As a moment of political theater, President Donald Trump set a trap for Democrats while challenging them in his State of the Union address to sit or stand in signifying their belief in the primary role of government. Trump handed his supporters a key moment to play in future campaign ads.
Protest held on Greek island against docked US aircraft carrier as Iran tension buildsFBI searches Los Angeles school district headquarters and the superintendent’s homeLive updates: Iran pushes back against Trump ahead of Geneva talksUS men's hockey team feted at State of the Union; Trump says women's team will be honored 'soon'Phil Collins, Lauryn Hill, INXS, Iron Maiden, Luther Vandross and Shakira get Rock Hall nominationsSwirling beauty of the Milky Way galaxy's heart is captured in a new telescope pictureOtters enjoy a snow day in Maryland during winter stormRaccoon goes on drunken rampage in Virginia liquor store and passes out on bathroom floorAre expensive shampoos worth it? Here's what the experts have to sayDemocrats are becoming a force in traditionally conservative The VillagesRFK Jr.
fought pesticides for years. Now he's backing their productionSome people tape their mouths shut at night. Doctors wish they wouldn'tFDA proposes new system for approving customized drugs and therapies for rare diseasesScarification: The simple seed-starting trick that helps tough-coated seeds sprout fasterBuddhist monks rally in Sri Lanka to pressure the government for a wider role in affairs of stateEl discurso del Estado de la Unión da a Trump una oportunidad de defender su política exterior fought pesticides for years. Now he's backing their productionSome people tape their mouths shut at night. Doctors wish they wouldn'tFDA proposes new system for approving customized drugs and therapies for rare diseasesScarification: The simple seed-starting trick that helps tough-coated seeds sprout fasterBuddhist monks rally in Sri Lanka to pressure the government for a wider role in affairs of stateEl discurso del Estado de la Unión da a Trump una oportunidad de defender su política exteriorRepublican members of Congress stand while Democrats keep their seats during President Donald Trump’s State of the Union address to a joint session of Congress in the House chamber at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, Tuesday, Feb. 24, 2026. President Donald Trump delivers the State of the Union address to a joint session of Congress in the House chamber at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, Tuesday, Feb. 24, 2026, as Vice President JD Vance and House Speaker Mike Johnson of La., applaud. Republican members of Congress stand while Democrats keep their seats during President Donald Trump’s State of the Union address to a joint session of Congress in the House chamber at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, Tuesday, Feb. 24, 2026. Republican members of Congress stand while Democrats keep their seats during President Donald Trump’s State of the Union address to a joint session of Congress in the House chamber at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, Tuesday, Feb. 24, 2026. President Donald Trump delivers the State of the Union address to a joint session of Congress in the House chamber at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, Tuesday, Feb. 24, 2026, as Vice President JD Vance and House Speaker Mike Johnson of La., applaud. President Donald Trump delivers the State of the Union address to a joint session of Congress in the House chamber at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, Tuesday, Feb. 24, 2026, as Vice President JD Vance and House Speaker Mike Johnson of La., applaud. About halfway through his State of the Union address, President Donald Trump sprung the moment on Democrats like a trap: Stand up if they believed that protecting Americans, not “illegal aliens,” was the government’s first duty. It was blatant political theater — while also sealing the impression that he was giving a state of the disunion address.Democrats — the ones who hadn’t already boycotted the whole affair — were left with a damned-if-you-do, damned-if-you-don’t choice. Either they could align themselves with a president disdained by their party, or they could become a prop in his campaign pitch. “One of the great things about the State of the Union is how it gives Americans a chance to see clearly what their representatives really believe,” the president said. Then: “If you agree with this statement, then stand up and show your support: The first duty of the American government is to protect American citizens. Not illegal aliens.”The speech as a whole underscored the State of the Union’s potential as theater that only a sitting president can direct — especially one with Trump’s natural abilities as a showman. Trump celebrated veterans and tied their exploits to the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. He capitalized on the U.S. men’s hockey team’s Olympic gold medal. He offered tear-jerking moments, like the introduction of slain activist Charlie Kirk’s widow.Vice President JD Vance and House Speaker Mike Johnson leapt to their feet behind him. So did Republican lawmakers watching from the House floor, adding applause. Almost all Democrats remained seated. Some stared, some squirmed.It was a moment of the kind that Trump, a former reality television star, has made integral to his presidency. His next challenge will be harnessing his power of division to help Republicans in the midterm elections, as the party faces an uphill battle to maintain their total control of Congress. One could almost sense the moment being marked on tape for “Make America Great Again” loyalists to circulate on social media and store for campaign ads in the upcoming midterm elections. Stephen Miller, White House deputy chief of staff, posted on X: “The entire Democrat Party disqualified itself from government service in this one exchange. Nothing like it in U.S. history.” “This is your Democratic Party right here,” host Lawrence Jones said on “Fox & Friends” Wednesday. “The entire speech was riddled with test questions for Democrats.” The problem with Democrats is they don’t see people “with different stripes” as legitimate Americans, he said. On CNN, analyst Van Jones called it a stunt. “If he would have said ‘Stand up if you like puppies,’ they would have said, ‘We like kittens.’ I mean, there was no way they were going to stand up. He was just trying to make Democrats look bad.” Stationed in Saginaw, Michigan, to get the reaction of residents to Trump’s speech, Jones asked a man on the panel what he would have done if he were a Democrat in that position. The man didn’t directly answer the question. Jones asked again. “I would have respected our country and I would have stood to my standards. I would have stayed to who I am.” In a Fox News Channel interview Wednesday, Bill Hemmer asked Sen. John Fetterman, a Pennsylvania Democrat, whether or not he stood at that moment. Fetterman said he stood when Trump introduced the mother of a crime victim. He stood for Trump’s introduction of a freed political prisoner from Venezuela. He stood for Erika Kirk. He celebrated military veterans. But he didn’t address Hemmer’s specific question. Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer of New York redirected the question when asked about it on CNN. “We agree we need to protect Americans,” he said. “He’s not. By his reckless ICE agency in Minnesota, two Americans were killed. Americans are being pulled out of their car and beaten.”The moment illustrated Trump’s skill as a television communicator, honed for years as star of “The Apprentice” before entering politics, said Robert Thompson, director of Syracuse University’s Bleier Center for Television and Popular Culture. “However we feel about the politics and craziness,” Thompson said, “he has a real sense of rhetorical timing. He can play a room.” Democrats were caught in the rhetorical headlights, filling a role they had been cast in without their knowledge or consent, he said. With more time to think, he said, they could have just rolled their eyes and stood up. That may have made sense if Trump had said nothing beyond the role of government is to protect American citizens, said Kathleen Hall Jamieson, director of the Annenberg Public Policy Center at the University of Pennsylvania. But he didn’t. Phrasing it as a choice between citizens and “illegal aliens” — a phrase offensive to many — changed the equation, she said. The challenge may have been effective with the president’s base of supporters, but independents and Democrats will recognize it as a trap, she said. “I don’t think the Democrats had any choice,” Jamieson said. “But here’s a potential implication: You may see a higher number of Democrats not attending future State of the Union addresses.” Democrats could not participate in framing any immigrant as less than human, said party strategist Xochitl Hinojosa. While the president got a visual “that might end up being on Fox News all day,” it does not change the negative consensus many Americans have about his handling of immigration and the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement crackdown in Minneapolis, where two Americans were killed, she said. David Axelrod, former President Barack Obama’s communications maestro, said Trump’s goal was to bait a response. He downplayed the idea that Democrats made an enduring mistake even if Trump got what he wanted in the moment. “He’s on the defense now” on the economy and even immigration, Axelrod said. “It will be interesting to see how it plays out.” Antjuan Seawright, a Democratic strategist from South Carolina who sometimes advises House Minority leader Hakeem Jeffries, said the challenge to Democrats to sit or stand was a “distraction moment” for Trump.Bauder is the AP’s national media writer, covering the intersection of news, politics and entertainment. He is based in New York.
Donald Trump U.S. Democratic Party David Axelrod Stephen Miller John Fetterman General News Domestic News Politics Bill Hemmer Business Syracuse Entertainment U.S. News Lawrence Jones Xochitl Hinojosa Mike Johnson JD Vance Washington News Hakeem Jeffries Barack Obama Charlie Kirk South Carolina Charles Schumer Erika Kirk Immigration Elections Minneapolis U.S. News Washington News
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
State of the Union live updates: President Trump delivering State of the Union addressThe speech is a chance for Trump to make his case ahead of the midterms.
Read more »
State of the Union live updates: President Trump delivering State of the Union addressThe speech is a chance for Trump to make his case ahead of the midterms.
Read more »
State of the Union live updates: President Trump delivering State of the Union addressThe speech is a chance for Trump to make his case ahead of the midterms.
Read more »
State of the Union live updates: President Trump delivering State of the Union addressThe speech is a chance for Trump to make his case ahead of the midterms.
Read more »
State of the Union live updates: President Trump delivering State of the Union addressThe speech is a chance for Trump to make his case ahead of the midterms.
Read more »
State of the Union live updates: President Trump delivering State of the Union addressThe speech is a chance for Trump to make his case ahead of the midterms.
Read more »