“It has been nothing but swift and unrelenting action,” he said of his first 43 days back in office. “And we are just getting started.”
Big Lines of the Night
The 100-minute address was divided into concise blocks, each hitting on a campaign pledge. And while fact-checkers will almost certainly spend time and energy looking for angles to undercut his overall message, some elements cut right through the noise.
Border Business
On illegal immigration, he touted the huge drop in border crossings since the start of his presidency, estimated to be a roughly 90% reduction, against the same period last year. “They heard my words, and they chose not to come,” Trump said. “Much easier that way.”
“The media and our friends in the Democrat Party kept saying, ‘We needed new legislation. We must have legislation to secure the border,’” he continued. “But it turned out that all we really needed was a new president.” He argued that he was overseeing the “most sweeping border and immigration crackdown in American history” and that it would ultimately result in the “great liberation of America.”
Ukraine
Naturally, his speech addressed the ongoing conflict in Ukraine and, tangentially, the recent blow-up in the Oval Office between himself and President Volodymyr Zelensky. Referencing a letter from the Ukrainian president – which may, in fact, have just been a public social media post – Trump said that peace was possible.
The missive in question noted that Zelensky felt the outcome of the February 28 summit was “regrettable,” adding, “It is time to make things right. We would like future cooperation and communication to be constructive.” The message concluded:
“Regarding the agreement on minerals and security, Ukraine is ready to sign it in any time and in any convenient format. We see this agreement as a step toward greater security and solid security guarantees, and I truly hope it will work effectively.”
Trump’s signals during his address suggested that he is willing to offer the deal again now that Zelensky is asking for a do-over. He also chided Democrats in the chamber for not wanting peace.
“Do you want to keep it going for another five years? Yeah? You would say. [Sen. Elizabeth Warren] Pocahontas says yes,” Trump said. “Two thousand people are being killed every single week — more than that. They are Russian young people, they’re Ukrainian young people. They’re not Americans, but I want it to stop. Meanwhile, Europe has sadly spent more money buying Russian oil and gas than they’ve spent on defending Ukraine, by far.”
Defense
On the topic of defense, the president reiterated his calls for an iron dome system to defend the homeland. Perhaps unsurprisingly, he sought to give the project a new name with a little more grandeur. “I am asking Congress to fund a state-of-the-art golden dome missile defense shield to protect our homeland,” he said to wry chuckles from the crowd.
DOGE
Several Democratic lawmakers were seen brandishing signs saying, “Musk Steals,” signifying that they are clearly not on board with the federal realignment. Trump provided a damning litany of projects for which taxpayer dollars have been supplied, ranging from “$8 million for making mice transgender” to “a $3.5 million consulting contract for lavish fish monitoring.”
Much of the Democrat ire has been at unsubstantiated claims of cuts to social security. On this topic, the president listed the unlikely ages of those on the books:
“But a lot of money is paid out to people, because it just keeps getting paid and paid and nobody does — and it really hurts Social Security, it hurts our country. 1.3 million people from ages 150 to 159, and over 130,000 people, according to the Social Security databases, are age over 160 years old. We have a healthier country than I thought, Bobby [Kennedy].”
On Partisanship
The Republican attendees expected a few shots across the Democratic bow, and Trump did not fail to deliver. He gently chided the opposition party, asking them to reach across the aisle. He said, “So, Democrats sitting before me, for just this one night, why not join us in celebrating so many incredible wins for America? For the good of our nation, let’s work together, and let’s truly make America great again.”
With several lawmakers refusing to attend the address and those present waving negative signs or making statements with their dress and demeanor, any olive branch was sure to be brushed aside.
“I look at the Democrats in front of me, and I realize there is absolutely nothing I can say to make them happy or to make them stand or smile or applaud,” Trump declared. “I could find a cure to the most devastating disease, a disease that would wipe out entire nations, or announce the answers to the greatest economy in history, or the stoppage of crime to the lowest levels ever recorded. And these people sitting right here will not clap, will not stand, and certainly will not cheer for these astronomical achievements.”
Trump’s Golden Age Thinking
Donald Trump aimed to deliver a positive blueprint for America, one that called back to the ideas of exceptionalism and prosperity. While his critics may disagree with the content of his address and, indeed, the factual nature of many of his points, it would be a tough case to make that it was in any way un-American.
“Six weeks ago, I stood beneath the dome of this Capitol and proclaimed the dawn of the golden age of America,” he said. “From that moment on, it has been nothing but swift and unrelenting action to usher in the greatest and most successful era in the history of our country. We have accomplished more in 43 days than most administrations accomplish in four years or eight years — and we are just getting started.” He continued:
“America’s momentum is back. Our spirit is back, our pride is back, our confidence is back. And the American Dream is surging bigger and better than ever before. The American Dream is unstoppable and our country is on the verge of a comeback, the likes of which the world has never witnessed and perhaps will never witness again.”
And just how, precisely, does Trump intend to achieve this “golden age” rebirth? It seems he has a few ideas.
“We’re seeking permanent income tax cuts all across the board. And to get urgently needed relief to Americans hit especially hard by inflation, I’m calling for no tax on tips, no tax on overtime, and no tax on Social Security benefits for our great seniors,” he declared to heavy applause from at least one side of the chamber.
And he leaned heavily on the red meat for entrepreneurs and free marketeers:
“For nearly 100 years, the federal bureaucracy has grown until it has crushed our freedoms, ballooned our deficits, and held back America’s potential in every possible way. The nation founded by pioneers and risk-takers now drowns under millions and millions of pages of regulations and debt.”
While perhaps not a complete recipe for ushering in a new dawn, the broad American consensus is that the government has gotten too big and too expensive. His words will be music to the ears of a significant portion of the population.
Decorum Nomorum
While it was highly unlikely that Speaker of the House Mike Johnson would repeat former Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s breach of decorum by tearing up the text of Trump’s speech, that doesn’t mean the proceedings were free from embarrassing spectacles.
Texas Rep. Al Green (D) began heckling the president almost immediately, shouting from the cheap seats, “You don’t have a mandate!” Mr. Green was issued a warning and, when he failed to quiet down, was removed from the chamber. How the Texan lawmaker arrived at the idea that the president has no mandate is unclear. After all, he won the electoral college vote and the popular vote, sweeping all seven swing states, not to mention holding the House and flipping the Senate.
But perhaps he meant that Mr. Trump does not have as broad a mandate for the political changes that he proposes. Where, oh where, was Mr. Green when former President Joe Biden was governing like FDR and relying on VP Kamala Harris to push through legislation in tie-breaking votes?
Speaking after the event, Green explained his decision to protest as the only way to “get across to a person who uses his incivility against our civility.” Where that supposed “civility” was on display is a mystery that may long remain unsolved.
While it was highly unlikely that Speaker of the House Mike Johnson would repeat former Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s breach of decorum by tearing up the text of Trump’s speech, that doesn’t mean the proceedings were free from embarrassing spectacles.
Texas Rep. Al Green (D) began heckling the president almost immediately, shouting from the cheap seats, “You don’t have a mandate!” Mr. Green was issued a warning and, when he failed to quiet down, was removed from the chamber. How the Texan lawmaker arrived at the idea that the president has no mandate is unclear. After all, he won the electoral college vote and the popular vote, sweeping all seven swing states, not to mention holding the House and flipping the Senate.
But perhaps he meant that Mr. Trump does not have as broad a mandate for the political changes that he proposes. Where, oh where, was Mr. Green when former President Joe Biden was governing like FDR and relying on VP Kamala Harris to push through legislation in tie-breaking votes?
Speaking after the event, Green explained his decision to protest as the only way to “get across to a person who uses his incivility against our civility.” Where that supposed “civility” was on display is a mystery that may long remain unsolved.
Reflection and Reaction
The moment Trump concluded his address, the media machine began its spin. On the left were straw-clutching fact checks that would have put even the most high-priced comma-hunting lawyer to shame. On the right, there was the expected cheerleading. But, most of all, there was an overarching feeling that each side was looking to create the narrative that would eventually prevail.
And when one swings wildly, misses tend to follow.
CNN’s Kasie Hunt called the event “incredibly divisive.” She argued:
“The bottom line here, the big picture this was an incredibly divisive speech. It was also an incredibly divisive moment. You saw the division on display from the Democrats as well. That reflects an incredibly divided America and one that is still, you know, very much reeling from a series of economic challenges and our own challenges with the COVID pandemic.”
But does Ms. Hunt speak for the nation? A CBSNews/YouGov poll took the temperature of the viewers and found that a staggering 76% approved of the address, with only 23% being unimpressed. From CBS’ own reporting: “Most speech viewers described the president as ‘presidential,’ ‘inspiring’ and more ‘unifying’ than ‘divisive.’ A big majority also called it ‘entertaining.’”
On specific issues, Trump got a clean sweep:
Waste in Government Spending: 77% approval
Immigration & the Border: 77% approval
Ukraine & Russia: 73% approval
Tariffs: 65% approval
Notably, only 51% of the respondents were actually Republicans, suggesting that his speech also resonated with a significant number of Independents and Democrats.
A Patriot Call
“I believe that my life was saved that day in Butler for a very good reason. I was saved by God to Make America Great Again — I believe that,” Trump said.
The president was keen to end his speech on an upward lilt, calling on patriotism, the ideals of exceptionalism, and America’s great, beautiful history. He referenced the heroes of Lexington and Concord, the astronauts who made it to the moon, and all those who “defied the odds.” He continued:
“Now it is our time to take up the righteous cause of American liberty. And it’s our turn to take America’s destiny into our own hands and begin the most thrilling days in the history of our country. This will be our greatest era; with God’s help over the next four years, we are going to lead this nation even higher, and we are going to forge the freest, most advanced, most dynamic, and most dominant civilization ever to exist on the face of this Earth.”
In the end, it was a powerful vision of what might be for a country that has, in recent years, suffered greatly. “My fellow Americans, get ready for an incredible future because the golden age of America has only just begun. It will be like nothing that has ever been seen before. Thank you, God bless you, and God bless America,” he concluded.
Mark Angelides is Editor-in-Chief of Liberty Nation. Having served as Managing Editor of Liberty Nation for four years, Mark is steeped in US Conservative policy and politics. This article was first published HERE
No comments:
Post a Comment