of undocumented migrants poured into cities like New York, causing chaos, crime and mounting budget problems as the public footed the bill for migrants receiving taxpayer-funded health care, education and housing. These problems continue despite Trump’s efforts to deport the criminals who also make our cities unsafe. In his speech, he called on Congress to ban sanctuary cities. It won’t happen, but it should.
Trump continued to close the border; today it is safer than ever. As he reminded voters, if Democrats return to power, they will undo his efforts.
As usual, Trump cataloged his greatest hits. He celebrated the “One Big Beautiful Bill,” which he said contained the largest tax cuts in U.S. history, including reduced taxes on tips, overtime and Social Security. (He introduced a Pennsylvania couple who saves more than $5,000 a year on their bills.) Trump also touted his efforts to lower prescription drug prices, make IVF more affordable — and sympathetically introduced a young woman trying to become a mother — and to establish price transparency in health care.
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He touted the “Trump Accounts” for young children, which he said could help them get a jump start in life, and called out computer innovator Michael Dell and his wife Susan for contributing more than $6 billion to the program.
He also talked about his plan to make technology companies that operate data centers pay for the abundant electricity these projects need. Electricity prices have soared across the country, thanks in large part to what he described as reckless energy policies by climate-focused Democrats. Trump is trying to solve that.
Another plan to increase affordability is his recent executive order banning major financial firms on Wall Street from buying up homes. This can help in the margin, as can a lower mortgage interest rate. Such initiatives are aimed at lowering the cost of living, which is likely to play a major role in the midterm elections.
The president and his team are also focused on rooting out welfare fraud, which he says is rampant. Trump said eliminating the theft of taxpayer money could eliminate the budget deficit. That won’t be the case, but it can certainly help. Even Joe Biden’s Government Accountability Office said the country loses hundreds of billions of dollars every year to fraud and theft; the Biden White House ignored the problem, but the Trump White House is addressing it.
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The theft of billions of dollars in benefits in Minnesota by mostly Somali criminals became a political liability overnight for Democratic Gov. Tim Walz and other state officials who, at best, ignored the problem. Trump has appointed Vice President J.D. Vance to lead the fraud investigation; you can bet that Democratic-led states like California and New York will be in the crosshairs.
It was a good evening for the president; it was a bad night for the Democrats. More than seventy Democrats shamefully boycotted the speech, making their stern presence even less impactful.
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President Trump, in some cases, called out Democrats more than once for opposing popular causes like tax cuts and voter ID laws. He also criticized them for supporting unpopular measures such as the gender reassignment of minors without parental consent. When he introduced a family whose daughter had experienced that accident, he waved his hand at Democrats and said, “These people are crazy.” Most agree.
President Trump has gotten the message: he needs to make life more affordable. Now he must persevere. After Tuesday evening, the country will know he is working on it.
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