S O T U S

The State of the Union Sham

Trump began his 2-hour rant of falsehoods by saying: “Our nation is back: Bigger, better, richer and stronger than ever before,” Trump lied at the outset, insisting that we are amid “the golden age of America.” I found myself thinking that anyone who lives and works in an office adorned with flashy gold decorations on the walls, the fireplace, and just about everywhere else must genuinely believe the whole country is experiencing a “golden age”. Yes, I watched part of his speech but not the full two hours. I rarely watch him on TV, so listening for over 15 minutes was a personal best.

I viewed just enough to realize that the two men sitting behind him: Vance and Johnson were cheering as Trump said, “Tonight, after just one year, I can say with dignity and pride that we have achieved a transformation like no one has ever seen before—and a turnaround for the ages.” Here was the con man practicing his imposture on a crowd of people who all believed – or wanted to believe – his words. This evening was a betrayal of America’s trust and a government ruse.

Trump is still touting that foreign countries pay for the tariffs. “As time goes by, I believe that tariffs, paid for by foreign countries, will, like in the past, substantially replace the modern-day system of income tax, taking a great financial burden off the people that I love.” What BS!!! The Federal Reserve Bank of New York reported in February that over “90% of Trump’s 2025 tariffs were paid by U.S. consumers - YOU AND I - and businesses through higher costs, with importers covering 94% of tariff expenses from January to August last year”. Historians examining United States trade observe that tariffs have not served as the main source of revenue since the implementation of income taxes in 1913. According to the Treasury Department, income taxes now contribute more than $2 trillion annually. (CBS News, 2/25/2026)

Trump claims new MFN agreements mean Americans, who’ve paid “highest prices of any nation” for prescriptions will now pay “the lowest price anywhere”. (Ibid, CBS) I cannot speak for others, but I was forced to switch health insurance companies in 2026 due to Trump. For the past five years, I have used the drug ‘mesalamine’ to treat gastrointestinal problems, paying $45 a month for it. Due to new policies under Trump and changes to my medical insurance—I was informed that the cost will now be $1,685 for 100 pills. I called my doctor who then found this drug at Cost Plus Drugs for approximately $35 per month – but it is an out-of-pocket expense.

He urged Congress to pass the SAVE AMERICA Act to prevent illegal aliens from voting, but the Heritage Foundation database lists only 85 voter fraud cases in 20 years. The Brennan Center for Justice found just 30 suspected noncitizen votes out of 23.5 million votes in 2016 across 42 jurisdictions. (Ibid) The question is “why would a noncitizen chose to vote and risk deportation and/or prison time?”

Mr. Trump began raising tariffs in early 2025, and economists found that importers frequently passed some of these costs to consumers through higher prices. Spanberger’s statement cites a Joint Economic Committee report by Democratic lawmakers estimating that Americans paid over $231 billion in tariffs from February 2025 to January 2026—about $1,745 per family. (Ibid)

Since retiring several years ago, I closely watch my monthly income and expenses. Since Trump, I spend about $150 to $180 more per month in 2025-2026. Virginia governor Abigail Spanberger said the president was not truthful during the State of the Union. While she criticized the Trump administration for causing chaos, her speech mainly addressed issues of affordability.

Rather than his typical critical and cruel remarks, the President delivered an optimistic message about the future, likely gaining support from many gullible Republican voters. It was a concocted and untrue fairytale, twisting the facts, altering information to deceive, and intentionally providing inaccurate content. It was a sworn fabrication of reality and one in which he misrepresented the sad state of our economy or his destruction of our country and government. This disinformation will spread faster than truth and was – unfortunately, a strong rebuttal to the 2026 elections.