Donald Trump’s longest-ever State of the Union address drew 27.8 million viewers across seven broadcast and cable outlets, preliminary Nielsen data showed, a 12% audience drop from Trump’s speech last year, the Hollywood Reporter reports.
Trump Attacks Robert De Niro
President Trump attacked Robert De Niro as a “sick and demented person with, I believe, an extremely Low IQ” after the actor said that Trump is “destroying” the country, Variety reports.
The State of the Union Revealed a Sad Reality
David Frum: “The most radical fantasy in the speech was its claims of a new golden age of prosperity. That misstatement surely deceived nobody. Prices continue to rise; the job market stagnates. In almost every way that can be measured, Americans are communicating economic anxiety and discontent. Trump insisted that they are all wrong.”
“It is as if the nation were being soaked by a torrential downpour, water rolling over umbrellas and into boats, soaking everyone’s clothes—and the leader whose job it is to lead them through the deluge insists that it is not raining at all, that in fact it is sunny, the sunniest day ever.”
Americans Are Leaving the U.S. in Record Numbers
“In its 250th year, is America, land of immigration, becoming a country of emigration?,” the Wall Street Journal reports.
“Last year the U.S. experienced something that hasn’t definitively occurred since the Great Depression: More people moved out than moved in. The Trump administration has hailed the exodus—negative net migration—as the fulfillment of its promise to ramp up deportations and restrict new visas. Beneath the stormy optics of that immigration crackdown, however, lies a less-noticed reversal: America’s own citizens are leaving in record numbers, replanting themselves and their families in lands they find more affordable and safe.”
Trump Gives Congress Zero to Do Before Midterms
“President Donald Trump sketched out his vision Tuesday night of Republican governance heading into the midterms. Congress is barely in the picture,” Politico reports.
“From a legislative perspective, Trump’s State of the Union address was notable for what it didn’t include. He gave Republicans a pass on trying to revive his global tariff campaign after a major Supreme Court setback. He didn’t demand another party-line domestic policy bill before November, and he even skipped a jab at one of his favorite punching bags, the Senate filibuster.”
“Instead, Trump used the bulk of the speech to lean into red-meat issues like illegal immigration and gender-affirming health care, while encouraging lawmakers to tackle a few relatively minor topics — many of which have already been churning behind the scenes for months.”
Late Staffer’s Husband Calls Tony Gonzales a ‘Predator’
The husband of a late staffer to Rep. Tony Gonzales called the congressman a “predator,” and said that the Texas Republican has “continued to lie to the American people” amid affair allegations, CNN reports.
Trump Raises Fears He Will ‘Subvert’ Midterms
“Ahead of the midterm elections, an emboldened President Trump has shown an increased eagerness to leverage the full investigative, prosecutorial and legislative powers of the federal government to bend election mechanics to his will,” the New York Times reports.
“With his words and deeds, the president — who pushed to overturn his 2020 defeat but declared his 2024 victory legitimate — appears to be undermining Americans’ trust that the midterms will be free and fair.”
“As the political environment darkens for his party, Mr. Trump is again warning Republicans that Democrats are going to rig the results. At the same time, he is taking actions that make Democrats fear that Republicans are actually going to subvert the election.”
U.S. Deploys Jets to Israel for Potential Mission in Iran
“The U.S. has sent top-of-the-line fighters to Israel, marking the first time it has deployed combat aircraft to the country for a potential wartime mission as the two nations prepare to square off against Iran,” the Wall Street Journal reports.
“The deployment of the F-22 Raptors this week will enable the U.S. to better defend Israeli territory and American forces in the Middle East from Iranian retaliation should President Trump proceed with his threats to strike Tehran’s nuclear and missile programs. It will also provide the U.S. with an aircraft that could carry out offensive operations.”
Trump’s Third-Country Deportations Found Illegal
“A federal judge in Boston ruled Wednesday that the Trump administration’s policy of deporting undocumented immigrants to countries where they are not citizens is unconstitutional, saying the government must provide more time for people to legally challenge their removals over concerns that they could face imminent danger,” the Washington Post reports.
Democrats Hold Big Edge on Ethusiasm
Democrats hold a 14-point advantage when it comes to voter enthusiasm heading into the midterm elections, according to a new WaPo-ABC News-Ipsos poll.
It’s the largest advantage Democrats have had ahead of the midterms since 2006.
Johnson Warns Scandal Will ‘Play Out’ in GOP Primary
Speaker Mike Johnson has told Rep. Tony Gonzales (R-TX) “publicly and privately” that he must address the serious sexual harassment allegations he’s facing “head on with his constituents” — and that the scandal now will “play out” in his primary election six days from now, Politico reports.
Johnson has not, however, pulled his endorsement.
Surgeon General Nominee Sidesteps Questions on Vaccines
Dr. Casey Means, President Trump’s nominee for surgeon general, told senators on Wednesday that “anti-vaccine rhetoric has never been part of my message,” as she deflected questions about birth control, pesticides, vaccines, her finances and her use of a psychedelic drug, the New York Times reports.
Pennsylvanians Split on Josh Shapiro as President
A new Quinnipiac poll finds 40% of voters in the Keystone State think Gov. Josh Shapiro would make a good president, while 43% do not think he would make a good president, with 16% not offering an opinion.
Republican Leaders Continue Apace
Punchbowl News: “Now that the dust has settled on President Donald Trump’s State of the Union, Republicans have come to a quick conclusion: They’re just going to go about their business as planned.”
“In the 107-minute address, Trump didn’t direct Congress to do much of anything, which is quite unusual for the State of the Union.”
“So Republican leadership is just going to continue doing exactly what it was doing. No redirection. Nothing terribly new.”
Said Speaker Mike Johnson: “I mean, it’s full steam ahead for us. We’re going to continue with our agenda.”
Epstein Files Are Missing Claim Against Trump
“The vast trove of documents released by the Justice Department from its investigations into the convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein failed to include some key materials related to a woman who made an accusation against President Trump,” the New York Times reports.
“The materials are FBI memos summarizing interviews the bureau did in connection to claims made in 2019 by a woman who came forward after Mr. Epstein’s arrest to say she had been sexually assaulted by both Mr. Trump and the financier decades earlier, when she was a minor.”
“The existence of the memos was revealed in an index listing the investigative materials related to her account, which was publicly released.”
Larry Summers Will Resign From Harvard
“Former Harvard President Larry Summers will resign from his academic and faculty appointments at Harvard at the end of the academic year, relinquishing his University Professorship — Harvard’s highest faculty distinction — and remaining on leave until that time,” the Harvard Crimson reports.
“The resignation marks an extraordinary unraveling for Summers, long one of the most influential figures in American economics. His career spanned prize-winning research, service as United States Treasury Secretary, and the presidency of Harvard.”
“Summers’ standing began to collapse after a cache of emails disclosed in November revealed details of a long-standing personal relationship between Summers and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.”
Spy Agency Blocks Congress From Gabbard Intelligence
“The Trump administration told Congress it won’t share with lawmakers the classified intelligence that led to a whistleblower complaint against U.S. spy chief Tulsi Gabbard, citing presidential claims of executive privilege,” the Wall Street Journal reports.
Quote of the Day
“You fat sorry sack of shit, people hate you!”
— James Carville, riffing on Donald Trump for five minutes on his podcast.
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