4 takeaways from Trump’s State of the Union address
In the face of headwinds, the president defended many of his unpopular policies.
President Donald Trump gives his State of the Union address to a joint session of Congress. (J. Scott Applewhite/AP)
In the face of these headwinds, Trump gave a speech that was defiant, asserting that prices have gone down, criminals are being deported and the economy is growing.
“Our nation is back,» he said. “Bigger, richer and stronger than ever before.»
Here are four takeaways from his speech.
1. He touched on potential conflict with Iran
In the past few months, the formerly non-interventionist president — who has agitated for a Nobel Peace Prize — has shown a willingness to use force to achieve his foreign policy goals.
He has overthrown a government in Venezuela and arrested its leader. He’s threatened to take Greenland by force. And he is now seriously considering a risky and possibly extended, conflict with Iran, overseeing the largest U.S. military buildup in that region since before the Iraq War in 2003.
It’s not clear to many outside experts why he’s doing all this, and Trump on Tuesday offered a couple reasons: that Iranian leaders killed an estimated tens of thousands of protesters and won’t commit to never having a nuclear weapon. “I will never allow the world’s number one sponsor of terror — which they are by far — to have a nuclear weapon. Can’t let that happen,» he said.
But Trump’s military buildup comes after he said in January on social media that if Iran killed protesters, the United States was “locked, ready and loaded.”
“This is a follow up from a post that the president made at 2:58 a.m,” Suzanne Maloney, director of foreign policy at the Brookings Institution, said. «But this could have real consequences for international security, for the global economy and even for the price of gasoline.”
2. He was defensive on the many issues where he’s unpopular
Trump started his second term with voters willing to give him a chance, especially on the economy. Voters who blamed the Biden administration for high inflation welcomed Trump’s campaign promises to bring down costs, and those who worried about immigration believed his promise of mass deportations targeting criminals that make the U.S. safer.
But a year in, Americans are skeptical. About half of Americans say the economy has gotten worse rather than better under Trump, The Post poll found. That poll also shows that Americans don’t believe he’s targeting the “worst of the worst” in his mass deportations, and largely disapprove of the tactics of Immigration and Customs Enforcement. They also don’t believe his tariffs have been helping the economy.
On Tuesday, Trump dismissed criticism of the economy, blaming former president Joe Biden for high inflation, expensive housing and the price of gasoline, while asserting he’s lowered the cost of living — exaggerating some stats on jobs and foreign investments.
«People are asking me, ‘Please, please, please, Mr. President, we’re winning too much. We can’t take it anymore. We’re not used to winning in our country until you came along, we were just always losing. But now we’re winning too much,’ he said. “And I say, ‘No, no, no, you’re going to win again. You’re going to win big. You’re going to win bigger than ever.’ ”
While the economy isn’t terrible, economists say there are real struggles for Americans. Manufacturing continues to decline, the nation lost jobs in nearly every sectorlast year, many Americans say it’s becoming tougher to afford everyday basics, and while it’s not soaring, inflation has been tough to bring down.
3. Democrats’ opposition was varied
While a number of Democrats skipped the address entirely, several who attended made their displeasure with Trump known. Shouting at the president is now a regular occurrence at these addresses.
Rep. Al Green (D-Texas), who was censured for his protest at Trump’s address to Congress last year, was escorted out Tuesday after holding a sign protesting a video Trump posted that depicted Barack and Michelle Obama as apes.
Several Democrats in the chamber also reacted strongly to a moment in which Trump tried to cast Democrats as more concerned about undocumented immigrants than citizens.
“If you agree with this statement, then stand up and show your support,” he said. “The first duty of the American government is to protect American citizens, not illegal aliens.”
Most Democrats stayed seated, some clapping. Trump smirked. “You should be ashamed of yourselves,” he said.
“You should be ashamed!” shouted Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minnesota) who also shouted that the president should release all of the Epstein files. Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Michigan) shouted at the president as well, saying that his administration had killed Americans, referencing the deaths of two protesters during a federal immigration enforcement operation in Minnesota earlier this year.
There were a few moments in which Democrats applauded Trump’s words — at one point he got a standing ovation from some of Congress’s most liberal Democrats, such as Sen. Elizabeth Warren (Massachusetts), for supporting legislation that would make it harder for lawmakers to trade stock.
4. This probably won’t change much for Trump
The president got his time in the spotlight, but it’s hard to see how this one speech reverses his unpopularity and boosts his support. And no matter what he’s going through, Trump has consistently maintained about 40 percent support in polls, as well as the cooperation of Republicans in Congress, who have largely acquiesced to his attempts to govern by executive order rather than legislation.
Trump’s speech stuck to the talking points that have gotten him this far rather than branching out in an attempt to expand his support. But even if he had attempted to be more persuasive, millions of Americans tend to watch the speech mostly via online clips that are often framed by partisans, further entrenching the status quo.
