1 Hour and 47 Minutes

Susan Estrich
Wed, 25 Feb 2026 23:00:00 -0800
Opinion

It clocked in as the longest State of the Union speech in history. Probably the only prize it could win?

Nastiest? Most theatrical? Maybe.

Full of Trumpism's — phony symbolism all about him, overblown claims and outright lies — the usual stuff.
Updated: Thu Feb 26, 2026

It clocked in as the longest State of the Union speech in history. Probably the only prize it could win?

Nastiest? Most theatrical? Maybe.

Full of Trumpism's — phony symbolism all about him, overblown claims and outright lies — the usual stuff.

No, what surprised me most about the president's latest diatribe was not what was there, but what was missing.

Economic reality was missing. It is the economy, stupid; it always is, especially when people are feeling as anxious and uncertain as they do now. President Donald Trump is telling us we are in the midst of a great economic turnaround — a "turnaround for the ages" — that somehow we are all missing. What was remarkable about the State of the Union was how little he had to say to the vast majority of Americans who are anxious about the economy and have lost confidence in his ability to manage it.

And what was Trump's message to them? He boasted that he has resuscitated the American economy after inheriting "a nation in crisis." He listed the economic indicators — starting with the stock market — that supposedly show proof of a "roaring economy." But he simply can't get his head around the idea of affordability. He continues to view it as a foreign concept, attacking Democrats who "suddenly use the word affordability," claiming "they knew their statements were a dirty, rotten lie."

"Affordability" is a dirty, rotten lie?" Been to the market lately. Ever? This is a man who simply has no idea what it means to make ends meet. No clue. He has no worries that his children will not be able to afford the American dream of independence and home ownership. He does not feel anybody's pain, and it shows. On the economy and on economic reality, he had nothing to offer. No new policies. No new programs. Not even empathy. At least he didn't tell the American people that they have malaise like former President Jimmy Carter's ill-fated message to Americans facing an uncertain economy.

No, Trump just told us that we are wrong. Don't believe what you see. Ironically, former President Joe Biden tried without success to prove to Americans that the economy was better than they thought and you saw where that got him.

But economic reality was not the only thing missing from the State of the Union. There was also virtually nothing about the major foreign policy crisis that we're in the middle of with Iran. It was 90 minutes into his speech that Trump got to the three minutes about Iran — less time than he devoted to transgender issues, which do not threaten a world war. President Trump has amassed the largest amount of U.S. military firepower in the Middle East since the invasion of Iraq in 2003. Why? Are we planning to attack? In his State of the Union, he said he would prefer a diplomatic solution, but that we have not heard Iran say "those secret words: we will never have a nuclear weapon."

As the fact-checkers were quick to point out, however, Iran has often made that promise, although evidence gathered over the years that the country has repeatedly appeared to be testing the components that would go into a nuclear weapon has cast doubt on its honesty. Is there any reason to believe them now? Doesn't the future of war in the Middle East and the imminent prospect of the use of force deserve more than three minutes in a 147-minute speech?

We are a divided country in pain. Still reeling from the actions of our own government. Uncertain about the economic future. Tired of political games. Donald Trump has prided himself on being able to read the room. He's not reading the country right.