For release: 02/26/26
Patriotism v. pettiness
By Cal Thomas
Tribune Content Agency
Most State of the Union addresses are forgettable the moment they end. Not this one.
President Trump delivered a consequential speech that highlighted what he believes are some of his major accomplishments during the first year of his second term. He also demonstrated a flair for the dramatic.
It was likely the most partisan message of its kind ever delivered by a president. He frequently criticized those Democrats who bothered to attend (more than 70 members didn’t), calling them “crazy” and accusing them of favoring open borders and higher taxes. He also criticized the Supreme Court for their ruling against his tariff policy. Four justices showed up and sat expressionless. They were among the first to flee when the speech ended. The president said he has found a way around their ruling and that the income from tariffs will eventually “balance the budget” and eventually eliminate the federal income tax. One issue he failed to address was spending.
The biggest drivers of debt are Social Security and Medicare, both of which are in desperate need of reform. Apparently not wishing to give Democrats an issue to use against Republicans in the November election, he promised not to touch either benefit program.
On the issue of “affordability,” a word he said was created by Democrats, the president said prices are coming down. He mentioned gasoline, now under $2 dollars a gallon in some places. He said egg prices have “come down sixty percent,” as have mortgage rates, and promised the cost of beef will soon drop.
The president made a strong case for his closing of the southern border and deporting those migrants who committed crimes on U.S. soil. He introduced several relatives of people who were murdered by “illegal aliens.” He challenged Democrats to stand if they oppose such people coming into the country. It appeared few, if any stood. “How can you not stand?” he shouted.
He introduced the pilot who flew a Chinook helicopter into Caracas to extract President Nicolas Maduro and bring him to the U.S. to stand trial. Eric Slover, whose name had not been made public until Tuesday night, was severely wounded in his legs, and Trump awarded him the Congressional Medal of Honor, as he did World War II veteran Captain Royce Williams, who also served in the Korean and Vietnam wars. Williams was honored for a previously classified 1952 dogfight during which he engaged seven Soviet jets alone.
Trump again asked Congress to pass the SAVE America Act, requiring people to show a government-issued identification document, along with proof of citizenship before voting because “Democrats cheat.”
He criticized members of Minnesota’s Somali community, blaming some for allegedly “pillaging $19 billion” of taxpayer money. He said other states, including California and Massachusetts were “even worse.”
He promised to “never allow Iran to have a nuclear weapon. Given the enormous buildup of ships, planes and other military equipment in the region, the threat was obvious. The president said he prefers a diplomatic agreement, but that would have to include Iran pledging not to build nuclear bombs. And yet he said the world’s top sponsor of terrorism already has ICBMs that can reach the U.S. Given such statements it would appear that an attack could occur at any time.
Democrats mostly sat in silence except when the U.S. Olympic hockey team was introduced and on a small number of other occasions. Some, like Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), whom Trump criticized by name when he called for a ban on insider trading by members of Congress (some Republicans have accused Pelosi and her husband of engaging in such activity), had tags on their clothes that said “Release the Epstein Files.” The name Epstein was blacked out to resemble the redactions in some of the files that have been released.
The speech is likely to be discussed and debated for weeks and possibly months to come. It was petty for so many Democrats not to attend. The pollsters will soon tell us if the speech boosted the president’s low approval ratings.
(C) 2026 TRIBUNE CONTENT AGENCY, LLC.
