Clevelandurbannews.com and Kathywraycolemanonlinenewsblog.com
By Kathy Wray Coleman, editor, associate publisher
WASHINGTON, D.C.- President Donald Trump addressed a joint and sometimes hostile chamber of Congress Tuesday night, delivering his first State of the Union since taking office in January of 2025 for a second non-consecutive term.
The president's speech came on the heels of a stinging U.S. Supreme Court decision that struck down many of his actions on tariffs and sent him reeling against the Justices who decided against him, whom he has since branded "dumb and stupid."
The Republican president, whose disapproval rating on the economy is at 57%, according to some polls, appeared relaxed at 79 years old and opened his hour and 48 min. speech by saying America is back as Republican lawmakers chanted "USA," "USA."
Fewer people were there, and the response was starkly different from his first address to a joint chamber of Congress in January of 2025, when angry Democrats began chanting and shouting, prompting House Speaker Mike Johnson to direct the Sgt. at Arms to "restore order." And some Democrats were escorted out of the chamber, while a few walked out in disgust.
This year, Democrats, a great many of them, boycotted the event in unison, including House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, who is the first Black in that role. Those who were there looked uncomfortable, some getting into a shouting match with the president at times, with Trump at one point saying the Democrats are no good and "crazy."
Rep. Al Green roamed the chamber with a protest sign that read "Black people are not apes," referencing Trump's previous controversial comment that Barack and Michelle Obama, who are Black, are apes, a comment deemed racist that went viral and upset the Dems.
Trump bragged about himself for most of his speech, and he took aim at the nation's most vulnerable, saying he and his fellow Republicans had properly targeted DEI (Diversity, Equity and Inclusion)
"We ended DEI in America," the president said, adding that he had stopped Food Stamps, too, though the latter is simply not true.
He spent too much time, pundits said, on complimenting himself and others he had invited to attend, rather than focusing on any true and effective policy changes. While he recognized a range of people there, from the U.S. Men's Hockey Team for a gold medal at the 2026 Winter Olympics, to civilians and military personnel, none of those recognized were Black, possibly by design, critics said.
Some of the president's speech, which was boring at times, was laced with lies, pundits said afterwards, including what he said he would do in the future to improve America. It was disingenuous, they said, for Trump to take credit for improvements in some of the nation's cities that were done by local mayors, many of them Democrats and Black.
Other issues addressed by the president during his State of the Union on Tuesday night include:
New Tax Cuts: Called for additional personal and corporate tax cuts, likely through the budget reconciliation process.
- Rate-Payer Protection Plan: Proposed that AI and tech companies pay higher electricity costs to prevent price spikes for residential customers living near large data centers.
- Cost of Living: Highlighted efforts to lower the cost of prescription drugs and touted the benefits of the "no tax on tips" policy.
- Tariffs: Addressed the recent Supreme Court ruling that struck down some of his previous sweeping tariffs.
- Border Security: Highlighted what he says is a significant drop in illegal border crossings over the past year.
- Crime: Discussed falling murder rates and overall efforts to reduce crime and drug overdoses.
- Iran: Discussed potential military action or deals as the U.S. weighs strikes against the country's nuclear program.
- Global Wins: Claimed success in brokering a ceasefire in Gaza, capturing Nicolás Maduro in Venezuela, and increasing NATO defense spending.
- China & Taiwan: Vowed to continue the "America First" stance on trade and technology competition.
Kathy Wray Coleman is a longtime Cleveland journalist, blogger, and digital and investigative reporter, and a seasoned community activist and community organizer.
Clevelandurbannews.com and Kathywraycolemanonlinenewsblog.com are the most-read Black digital newspaper and blog in Ohio. Tel. 216-659-0473. Email-editor@clevelandurbannews.com
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