The SOTU was all about us
Much has been said about Tuesday’s State of the Union address and the future under President Donald Trump from the viewpoints of pundits and politicians.
It seems the opinions came down to what they thought of the president prior to the speech and how long they lived on Earth.
The annual event was two hours long and included an unprecedented number of invited guests. Among them were people who, through their struggles and victories, were examples of American courage, heroism, and grit. Awards and high honors were presented to the best of America, including two centenarian war heroes, as well as young military heroes, survivors, victim’s families, and of course the U.S. Olympic Men’s Hockey Team.
“Theatrical,” some critics said.
In one way or another, the guests represented the greatness of America, a reminder of who we are during an unusually divided nation. The theme of Trump’s speech also emphasized what made America great and inspired renewed feelings of patriotism.
One wonders if our reaction could be influenced by age and experience like so many other things. If you’re not a recent college grad but a “boomer” (born 1946-1964) you were raised in a time when pledging allegiance to the flag daily in the classroom or knowing the words of the National Anthem was the norm. And if you had relatives or friends who served in any war, they were red, white, and blue heroes.
But the “older” boomers also experienced the 60s: the Vietnam War, civil rights struggles, and a political divide amid street protests and clashes. Still, many in that generation were immediately shocked when professional athletes took a knee on national television, refusing to stand for the national anthem. Flag waving was out and “woke” was in.
More recently, we’ve witnessed violence, defiance of the law, and attacks on law enforcers. In the political arena, foul-mouthed politicians rage against each other. Partisan outbursts disrupt the House Chamber during a State of the Union address.
But during the president’s speech, when the valor, courage, and grit of average Americans was highlighted, patriotic fervor was palpable. And we Americans empathized with the grieving families whose children were taken from them at the hands of criminals roaming free.
The annual State of the Union is the time for a president to tout his accomplishments – and he did. Trump blended his goals and achievements: the economy, reducing the high cost of living, tariffs, ending wars, and bringing manufacturing and business back to our shores. Trump said his administration’s policies have attracted billions of global dollars to America and, inevitably, new business leads to hundreds or thousands of new jobs. As expected, it was an ambitious speech that covered all the bases and offered the promise of a “golden future.”
Trump also addressed the controversial operation to deport illegal immigrants with criminal records by inviting families who have lost children at the hands of such criminals, as well as a five-year-old girl who was badly injured but survived a horrific auto collision with a tractor-trailer driven by an illegal immigrant who was significantly unqualified for the job.
We have seen the strongest opposition to Trump’s deportation plan coming from leftist organizations and pro-immigration Democrats who detest Immigration and Customs Enforcement and would like to see the agency abolished. Representatives Ilhan Omar (D-MN) and Rashida Tlaib (D-MI) were wearing “F**k ICE” badges while angrily shouting at the president as he was speaking.
Both congresswomen, part of the far-left wing of the Democratic party, defied their leadership’s request for no disruptions, but defiant Congressman Al Green (D-TX) was expelled in the first three minutes of the speech for waving a crude sign and refusing to sit down. That was the ugly side of this year’s SOTU event.
Nothing distracted the president, not even the boycott by dozens of legislators. My takeaway was that the president reached a sizeable portion of his audience by focusing on the best of America, its people. Equally noted was his enthusiasm for the upcoming July 4 event on the National Mall celebrating the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, the document that made us a nation.
While the president’s speech was praised, criticized, and sometimes misrepresented, it resonated with many of us who believe in American exceptionalism. If little else comes from the 2026 State of the Union address, it should be confidence, not because of who resides in the White House, but because of who we are.
Pat Wandling hosts Speak Your Piece weekdays at noon on WBCB 1490.
