Less than two months into his return to the Oval Office, Donald Trump staged another victory rally. This time, it was at the Capitol, where he had been inaugurated not long ago. He celebrated triumph over Joe Biden, and gloated over foreign detractors and even allies like Canada in his address to a joint session of Congress. Trump was quick to glorify his ‘swift and resolute action’, arguing that he surpassed all previous Presidents, including the iconic George Washington, with his early moves.
Trump’s speech was packed with words, setting a new record for the longest Presidential address to Congress, surpassing Bill Clinton’s already-extensive discourse in 2000. Despite its length, the address revealed little that was new. The only ripple of excitement came when Al Green, a Texan Democrat, was ejected due to his protest. Trump didn’t elaborate on his drastic break from America’s traditional allies or his attacks on the domestic federal system.
Rather than explaining his radical strategies, Trump preferred to reiterate catchy phrases from his campaign rallies and throw jabs at his predecessor, who he labeled as ‘the worst President in American history’. A lot of what Trump said was indeed provocative, radical, and hazardous. Unfortunately, these incendiary tactics have become a boring norm, a standard amalgam of boasting and self-misery, partisan hostility, and audacious deceit.
Within only six weeks, Trump had amassed a rather unique achievement list, owed in part to letting the world’s wealthiest man wreak havoc with the federal government. This act resulted in the slashing of hundreds of thousands of federal jobs, the defiance of Congress through the cancellation of federal programs and contracts amounting in billions, and a reckless rampage through the second Trump Administration.
Such actions have already affected a range of areas, from park rangers in America’s cherished national parks to the very foundations of the decades-old Transatlantic alliance. If one only listened to Trump’s lengthy rhetoric, filled with mainstream controversial talking points and macho American exceptionalism, they’d be ignorant of these shocking facts.
Trump’s discourse was far from Biden’s routine technocratic summaries. Trump’s only significant legislative proposal for his second term was to make the tax cuts permanent – a move that Republicans in Congress had already championed during his first term. His grand declarations during the speech included the plan to establish an ‘Office of Shipbuilding’ in the White House, along with a promise to equalize the federal budget.
The theatrical pageantry of the evening comprised Trump’s signing of an executive order to rename a national wildlife haven. This renaming gesture was made to honor a murdered 12-year-old victim, a 13-year-old cancer survivor, and a young man who learned of his acceptance to West Point. However, these dramatic acts could not outshine the inherent sense of disorder spurred by Trump’s policies—whether he acknowledged them or not.
On the very day of the speech, global financial markets took a hit as Trump’s long-threatened 25% tariffs on Canada and Mexico were rolled out. Trudeau’s desperate appeal spotlighted the collective perplexity – how could one individual single-handedly create so much turmoil globally? And what provoked Trump to reconfigure the equation with Canada, turning a longtime companion into a rival?
Despite being the architect of this bewildering shift, Trump was unable to provide a logical reasoning. In his speech though, he delved into an almost lyrical tribute to tariffs, hailing them as potent instruments of national strength. Regarding the geopolitical fallout of antagonizing America’s allies, abandoning Ukraine, and reshaping U.S. foreign policy, he remained largely silent.
On the brink of his address, the Trump Administration disclosed that all remaining aid to Ukraine would be immediately suspended. This move further exemplified Trump’s arbitrary and unpredictable approach to international relations, an approach that seemed to be shaped more by personal ambition than diplomatic prerogative.
Trump’s public image, per FiveThirtyEight’s analysis, had a net unfavorability rating of almost two per cent. This places Trump as the least popular President in contemporary history at this stage, closely followed by his own first term. Not only was Trump unpopular, but he’d also managed to become the face of division in America.
Strangely, despite these significant drawbacks and the polarizing nature of his presidency, Trump seemed to perceive himself in a positive light. This distorted self-view kept fueling his audacious defiance of traditional diplomatic stances and persisted in undermining his own government’s institutional framework.
The unprecedented impact of Trump’s administration on the lives of ordinary Americans was brushed aside in favor of pompous boasting and indulgence in self-praise. Not only did he belittle the consequences of his rash decisions, but he also used the platform to prepare a divisive ground for his second tenure.
The implications of his actions, especially the casual severance of long-standing alliances and dismissal of established diplomatic practices, remained unaddressed throughout his speech. Instead, his rhetoric was filled with hollow promises and standard-issue talking points, presenting a facade of strength while ignoring the catastrophic reality.
In conclusion, Trump’s grandstanding speech to Congress, replete with sparky buzzwords and self-aggrandizing rhetoric, painted a distorted picture of his administration’s achievements. The truth behind the scenes told a starkly different story – one of internal divisions, broken alliances, and flippant resignations toward traditional diplomatic protocols.
More concerning, however, is the continued pattern of dismissing these disruptive tactics as mundane. As long as this continues, there is a risk of normalizing an approach to leadership that prioritizes personal ego over national wellbeing, causing untold harm to America’s international relations and domestic affairs.