I watched the entire speech, which rather surprised me, but I'm glad I did. Clearly, the president is afraid his base is deserting him, and he needs to shore it up. I hope the Democrats watch this speech carefully and see what vulnerabilities he has.
The thing that disturbed me the most was his awarding two Medals of Honor during what was a nakedly partisan event. Those two men deserved to receive their awards from the president himself, not his wife or some general, and the each deserved ceremonies of their own in the White House. I'm sure many of their families and friends could not be accommodated in the Capitol. Moreover, using these brave men as part of his political event diminishes both their extraordinary accomplishments. Maybe I'm sensitive to this because I'm retired from the Army and served in the Gulf War in an armored division. It's also not lost on me that the president used this moment to describe his own wish that he could get the Medal of Honor--I'm sure one of his sycophants will introduce a bill or resolution to do just that.
It also bothers me that using the brave pilot to celebrate the capture of Venezuela's Maduro, when he pardoned another Latin American ruler who'd been convicted of drug dealing, as well as his many recent pardons of other drug dealers, is the height of hypocrisy. You'd think his supporters would agree.
I, too, watched the entire speech, such as it was. I was quite bored by the time it was half over. I applaud the military men who received their medals. I agree that it should’ve been a ceremony at the White House honoring them, not on a stage that glorifies Trump.
Trump once again shows the world he is not adept at clear thinking. He engages constantly
in “ either/ or” solutions. He has limited knowledge of history, yet spouts falsehoods continuously, provoking rather than trying to find common ground. He bullies, name calls and threatens as he is well aware of his limited intellectual capabilities. He uses theatre rather than factual information. He is threatened by disagreement and refuses to concede any truth spoken by a political opponent. Finally, he takes everything personally, which limits his judgment and corrodes his credibility and character.
Tellingly, the first sentence out of his mouth was a lie. His economy is not as strong as the economy the Biden administration left him, and his tariff regime has made it worse. The Supreme Court offered him a way not to lose face and back down; instead, he doubled down and praised tariffs as a means to replace the progressive income tax system.
Just my humble opinion, but there is no reason for a "state-of-tbe-union" speech. Last night's speech was nothing more then a "MEGA" pep rally. According to the United States census bureau, of the 73.6% people registered to vote, only 65.3% voted. Of the 65.3%, Mr. Trump received 49.8%, and Me Harris 48.3% of the votes. It seems to this old hermit, that the people that didn't vote are the majority and not Trump's MEGA followers. Just the rambling thoughts of an old an old sailor. (Hope I haven't upset anyone. )
If we are basing who we decide our Government representatives are at all levels (local, state, federal) on how they “perform” or how many clicks they get, we are screwed.
I watched the entire speech, which rather surprised me, but I'm glad I did. Clearly, the president is afraid his base is deserting him, and he needs to shore it up. I hope the Democrats watch this speech carefully and see what vulnerabilities he has.
The thing that disturbed me the most was his awarding two Medals of Honor during what was a nakedly partisan event. Those two men deserved to receive their awards from the president himself, not his wife or some general, and the each deserved ceremonies of their own in the White House. I'm sure many of their families and friends could not be accommodated in the Capitol. Moreover, using these brave men as part of his political event diminishes both their extraordinary accomplishments. Maybe I'm sensitive to this because I'm retired from the Army and served in the Gulf War in an armored division. It's also not lost on me that the president used this moment to describe his own wish that he could get the Medal of Honor--I'm sure one of his sycophants will introduce a bill or resolution to do just that.
It also bothers me that using the brave pilot to celebrate the capture of Venezuela's Maduro, when he pardoned another Latin American ruler who'd been convicted of drug dealing, as well as his many recent pardons of other drug dealers, is the height of hypocrisy. You'd think his supporters would agree.
I, too, watched the entire speech, such as it was. I was quite bored by the time it was half over. I applaud the military men who received their medals. I agree that it should’ve been a ceremony at the White House honoring them, not on a stage that glorifies Trump.
Trump once again shows the world he is not adept at clear thinking. He engages constantly
in “ either/ or” solutions. He has limited knowledge of history, yet spouts falsehoods continuously, provoking rather than trying to find common ground. He bullies, name calls and threatens as he is well aware of his limited intellectual capabilities. He uses theatre rather than factual information. He is threatened by disagreement and refuses to concede any truth spoken by a political opponent. Finally, he takes everything personally, which limits his judgment and corrodes his credibility and character.
Tellingly, the first sentence out of his mouth was a lie. His economy is not as strong as the economy the Biden administration left him, and his tariff regime has made it worse. The Supreme Court offered him a way not to lose face and back down; instead, he doubled down and praised tariffs as a means to replace the progressive income tax system.
Just my humble opinion, but there is no reason for a "state-of-tbe-union" speech. Last night's speech was nothing more then a "MEGA" pep rally. According to the United States census bureau, of the 73.6% people registered to vote, only 65.3% voted. Of the 65.3%, Mr. Trump received 49.8%, and Me Harris 48.3% of the votes. It seems to this old hermit, that the people that didn't vote are the majority and not Trump's MEGA followers. Just the rambling thoughts of an old an old sailor. (Hope I haven't upset anyone. )
Thank you Gabe for watching, listening and analyzing so that I didn’t have to!
If we are basing who we decide our Government representatives are at all levels (local, state, federal) on how they “perform” or how many clicks they get, we are screwed.
I’d love to see this become a reality: banning investment firms from buying single-family homes
Is there any chance this is a reality? What a great opportunity for smart legislation.
Good speech.
Thank you for thus. I never watch SOTU speeches and I have faith that your summary gives me as much information as I need.
Your quoted statistic that 36% of Americans trust NEITHER major party to improve the economy (opposed to 27% each) really brightened my day!
Gabe - Thank you, as always for your concise reporting.