Was Trump’s state-of-the-union speech his 2020 campaign audition?

Chi Wang says US President Donald Trump’s state-of-the-union speech was a masterfully crafted attempt to unify the nation, by couching controversies in patriotism and casting his personal vision of America as the national dream.

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US President Donald Trump gestures as he delivers his first state-of-the-union address to a joint session of Congress on January 30, as Vice-President Mike Pence and House Speaker Paul Ryan applaud. Photo: AP

Published: 8:00pm, 1 Feb 2018Updated: 8:14pm, 1 Feb 2018

In his first state-of-the-union speech, US President Trump lauded the country’s progress over the past year, praised modern-day American heroes, emphasised the importance of unity and looked forward to a stronger and better future.

If there was one unifying theme of his speech, it was the American people. Throughout, he used individual Americans to emphasise his points. He ended with a litany of praise: “Americans fill the world with ardent music. They push the bounds of science and discovery. And they forever remind us of what we should never ever forget. The people dreamed this country. The people built this country. And it’s the people who are making America great again.”

US first lady Melania Trump (left) applauds police officer Ryan Holets (centre) and his wife Rebecca, who adopted the baby of a heroin addict. The couple were recognised during US President Donald Trump’s state-of-the-union speech. Photo: AFP

The artful, unifying prose may seem out of place for a leader better known for his Twitter rants, insults and egoism. Trump’s approach, however, showcases his history as a performer. Trump was fully aware of his audience. To guarantee positive responses and repeated applause, he extolled the virtues of the American people and recounted stories of heroism, tragedy and compassion of individuals in the crowd. He also shrouded unpopular polices in words of patriotism, hinting at controversies instead of mentioning them outright.

Fact-check: after Donald Trump’s State of the Union address, how much of what he said was true?

For example, Trump called on elected officials to “defend Americans, to protect their safety, their families, their communities and their right to the American dream. Because Americans are dreamers too.” This subtly referenced his divisive policy on the Differed Action for Childhood Arrivals (“dreamers”) programme. He talked about “why we salute our flag, why we put our hands on our hearts for the Pledge of Allegiance and why we proudly stand for the national anthem”, indirectly reinforcing his stance on the National Football League players who took a knee during the anthem.

The wording and tone of the speech and the overall stagecraft were extremely well orchestrated. If Trump were more popular, every news outlet would be calling the speech a triumph. For those who support the president and those who spent less time analysing the content, Trump came off looking competent, optimistic and entirely presidential. The president’s detractors, on the other hand, questioned how the positive, unifying and patriotic messages of the speech could be reconciled with his more vitriolic remarks and divisive behaviour.

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