Trump Attempted Poetry in His State of the Union. Instead, We Got a Salesman's Tired Patter.

"He handed out Purple Hearts, a Legion of Merit, and two Congressional Medals of Honor, although he subcontracted one of the latter awards to his wife. Tom Nichols of The Atlantic has the right of it. This wasn't a presidential address. It was some weird combination of a game show and the old Jerry Lewis Labor Day Telethon."

"Except for the shards of what passes for public policy in this administration, which were the usual poisonous stew of arrant bullshit and xenophobic detritus, and not funny at all. He bathed himself in the blood of crime victims, over and over again. He pulled a skeevy little stunt by asking the Democrats to stand in support of his murderous immigration campaign."

The State of the Union address operated more as a game show than traditional presidential address, with extensive medal ceremonies including the Presidential Medal of Freedom awarded to Connor Hellebuyck. The president distributed Purple Hearts, Legion of Merit awards, and Congressional Medals of Honor while his wife received one such honor. The substantive policy content consisted of xenophobic immigration rhetoric and appeals to crime victims' suffering. The president requested Democratic support for his immigration campaign and criticized their patriotism when they refused to participate. The address combined entertainment spectacle with divisive political messaging, prioritizing performative gestures over substantive governance.

Read at Esquire