The Far Left Falls Into President Trump’s Trap

Last night, President Donald Trump delivered his State of the Union address to Congress, and it seems like radical-Left Members of Congress played right into his hands.

For much of the night, the Left-leaning Members who bothered to show up at all – remained firmly planted in their seats while Republicans and guests in attendance stood and applauded throughout the evening.

You had walkouts and empty seats, but the visual of half the chamber sitting while the other half stood will live on in campaign ads for the next two years. It was almost as if the President had set the trap, and the Democrats willingly strolled right into it. They practically did the heavy lifting for him.

While you could argue he didn’t hit a home run, last night’s speech feels like a win for President Trump. And just as I’d say to anyone critical of how the men’s hockey team took the gold on Sunday, a win is a win.

As reported by Fox News:

President Donald Trump called on Democrats to stand up at his State of the Union address on Tuesday, asking them to show support for the principle that the American government has a greater obligation to its citizens than to people who have entered the country illegally.

“If you agree with this statement, then stand up and show your support,” Trump said. “The first duty of the American government is to protect American citizens.”

Amid Republican cheers that went on for over a minute and a half, Democrats remained seated.

“Isn’t that a shame?” Trump asked.

Trump ended the moment by asking Democrats to end sanctuary cities, areas where Democrat-led local governments have instructed their law enforcement to not cooperate with federal immigration enforcement efforts.

Commentators online marveled at Trump’s dare, calling it a made-for-TV scene.

“Trump just orchestrated a great midterm ad. A billion-dollar ad just wrote itself because they wouldn’t stand,” one observer said in a post to X.

Last night’s State of the Union ran a record-breaking one hour and 48 minutes – the longest in modern history. Yet this one felt tighter and a bit more scripted than previous addresses by President Trump.

Sure, there were a few Trumpisms early on, and what kind of Trump speech would it be if there weren’t? But overall, it was a fairly standard State of the Union. It just felt a little long. Trump even joked with the Olympic hockey team when he brought them out that they might want to get comfortable.

And honestly, that moment honoring the U.S. men’s hockey players was one of the true highlights of the night, both celebrating American victories and bringing some levity to an otherwise heavy speech. When he pivoted to the “We’re winning so much” line, the payoff was solid as he used it to reference the team. It worked. It was celebratory. It felt, dare I say, unifying?

There were moments where applause even crossed party lines, somewhat. From honoring victims of violence, celebrating athletes, to even talking of banning insider trading in Congress, some on the far Left managed to find their feet. But there were also moments when they chose a less dignified position, staying glued to their seats during emotional, individual human stories because their political orders demand uniform resistance.

Or worse, you had Members like Reps. Ilhan Omar (MN-5) and Rashida Tlaib (MI-13) heckling back during the President’s immigration remarks. And once again, Rep. Al Green (TX-9) desperately called attention to himself until he was escorted out, just like last time. An antic that’s getting old.

Despite their attempts to derail the address, the reality is, even according to post-speech polling shown on CNN – albeit their reporting had more disclaimers than a TV pharmaceutical ad – viewers who watched the speech were left with a more favorable feeling toward the President’s policy direction afterward.

No one is arguing that the President’s speech was perfect. There were economic proposals in there that weren’t exactly small-government conservative. There were moments that leaned more populist than traditional conservative orthodoxy.  

Today’s Sekulow broadcast included more analysis of last night’s State of the Union Address from President Trump, the response from the Left, and more.

Watch the full broadcast below: