The State of the Union Speech was pretty much a theatre of the absurd, but it also showed the true colors of everyone involved. As a speech goes, regardless of the content, it was very good on rhetoric. With plenty of theatrics that only a reality game show host could muster, it very likely gave Trump a bump in the ratings, for now. Let’s just wait for his post-acquittal speech where he’s likely to claim himself St. Donald, martyred by the Radical Left Socialist Democrats.
There were of course moments that were bi-partisan, for good or bad. Highlighting the Tuskegee Airman and his great-grandson could have occurred under any president. He gave a scholarship to a young African American girl, and talked about issues that crossed party lines, like planting trees, drug price reduction, and saving Social Security, none of which his administration has ever advocated and often fought for the opposite. Two of the most disgusting moments of bi-partisanship was the awarding of the Medal of Freedom to Rush Limbaugh and the standing ovation for Guiado, the usurper of power in Venezuela, and leader of the coup against the elected government.
Rush Limbaugh has been a radio voice for the ultra-right for decades. He has personified hate speech by employing outright crudeness, racism, misogyny, xenophobia, and fascism on the air and for this he was given a standing ovation by a majority of the House, including Democrats. In a way, the full House was giving Trump the ovation as his thoughts and actions mirror that of Limbaugh’s. This shows all of their true colors.
America pretends to be a voice for freedom and self-determination all over the world, except that it isn’t. In the chamber was Juan Guaido, who attempted to overthrow the democratically elected president of Venezuela, and just recently snubbed by the EU. Led by Nancy Pelosi, the entire House gave him the respect that could only be offered by a fascist assembly.
Every president lies or exaggerates during a State of the Union Address but true to form, very little of what Trump said last night was truthful. So many of his ‘successes’ were continuations of the previous administration, which he derided throughout the speech. His numbers were cooked, and of course left out what any of it meant. For example, yes the stock market is on the rise. But that only means rich people are getting richer, and nearly half of all Americans don’t even have stocks, let alone enough to make any real difference in their lives. Nancy Pelosi, in a moment of extreme anger and frustration, tore up his speech at the end, calling it a ‘manifestation of mistruths’.
As the saying goes, ‘this is not going to end well.’ Trump will be on a roll, given a rousing speech to his base and blasting the Democrats at every turn, continuing with today’s speech on his acquittal by the Senate, Pelosi and the Democrats, with egg on their faces for their debacle in Iowa, and the campaign continuing next week in New Hampshire; all point to several more months of mutual animosities, distrust, divisiveness, and outright fear of what an unleashed President Trump will do.
• First published 0n PressTV