By Jeffrey A. Rendall
Trump’s State of the Union Address should be geared towards convincing winnable voters
Four days before he’s set to deliver the first State of the Union Address of his second term (note: last year was called an address to a joint session of Congress, technically not a SOTU), President Donald J. Trump – and those advising him – may finally glimpse the first speck of light at the end of what must have seemed like a very long tunnel.
Of course, Trump himself probably doesn’t view it this way. In Trump’s ever-optimistic universe, the sun always shines as long as he’s calling the shots and his MAGA train is continuously moving forward, consuming miles and track along its way with unstoppable momentum. Nothing can impede it in his estimation.
Those who work to undermine Trump’s goals feel his wrath. We see it all the time.
This isn’t to argue that Trump couldn’t refine and hone his message to appeal to a larger segment of voters ahead of this year’s crucial midterms, but the chief executive’s demeanor never changes. Is this a good thing? You decide. Lately, I’ve repeatedly argued that small, barely perceptible alterations should be made to the president’s public relations modus operandi to elevate his overall approval numbers.
But Trump received good news on the economic front last week, signals that the vast expansion he’s long forecasted is on the doorstep of reality. Is it time to pop the champagne corks on Pennsylvania Avenue?
In an article titled, “Is the Trump economic boom here?”, the always insightful W. James Antle III wrote at the Washington Examiner:
“Trump’s job approval rating on the economy was just 40.5%, according to the RealClearPolitics polling average, while 55.9% disapprove. A Pew Research Center survey published earlier this month found 52% of U.S. adults say Trump’s economic policies have made conditions worse, with 28% say he’s made things better, and 19% who believe his policies have had no effect.
“If those numbers don’t improve soon, Republicans risk major losses in the midterm elections. The economy was Trump’s best issue for most of his first term, until the pandemic, and a major reason voters returned him to the White House in 2024. Exit polls found 53% trusted Trump more on the economy, while 46% picked former Vice President Kamala Harris, who replaced Biden as the Democratic nominee.
“Trump’s team is hopeful that [last] Wednesday’s numbers are just the first indication that his tax cuts, deregulation, and trade deals are about to improve the economy and public attitudes before voters head to the polls this year.”
This is an understatement. Trump and crew must be scanning the horizon for discernible signs that his policies have done/are doing what he’s promised they’d do, and he’s getting hammered by Democrats and the establishment media making all sorts of outlandish claims about economic collapse because only “the rich” have purportedly benefited from the surging economy, according to them.
Whatever happened to the old notion, “A rising tide lifts all boats”?
Last week’s jobs numbers boost was indeed welcome news for the administration and Republicans in Congress. Anything Trump and congressional message-shapers can use to refute the storm of fake media distortions is a good thing. The GOP’s public relations “counter-offensive” is likely set to begin, complete with a national stage – the State of the Union address – as a prime jumping-off point.
But here’s thinking Democrats won’t let Trump have his one-plus hours of unhindered TV coverage to talk about the improving employment situation, the stable inflation rate, the prospect of substantial tax return checks and a newly impervious border all by himself.
A few years ago, remember, Democrat women reps donned all white outfits to visually illustrate their assertion that Trump was a cad who oppressed the weaker sex. And senile Joe Biden – or his handlers – used his State of the Union speeches to advance the argument that the wealthy should be compelled to “pay their fair share” and that the economy would take off as soon as the drag from COVID wore down.
Biden wasn’t nearly the policy salesman Trump is, though. But there’s only so much a president can benefit from the annual national “show” because the nation has become tone-deaf to the same or similar pitches emanating from the standard sources. It’s the reason why positive statistics haven’t always helped Trump’s cause, because the average person doesn’t pay attention to what’s articulated by the news media and the political class.
Trump must find a way to get through to the potential doubters and not allow himself to be distracted by the turmoil and shouts coming from his opposition. Senile Joe Biden was frequently knocked off course by feedback from his Republican opponents. And Democrats are all so convinced that they’re so keen about everything that they won’t even listen to contrary opinions.
Therefore, Trump should rightfully be proud that signs are turning in the correct direction in the economy, but he must not make it appear as though he’s accepted credit for the whole package. His “Trump was right about everything” hats may contain a grain of truth, but he must realize that his SOTU address pitch is targeting just a few percentage points of voters positioned in the center of the political spectrum – the very people who are still open to persuasion and couldn’t care less about rhetoric or grandstanding or boasting about accomplishments that “normal” people can’t see.
In this sense, political promoting differs noticeably from business or for-profit marketing. Trump isn’t lobbying to win a contract or sell a product. He’s appealing to the common sense of American voters. The leftists already hate him. The left side of the House gallery might as well be completely empty on Tuesday night, because there’s nothing to be gained by entreating them.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and Senate Minority Leader “Chucky” Schumer won’t tear up the text of Trump’s speech like Nancy Pelosi did a few years ago at his final SOTU from his first term, but Democrats won’t stifle their displeasure at what Trump says, either. Trump could offer Democrats everything they ask for and they’d still oppose him; it’s their pre-determined selling ploy for voters.
Government hiring is down; is government really getting smaller?
One key takeaway from last week’s job-gain announcement was the fact the government is no longer hiring; in fact, the bureaucracy under Trump is shrinking. In some cases, substantially.
If the U.S. birth rate is getting so low that we’re no longer replacing ourselves in the demographic sense, government hiring has reached non-replacement level negative growth, with more and more government workers having accepted buy-outs offered by the Trump administration last year. Recall how Democrats and the establishment media spun the hubbub over DOGE and Elon Musk in a doomsday-type light last year, but one apparently positive offshoot from the hysteria was it convinced many of the entrenched to up and leave.
Speaking of population growth, government hiring is one type of baby we’d be better off without.
And with the red-tape and regulation cutting Trump administration in charge, the president can rightfully assert that the private economy is more than making up for the shrinking openings to work for Uncle Sam.
Somewhat absent from the stats was also the fact that illegal alien labor isn’t required to fill openings, since aliens aren’t counted in the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ hiring and job-seeking trends. The unemployment rate actually fell last month, to 4.3 percent, which isn’t bad considering temporary and Christmas seasonal laborers would’ve needed to hunt for full-time situations after the holidays.
We might not be deporting the vast influx of illegals let-in under the Biden regime as fast as many of us would prefer, but Trump’s – and ICE’s – efforts to jettison criminal illegal aliens and the Department of Homeland Security’s mission to encourage self-deportation has also made a difference.
If Trump asks, “Are you better off than you were fourteen months ago?”, the answer should be an unequivocal “yes”.
Whether the American citizenry feels this way depends on their personal situations. Their answers, to be formally tallied in November, will determine if there really is a light at the end of the tunnel — or whether we’re destined to venture on in darkness.
Trump has a lot riding on the outcome of Tuesday Night’s speech. Here’s hoping he’s up to the moment.
Jeff Rendall is editor and publisher of GolfintheUSA.com and has written about golf and politics for over a quarter of a century. A non-practicing attorney from California, he moved to the east coast three decades ago to pursue and combine his interests in all things American history and culture. Jeff has worked as an intern on Capitol Hill and in various capacities in grassroots organizing and conservative organizations and publications, including a nearly two-decade stint at ConservativeHQ.com. Column republishing or other inquiries: Rendall@msn.com .