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Our contributors weigh in on President Donald Trump’s State of the Union address:
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Jim Antle, executive editor, Washington Examiner magazine:
Trump understood the assignment as he delivered the first State of the Union address of his second, nonconsecutive term. He focused heavily on domestic issues and made the case that his economic policies were working.
The big risk Trump took, however, was delivering a relatively happy speech to an angry electorate. That could come back to haunt him if the voters decide they don’t see the economic “turnaround” he described. The man best known for “American carnage” instead returned to the theme of Americans getting tired of winning.
This victory fatigue hasn’t yet shown up in the polls. Democrats will attack him as out of touch.
Tim Carney, senior political columnist:
In the first hour of the speech, Democrats heckled and protested, but on a couple of occasions, stood and applauded, only to get mocked by Trump for standing.
Then, when Democrats stopped standing and applauding altogether, Trump attacked them for that. “These people are crazy, I’m telling you,” he said when they didn’t stand. “Sick people,” he said on a later occasion.
This was the worst State of the Union on the score of heckling from the opposition and trash-talking from the president.
It’s a bad sign for the country.
Conn Carroll, commentary editor:
Trump’s State of the Union wasn’t boring enough.
There were many entertaining moments in Trump’s speech: the gold medal hockey team, Democrats not standing in support of citizens over illegal immigrants, and Iryna Zarutska’s mother being honored for the loss of her daughter. But as powerful as these moments were, they weren’t strong enough to overcome the driving force of Trump’s declining poll numbers: chaos.
How much better would the economy be without tariffs? How popular would Trump’s immigration policies be with Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s deportation quotas? Trump always dials it up to 11. He might be more successful if he turned down the volume.
Tiana Lowe Doescher, columnist:
Donald Trump: lame duck or elder statesman?
Sure, the president sniped at Democrats, who ranged from quietly refusing to stand to Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) screaming back that he was “killing American citizens.”
But for Trump, who still seethes on Truth Social that the Supreme Court justices who overruled his tariffs are “unpatriotic,” he was remarkably reserved in person, simply calling the ruling “unfortunate.” After recapping 2025’s wins, he spent more time celebrating American heroes than touting his own new political priorities. If it were any other president, it would be considered boring. But for Trump, that’s not a bad thing.
Sean Durns, deputy commentary editor:
This State of the Union was unusual in that it took place amid potential U.S. strikes against Iran. The U.S. military has assembled a large armada near the Islamic Republic, prompting speculation that Trump might even use the speech to announce U.S. action. This was always unlikely. Instead, the president said what he’s always said: Iran can’t be permitted to have a nuclear weapon. He noted that he prefers diplomacy, while underscoring American military might and emphasizing recent victories. The message is clear and consistent. We’ll see if the mullahs listen.
Zachary Faria, commentary writer:
The one thing Trump has done right with the State of the Union is turn it into a celebration of great Americans, from the gold medal-winning U.S. hockey team to West Virginia National Guard member Andrew Wolfe, who was awarded a Purple Heart.
If we can cut out the other hour-and-a-half of campaign slop, regardless of who is president, I think we will have a perfect template for future speeches.
LIVE UPDATES: TRUMP DELIVERS 2026 STATE OF THE UNION ADDRESS
David Harsanyi, senior writer:
The State of the Union is a tedious partisan spectacle. The older I get, the less patience I have for the preening and inflated list of achievements.
At the same time, I’m more appreciative of the unifying moments. Trump’s address featured many good ones, including the celebration of the USA hockey team, the honoring of veterans who fought on the Pacific front (George “Buddy” Taggart) and in the Korean War (E. Royce Williams), and the recognition of heroes such as Scott Ruskin, the Coast Guard swimmer who saved over 200 lives in Texas. More of that next year, please.
Peter Laffin, senior editor:
Trump fundamentally misunderstands the purpose of the judiciary. The courts are not tasked with doing what is “best” for the country — certainly not if “best” means allowing a president to retain the power to implement tariffs based on foreign TV commercials he dislikes or the “tone of voice” a foreign leader uses.
The judiciary is instead tasked with interpreting and applying the law — nothing more, nothing less. Republicans who stood and applauded Trump’s patently unconstitutional view of the courts should be ashamed. The Founding Fathers, who instituted our ingenious system of checks and balances, would surely be ashamed of them.
Bethany Mandel, Restoring America contributor:
One word defined the State of the Union: patriotism. As America approaches its 250th anniversary, the theme was unapologetically American — honoring real heroes, from the man who saved campers at Camp Mystic to members of the men’s Olympic hockey team. They weren’t partisan symbols — they were national ones.
At one point, Trump joked that he’d even managed to get a few Democrats to stand — though notably, some couldn’t bring themselves to applaud even for Olympians. The speech wasn’t divisive — it was a dare: In the face of American excellence, can you refuse to clap?
Tom Rogan, foreign policy writer and editor:
Trump rightly celebrated the dividends of his pressure campaign against Latin American drug cartels. This effort is bearing some significant results, including last Sunday’s U.S.-enabled Mexican special forces operation against El Mencho, the Osama bin Laden of the Mexican drug trade.
While foolish American drug users must bear responsibility for the profit incentive they provide to these groups, the cartels deserve everything Trump is giving them. These criminals export misery abroad and purvey bloody chaos and endemic corruption in their home nations. Trump deserves credit for his limited but decisive applications of force against them.
