A State of Disunion

It’s not worth debating the so-called finer points of Donald Trump’s State of the Union address. To borrow from the fictional lawyer Vincent Gambini: “Everything that guy just said is bullshit.” When the president wasn’t inflating his accomplishments or sidestepping his failures, he was widening the divisions he has spent years cultivating. By now, the outrage cycle has dulled into a kind of national numbness.

One particularly shameful moment came when Capitol Police removed Representative Al Green for holding a sign that read, “Black people aren’t apes.” That this statement could be deemed disruptive says more about our political climate than any speech ever could. A basic affirmation of human dignity is now treated as provocation.

Meanwhile, Trump labeled Democrats “sick” and “crazy,” rhetoric that would be disqualifying in any other context but now barely registers as news. The spectacle was less a governing address than a grievance rally delivered from the House chamber — heavy on insults, light on substance, and devoid of the unity presidents traditionally invoke on such occasions.

If the State of the Union is meant to reassure Americans about the country’s direction, this one did the opposite. It underscored just how normalized division, cruelty, and performative outrage have become — and how much work remains to pull the country back from the brink.