I made the mistake of watching Trump’s address to Congress live on a sunny afternoon here in Sydney, as if I had anything better to do with my time than subject myself to that circus. I mean who needs a relaxing day in the sun when you could instead watch a man who’s spent the last decade setting new records in political self-service, painting himself orange everyday (how does he always miss the same spots) and shameless grandstanding? Naturally, I found myself overly frustrated and borderline hypnotized, but at the same time, I couldn’t stop watching. My wife, an Aussie, had so many questions about everything going on, but she was proving to be a distraction from the distraction (I’m a good husband, I swear!).
Let’s be clear: there were no major policy announcements. Surprise, surprise. No groundbreaking ideas to move the country forward. Just the usual superlative-laden, self-serving campaign speech that was about as appropriate for a sitting President as wearing a clown costume (and face paint) to the Oval Office. Trump has mastered the art of using a prime-time address to pump his ego, and this speech was no exception. If you were hoping for any moment of leadership or substance, well, better luck next time. HOWEVER, in a twist of irony (I need to be careful, IRONy could soon subject to tariffs), Trump did say something that might actually make the court battles against DOGE just a little simpler.
As always, there were plenty of half-truths, twisted facts, and painfully simplistic arguments, most of which were aimed at blaming the Biden administration for everything under the sun. Don’t get me wrong it’s absolutely acceptable to blame the previous administration for a few lingering issues, but when you spend the entire speech playing the blame game while simultaneously declaring that you’re running the “greatest presidency ever” in history… well, it doesn’t exactly inspire confidence, does it? But let’s not get bogged down by facts. The Trump Show must go on.
So, with that in mind, here are a few things that really stuck out to me during this display of political self-worship and delusion.
The Law and Order Hypocrisy: Featuring a Fallen NYPD Officer’s Widow
First, there’s Trump’s shameless feature of a fallen NYPD officer’s widow. Oh, yes. In true Trump fashion, he dragged out the widow of a law enforcement officer who died in the line of duty as a prop for his own self-promotion. This wasn’t about honouring the officer’s sacrifice; it was about using the woman’s grief to build some feel-good optics for his speech. Never waste a tragic moment if you’re trying to draw people’s attention away from what’s happening in your administration, right?
Then, of course, Trump proceeded to double down on his support for tougher laws against those who assault or kill law enforcement officers. You could hear the applause from the Republican side of the aisle as he delivered that little nugget of “we’re tough on crime” rhetoric. But here’s the catch: just a few weeks ago, he pardoned a bunch of January 6 participants who assaulted law enforcement officers during the Capitol riot. These were the brave men and women who were literally defending the heart of American democracy. But hey, let’s all forget about that little detail because it doesn’t fit with the narrative he’s trying to sell.
It was a slap in the face to those officers and their families. I mean, really, how do you look the widow a slain officer in the eye knowing you just pardoned people who have no remorse for what they did to the police? I guess in Trump’s world, as long as you’re supporting him, no rules apply. I’m still waiting for the Executive Order where he issues the most incredible black or brown uniforms the world has ever seen to the Oath Keepers and Proud Boys. I’m sure the European history enthusiasts will catch the reference.
Government Censorship or Just More Trumpian Contradictions?
Then, we got to the part about Trump claiming to be the great liberator who will end government censorship. Cue roaring applause from the Republican side. Because nothing says “freedom” like getting cheered on for claiming you’ll put an end to something that you’ve been doing the entire time you were in office. But sure, let’s all pretend the man who wanted to open up libel laws so he could sue the media into oblivion is suddenly leading the charge against censorship.
Let’s get real for a second, though. How on Earth can Trump claim to end government censorship when, under his administration, agencies like the Associated Press were banned from participating in the White House press pool? All because the AP still refers to the Gulf of Mexico instead of the “Gulf of America” or whatever Trump’s excuse was. No, no. The real reason was that they weren’t saying very nice things about him. They had the audacity to question his policies, and so, in typical Trump fashion, he shut them down. But sure, let’s all pretend this is a man committed to ending government censorship.
At least Congressman Al Green had the guts to objec, though let’s be real, he might have just been looking for an excuse to escape. Either way, he managed to get ejected, which technically makes him the biggest winner of the night. The real kicker? Al Green faced more consequences for daring to push back in Congress than most of the rioters did on January 6th. But hey, in MAGA Land, double standards aren’t a bug, they’re a feature
Misinformation, Lies, and DOGE: Oh My!
Trump, of course, couldn’t let a good PR opportunity go by without celebrating the accomplishments of DOGE. Yes, the same DOGE that has taken the nation by storm with its totally legitimate and not-at-all participating in a huge conflict of interest by flipping of switches to government agencies and is definitely led by some woman named Amy Gleason . Trump couldn’t resist pushing misinformation once again, this time regarding fraud in the Social Security Administration. He casually threw out this claim, even though it’s been debunked about a million times. But why let the truth get in the way of a good soundbite, right?
And, of course, the big reveal, the “Einhorn is Finkle” moment, he managed to toss in his favorite special advisor and only special advisor: Elon Musk. Trump not only acknowledged Musk’s involvement with DOGE, but he did so in the most offhand way possible, by saying he is the HEAD OF DOGE. I couldn’t help but giggle when I thought about all the Department of Justice lawyers who’ve recently had to defend DOGE in court, claiming Musk isn’t the head of DOGE. I could almost hear the collective “oh shit” muttered here in Sydney when Trump dropped that little gem. It was almost like they had a moment of realisation: “Wait, we’ve been doing all this work to cover up the truth, and now the former president just casually spills it on live TV?” Classic Trump.
The Cult of Trump: “Saved by God” to Make America Great Again
As if the rest of the speech wasn’t enough, Trump ended with one of his most cringe-worthy moments yet. He stated, yet again, for the ump-teenth time that he had been “saved by God” to make America great again. And no, like the times before, this wasn’t a humble, “Hey, I almost died, but I’m here now and I’ve learned a lot” kind of statement. Nope. This was the “God wanted me here because I’m the best president ever” kind of statement. That’s right, folks. According to Trump, America is lucky to have him. After all, who else would be capable of bringing this country back from the brink of disaster? Certainly not George Washington, according to Trump, Washington has only had the second greatest presidency behind Trump’s last few weeks as president. Fuck that guy. Trump’s the true savior.
It was borderline cult-like, and I half-expected him to pull out a golden idol and lead the crowd in a chant of “Make America Great Again, Forever!” The man genuinely believes he’s some sort of divine intervention in human form. It was uncomfortable to watch, but like everything else Trump does, it was somehow mesmerizing in its absurdity.
TL;DR: More of the Same, Just Louder
So, to sum up this particular spectacle of narcissism and political theater: It was more of the same. Same half-truths, same Biden-blaming, and same oversimplified villainization of the so-called “swamp” that Trump is supposedly draining (but never really does). If anything it seems like Trump is trying to turn the “swamp” into a hot tub for him, Elon, and select few other mates. It’s the same performance we’ve seen for the past several years, but louder, more absurd, and now with a healthier dose of divine delusion. Trump is good at catering his rhetoric to the lowest common denominator of American intelligence, and he’s got the base to prove it. Because if you don’t understand the issues at hand, it’s all too easy to turn everything into a conspiracy. And that’s the Trump specialty: creating an alternate reality where facts don’t matter, and his followers never have to question anything.
If you’re in the Trump camp, congratulations. You’ve got a leader who will give you exactly what you want to hear, regardless of the facts. But for the rest of us who still care about things like truth and actual policy, it’s going to be a long few years.