Yes, I watched it. Like the guy in that classic old Alka Seltzer Commercial “The whole thing.” Even before I reached high school age I felt it was my duty as a citizen to watch major political events like both Party’s nominating conventions and SOTU addresses. I missed a small part – it was so freaking long I had to take a minute to answer nature’s call but when it was done I had trouble putting a take on what I’d seen. This morning brought the clarity noted in the title. Trump has a desire, even NEED for adoration hence his MAGA rallies that give him his “fix.” So he held one in the House Chamber!
I wanted to digest both the speech and the immediate commentary before writing about it. I felt there was a vibe to it I couldn’t quite put my finger on. This morning, having read and heard more commentary, and more importantly getting more fact checking and thinking about how the setting allowed him to use people as props it hit me – it all was nothing more than a lame MAGA rally. Oh, there were differences. People were all dressed up being the most obvious. No MAGA hats or weird MAGA shirts or Trump signs and flags. And the Congress Critter versions of MAGAs just cheered and clapped instead of shouting profanities about Democrats. Also, there was that side of the room with a couple hundred or so Democrats that showed up.
Still, instead of the speech Trump and more importantly OTHER elected Republicans needed last night we got Trump trying to get an injection of that “Old Time (MAGA) Religion” from the faithful. Not the 2015/16 version which continued for part of his first term. No, this was less frenzied. Lower energy. Not even up to the level of the 2020 campaign where MAGAs didn’t show up in expected numbers, and even would start walking out after a half-hour or so. They wanted fresh raw meat and once they realized it was the same-old-same-old a lot of them would get bored and leave. Head home. Or to some bar to knock back the beers and get loud about the good ole days.
This wasn’t even at the level of the handful of 2024 campaign rallies. Trump started off okay I guess in his tone and delivery, going through a laundry list of LIES that overwhelmed the fact checkers. Even the GOPers in the House chamber knew it was bullshit. It sure wasn’t high energy, but not low either. Modest. Sort of level energy. Then Trump ran out of steam. Sure, he had his human props in the form of guests to extoll, most of them which could generate some actual bi-partisan applause. He tried to soak it up the way he soaked up the love from the MAGAs at 2016 campaign rallies but to me at least it all was pretty tame. Trump neither gave or got the ‘bigly’ adrenaline jolt.
The choice to treat the speech this way with a challenging midterm has (I think) a lot of Republicans muttering today. Trump’s approval rating even on his signature issues is in the toilet. It’s even slipped among Republicans although still at least in positive territory. However it’s in the sewer beneath his fake gold toilet with Democrats as expected (no crossovers come November) but more importantly with Independents. That folks has to be scaring the hell out of Republicans up for re-election. They needed Trump to reframe things last night. He didn’t. Instead as this article from Politico says the message was ‘Full steam ahead.’ Uh Oh.
Trump barely got back into office and did so exploiting issues like immigration and the economy. He again mocked Affordability and while certain indicators like the stock market say all is good average Americans aren’t feeling it. Promises to lower prices on day one went out the window as he got together with his new pals, the tech bros and schemed to make both them and himself richer. No one including me has a problem with deporting violent foreigners where they got here illegally or not. But less than twelve thousand actual felons have been among the almost half-million this administration has deported or has detained with intent to do so. The tactics of ICE and the rest of DHS have got even conservatives saying this isn’t what they voted for!
Then there was the DOGE fiasco which created problems for lots of Americans and within months Republicans were knocked back on their butts in special elections and ultimately in last November’s off year elections. Even in RED places Republicans usually lost and the ones that did win did so by much lower than counted on margins. All that is why Politico wrote the linked article – an explanation of what Trump needed to do last night and what he actually did/did not accomplish. It’s worth your time to read the full piece but here I’ll just note the main categories discussed:
- ‘He didn’t sell it’ on trade
- ‘Secret words’ from Iran?
- ‘We’re fixing what they broke’
- Trump reframes his immigration agenda
In each category Trump, as Politico explains didn’t meet the moment. Even most of the Republicans in the audience knew it. Alas, what they also knew is he was right there in front of them at the podium and if they were anything less than totally enthusiastic he’d be coming after them. He’s too stupid to know who most of them actually are. To be able to pick them out in a crowd but the whole thing was on TV and he probably had Johnson secretly install a camera to record the audience. I’ll bet the GOPers assumed so, hence them responding like Pavlov’s dogs at the appropriate moments.
What matters though is what the public will think. Trump began the proverbial race way behind and his political fat ass was unable to waddle up to the front any more than his physical one could win a lap around the track against runners that started out a hundred yards ahead. On trade, even MAGA goobers that still believe foreign countries instead of them via higher prices know the cost of living has gone UP instead of Down. Trump is trying to sell the concept things are better than they are. The ‘big stuff’ is okay and regular folks are getting help, or will soon. Someone should remind him how that worked out for Biden. (and then Harris who didn’t push that the way Biden did)
On Iran, less than a year ago Trump was bragging about having OBLITERATED their nuclear bomb making capability. Yet last week he had Witkoff saying they could be only a week from being able to make a bomb. That too has even MAGAs scratching their heads. And worried since a huge buildup of American force is now in or headed to the waters near Iran. MAGAs expected Trump to keep us OUT of wars!
As for fixing what he claims (lies about) Biden having broken the rhetoric doesn’t match the reality people are experiencing. That includes even a chunk of MAGAs. Worse for Republicans not named Trump, things are going to become increasingly worse during the time between now and the midterms. As more rural/small town hospitals (and medical practices) close in such places which are RED the effects will be quite real. In a lot of such places the hospital is, if not the largest employer than one of only a handful of significant ones. Those Medicaid cuts Trump (and the GOP) were so proud of last year are going to bite Republicans in the ass. So touting it last night was one of the last things the GOPers in the audience wanted to hear!
As for immigration and the ‘violence porn’ most Americans aren’t political junkies. Statistics from even Trump’s own government that show ‘illegals’ are less than half as likely to commit violent crimes as white Americans don’t register. What has however is what happened in Minneapolis where TWO, count em two WHITE American Citizens were murdered by masked federal storm troopers. Even in Red states people including government officials are loudly saying NO to ICE turning warehouses into concentration camps.
So it’s likely Trump not only missed the mark, he missed the mark of trying to sell an agenda America is already rejecting. Not to mention things he DIDN’T talk about. Like the Epstein Files. Like Pam Bondi, he refused to even look at or acknowledge the victims in the gallery. Unless I missed it C-SPAN never once pointed the cameras to them so shame on them!
I’m sure Stephen Miller was apoplectic when he saw the final text of the speech. About the only part he liked was the violence porn. But it’s my belief Trump wanted, NEEDED to hear a bunch of cheering and that’s how the speech that we got came to be. It’s the closest thing to a MAGA rally as he’s had, or is likely to get that will get the kind of airtime a SOTU is given so that’s what we got.
Trump got a small ‘fix’ of his MAGA Love Drug. The rest of the Republican Party got nothing. Well, perhaps they did. Trump, who might have asked for and delivered a speech that might set them up to make a case in the midterms instead kneecapped them.
Friends, I know everyone begs you for money. I promise, among all those asking for spare change, we are the smallest and the hardest working. We’re a group of old, disabled people, except for one writer in his mid-50s. The rest of us are in our sixties and seventies, and this is a labor of love. All we’re asking for is the chance to keep telling the truth about Trump and help ensure democracy survives. If you can help, please do. Thank you. Ursula
Hubby and I went to lunch today and a neighboring table was talking politics, so loudly I couldn’t not hear them. Of course they were Trump republicans (since we’re in Texas). The man who did most of the talking, said that he found it wrong that the dems didn’t stand when Trump asked if citizens should come before immigrants. As far as Trump enriching himself in office, he said that all politicians do that. (He might be right about that). A woman at the table did mention that she thought it was wrong that the DOJ did NOT redact victim’s info, but DID redact abuser’s info. Summing it up, I think they all consider themselves lifelong republicans.