Step away from the television. In fact, turn the television off. Doctors have determined that there is no safe way to watch a Donald Trump State of the Union address. So let us watch it for you, from deep in our lead-lined news bunker, and we’ll report here (using our new high-speed semaphore) for as long as we can hold out.
Any minute now, Trump is going to step into the House chambers for the 2019 State of the Union address. Democrats will sit politely. Republicans will do a lot of cheering and hand-shaking, though many are probably more excited about their chance to grab the pump handle of good old Brett Kavanaugh than they are about hearing another Trump rally speech.
What will Trump say? He will say he’s great. He’s done more than Lincoln, Alexander, and God, and he did it while getting in 156 golf trips. And Trump will say that racism is gone, every black or brown person loves him, and we should absolutely invest billions in a monument to racist xenophobia. To support this, he will return to the Golden Escalator Rule—complaining about criminals and violence, all of which he will assert rolls over the southern border. Except that it doesn’t.
And the real question of the night: National emergency, or national emergency lite? Brace yourself.
Wednesday, Feb 6, 2019 · 1:47:27 AM +00:00
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Mark Sumner
One line the White House didn’t pump in their release, but which is circulating from the speech is one that’s a whole lot less bipartisan.
- "No issue better illustrates the divide between America’s WORKING CLASS & America’s POLITICAL CLASS than illegal immigration. Wealthy politicians and donors push for open borders while living their lives behind walls and gates and guards."
Wednesday, Feb 6, 2019 · 1:54:42 AM +00:00
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Mark Sumner
Word from several sources is that the bipartisan conference committee has been making progress in their negotiations. Apparently Republicans have found something that interests Democrats sufficiently that Democrats are close to a package on border security that includes some barriers. The question tonight is if Trump is going to blow up any progress and so salt the earth that no compromise is possible.
Wednesday, Feb 6, 2019 · 1:58:26 AM +00:00
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Mark Sumner
For those gloriously unaware, the QAnon crowd is convinced that Ruth Bader Ginsberg is secretly dead. It’s unclear what record they played backwards to receive this news, but RBG’s non-presence at the SOTU is bringing them to conspiratorial frenzy. Please, no one tell them that this is the third SOTU in a row that Ginsberg has decided to skip.
Wednesday, Feb 6, 2019 · 1:44:29 AM +00:00
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Mark Sumner
The White House has released some snippets from Trump’s speech — at least, from the speech as written. These are clearly the phrases the White House would like to see as the focus, and wants to appear in media coverage. However, the fact that these bits are so small indicates that are significant portions of the speech that likely do not match this tone. In several cases these aren’t even complete sentences, so it’s hard to know how they will fit in context.
- “The agenda I will lay out this evening is not a Republican Agenda or a Democrat Agenda. It is the agenda of the American People.”
- “In the 20th century, America saved freedom, transformed science, and redefined the middle class standard of living for the entire world to see. Now, we must step boldly and bravely into the next chapter of this Great American Adventure, and we must create a new standard of living for the 21st century.”
- “Together, we can break decades of political stalemate. We can bridge old divisions, heal old wounds, build new coalitions, forge new solutions, and unlock the extraordinary promise of America’s future. The decision is ours to make.”
- “Over the last two years, my administration has moved with urgency and historic speed to confront problems neglected by leaders of BOTH parties over many decades.”
- “We have a moral duty to create an immigration system that protects the lives and jobs of our citizens.”
- “No issue better illustrates the divide between America’s WORKING CLASS and America’s POLITICAL CLASS than illegal immigration. Wealthy politicians and donors push for open borders while living their lives behind walls and gates and guards.”
- “All Americans can be proud that we have more women in the workforce than ever before...”
- “To build on our incredible economic success, one priority is paramount: reversing decades of calamitous trade policies.”
- “Both parties should be able to unite for a great rebuilding of America’s crumbling infrastructure.”
- “It is unacceptable that Americans pay vastly more than people in other countries for the exact same drugs, often made in the exact same place. This is wrong, unfair, and together we can stop it.”
- “We stand with the Venezuelan people in their noble quest for freedom…”
- “As a candidate for President, I pledged a new approach. Great nations do not fight endless wars.”
- “We will not avert our eyes from a regime that chants Death to America and threatens genocide against the Jewish People”