By Navya Pandit
President Donald Trump delivered his State of the Union address on Feb. 24, breaking the record for the longest in U.S. history.
Trump addressed issues such as the economy and immigration and spoke optimistically about the country’s future and the direction of his administration. However, not everyone agreed with his message.
“I saw it as an attempt to fluff up the culture war and the position of the Republican Party,” said Miranda Christy, a history graduate student.
George Washington delivered the first State of the Union address in 1790. The president delivers a constitutional, annual speech delivered to Congress on the nation’s condition and outlines policy proposals for the upcoming legislative year.
This address shifted away from the traditional format of addressing key issues of the country. In the speech, Trump spoke about accomplishments, which painted a positive picture of the U.S. and also geared most of his policies to his supporters, rather than engaging in bipartisan efforts.
Michael Ross, a history professor, spoke about his impression of the speech.
“The State of the Union has become much more of just a partisan affair designed to embarrass the opposing party, criticize the Supreme Court, and occasionally, all the recent ones, people shouting at one another,” Ross said.
Alexander Randle-Johnson, a junior government and politics major and member of UMD College Democrats, shared a similar sentiment and said that previous State of the Union speeches focused on calls for unity, with former President George W. Bush attempting to unite Americans after 9/11 and former President Joe Biden after COVID-19. Randle-Johnson described this speech as “a drastic shift” and “a campaign rally”.
One moment during the speech, Trump asked members of Congress to stand up if they agreed that the “first duty of the American public is to protect US citizens, not illegal aliens.” Most Republicans stood in support, while many Democrats, including Representative Ilhan Omar, remained seated in opposition. In response, Trump told Democrats that they should be “ashamed” of themselves and also called the Supreme Court’s decision to strike down his tariffs “very unfortunate.”
He also drew attention to other attendees in the crowd by honoring members of the U.S. Men’s Hockey Team with a standing ovation and announcing that he will present goalie Connor Hellebuyck with the Presidential Medal of Freedom, along with awarding other accolades to various officials involved in the armed forces.
While many saw this as a memorable and commendable part of his speech, others saw it as a distraction from the issues that Trump needed to address to the public.
“He doesn’t talk about the issues that people care about. He’s just there to wow people up,” Randle-Johnson said.
Randle-Johnson said that Trump refuses to acknowledge the truth, often contesting the legitimacy of the 2020 election and “spewing alternate facts that aren’t true.” He also noted the current rise in conservatism, calling it “deeply concerning,” with the rise in anti-immigrant, anti-people of color and anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric in the country.
As for the remainder of the Trump administration and the future of both parties, it remains fairly uncertain what it will look like. However, one thing is certain: with upcoming primary elections and Americans grappling with a new era of politics, members of both parties will be paying close attention to see how things unfold.
Featured Image: The Maryland state flag flies beneath the moon. Photo by Anika Stikeleather.