In the writing world, we have a saying: Show, don’t tell. The idea is that conveying something through stories and action is more convincing than merely stating something. President Trump’s State of the Union address is a great example of this principle put into practice. It celebrated many of his administration’s signature accomplishments: economic prosperity, criminal justice reform, and renewed military strength. And it did so by pointing to the people these policies have benefited.
Trump began by pointing out the economic growth that has occurred under his administration. Jobs have returned to stagnate local economies, and investors are slowly making their way into low-income communities. Trump has the statistics to back these claims, but he did more than throw around numbers: He brought in Army veteran Tony Rankins, a former drug addict who has personally benefited from Trump’s tax cuts.
Trump then moved to foreign policy, touting the new NAFTA trade deal, his negotiations with China, and U.S. pro-democracy efforts in Central America. This last subject earned bipartisan applause, and with good reason: Trump had invited Juan Guaido, the Venezuelan leader who challenged Nicolas Maduro’s totalitarian grip on the country, to attend the State of the Union as a living and breathing reminder that the U.S. fight against tyranny is important and worthwhile.
In regard to the military, Trump’s signature accomplishment has been the Space Force. So he brought in 13-year-old Iain Lanphier, who dreams of “going to space.” Next to Lanphier was his great-grandfather, Charles McGee, one of the first black fighter pilots.
On education, Trump pointed to school choice and the freedom and opportunity it provides its students. To prove his point, Trump awarded a fourth-grade student an Opportunity Scholarship and encouraged Congress to do the same and pass the school choice legislation.
There were many other individuals recognized during Trump’s address, and each one served as a reminder that real people are affected by the policies our government passes. The parents of Kayla Mueller, who was kidnapped and killed by the Islamic State, were applauded. A mother with her two-year-old daughter, who had been born prematurely, were celebrated. And a young family was reunited with its father, who had been deployed for the past several months.
The humanity of Trump’s speech also pointed to a simple truth: government is not a platform on which to perform; it is an institution that shapes the nation and the people who live in it, as Yuval Levin put it. The petty partisanship plaguing Washington, D.C., proves that our elected officials have forgotten this, and Trump, despite his many flaws, helped remind Congress that its duty is to the people, not to itself: “Members of Congress,” he said, “We must never forget that the only victories that matter in Washington are victories that deliver for the American people.”
Trump addressed the nation in the chamber where decisions are made, laws are passed, and governance takes place. At least, that’s how it’s supposed to work. Unfortunately, Congress hasn’t worked that way in quite a while. But the individuals Trump recognized during his speech are a reminder that we have the power to hold our elected officials accountable. And if they forget that we are real people with real stories, that’s exactly what we should do.
