Several days after President Donald Trump’s State of the Union address, one moment still defines the night, and I can’t shake it. Maybe you can’t, either?
When the president invited lawmakers to stand for a simple principle – that the first duty of the American government is to protect American citizens – Republicans rose. Democrats remained seated.
Most of us grew up in an era when, even if we disagreed on policy, we could still unite around certain basic principles like America First. That’s why the moment stood out so starkly. One side wouldn’t stand – and that image will not fade quickly.
And some like Reps. Ilhan Omar (MN-5) and Rashida Tlaib (MI-12) didn’t just stay seated – they heckled. As the President laid out his immigration priorities, the two “Squad” members went into a full-blown blind rage. Omar shouted, “You killed Americans! You should be ashamed!”
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During the speech, there were walkouts. There were empty seats. There were moments when Democrats refused to stand, even during emotional stories honoring victims and families impacted by violence. If the goal was to demonstrate unified opposition at any cost, mission accomplished.
Meanwhile, the president delivered one of his more disciplined addresses. The speech was lengthy but structured, at times leaning more populist than conservative, yet still focused on familiar themes of law and order, national security, and sovereignty.
The moment honoring the U.S. men’s hockey team was one of the clearest highlights of the night – a celebration of American excellence that brought welcome levity to an otherwise weighty address. When the president pivoted to his familiar “We’re winning so much” line and tied it to the team’s victory, the moment landed. It felt celebratory. It felt proud. It even felt unifying.
This SOTU was a win for the president. Even post-speech polling – including data aired on CNN – suggested viewers walked away with a more favorable view of the president’s direction for the country.
Was it perfect? No. But politics is not about perfection – it is about contrast.
And the contrast was unmistakable. In the end, the president didn’t need to attack his opponents. They made the case themselves.
While you could argue he didn’t hit a home run, last night’s speech feels like a win for the president. And just as I’d say to anyone critical of how the men’s hockey team took the gold on Sunday, a win is a win.
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