Donald Trump the great negotiator?
No not even close. As Trump stumbles through the shut-down, a fiasco of his own making, it has become clear that he is incapable of thinking even 2 moves ahead. We watch in disbelief as an endless series of nasty one liners replace substantive discussions. He acts as if the the targets of his nastiness will crawl away shamed and defeated, allowing him to emerge victorious! His is a completely fantastic world where he is entitled to respect and decorum, while simultaneously behaving like a thug. Trump never even imagined anyone would have the temerity to confront and challenge him. When Nancy Pelosi did just that, telling him he is not welcome in the House, he was absolutely furious. He reacted in a fit of petulance and impotent rage, we can almost see the spittle, telling her that, he will give the State of the Union elsewhere. It seems he couldn't find an alternative venue, which begs the question, why didn't he have a plan in place before issuing his threat? Did he think Mitch McConnell could unilaterally host host him in the Senate? If so, he should have made that determination before making his threats. But it is infinitely more likely Trump never had a plan, he was challenged and humiliated by a powerful woman and needed show he was tough. The point is that Donald Trump never thinks of consequences, absolutely never. And as this shut down highlights, he is not a great negotiator, he is not even a mediocre negotiator.
1
Trump likes watching TV, all he had to do was watch a few episodes of the West Wing to understand how State Of The Union address procedure work. IE - you actually need the invitation from the Speaker. #orReadTheConstitution
"What we know about the State of the Union"?
Do we really need a speech -- especially the sort of duplicitous, fact-free, self-serving demagoguery Trump specializes in -- to tell us about the "state of the union"?
The government is shut down and Federal workers not being paid (not counting Trump, Pence, and all the members of Congress, of course!), a major investigation is pending about into foreign influence, election-tampering, obstruction of justice, and unprecedented criminality at the highest levels of government, our economy is shaky (as is the world's), the US stands at its lowest point ever in terms of international respect and Trump and Bolton trash our allies while coddling Putin...
Something's very rotten in the state of the union...
1
I wish journalists would stop accusing Pelosi of engaging in "tit for tat." She's reining in an out of control toddler. Parents correct their children all the time, whether it's chastising them, explaining why some behavior was bad or wrong, etc. Kids talk back. But I wouldn't call the exchange tit for tat. Pelosi is doing her job. I'm glad she and the Democrats are holding firm on this ridiculous wall nonsense. No one wants it. The republicans didn't and don't want it. Trump has been throwing tantrums his entire life, and getting his way from all those around him. As president, he's gotten no interference from the GOP. Pelosi is finally someone who is schooling him in how government works and not putting up with his tantrums. Please give her more credit.
12
Pragmatism prevails, even if it is politically expedient. The president addressing a joint session of congress is a security and logistical achievement require a lot of work by a lot of skilled people. People that are not getting paid. Dumping additional work load on professionals that are not receiving a pay check would just be wrong.
1
Donald Trump has persistently scorned any need to follow tradition here in America, so why are so many people concerned about what is traditional?
There is nothing in our Constitution that says where or even when the President "shall from time to time give to the Congress information of the state of the union, and recommend to their consideration such measures as he shall judge necessary and expedient . . ."
The President can say nothing out loud and just deliver the SOTU report in writing -- and it would be best for all of us if he would do that, this time at least.
1
In his two years of presidency, he has blatantly told over 8,000 lies. It seems a waste of time for Americans to watch this continue in the form of a "State of the Union" speech. If the news outlets would like to capture the American audience, perhaps they would consider rolling captions throughout the speech, which state the correct facts.
2
Trump -- obviously -- can give his SOTU speech from the Oval Office.
Simultaneously, he can have WRITTEN copies of the same report hand-delivered to Congress.
Here is the entirety of what our Constitution says about the SOTU report:
Article II
Section 3. He [the President] shall from time to time give to the Congress information of the state of the union, and recommend to their consideration such measures as he shall judge necessary and expedient . . .
PLEASE note that NOWHERE does the Constitution require that President give the SOTU report orally -- and NO presidents until Woodrow Wilson gave the SOTU report orally.
For the first 100-plus years of this nation, the SOTU report was always a written report.
So, I guess if it was good enough for Thomas Jefferson and Abraham Lincoln to give the SOTU report in writing, Donald Trump can also submit the SOTU report in writing.
1
"Past presidents have addressed Congress from the Senate chamber nine times, beginning with George Washington’s inaugural address in New York, and bookended by Gerald R. Ford’s separate addresses." "But the State of the Union address has never been delivered in the smaller Senate chamber." Kind of contradictory - he should address the Senate, then address the House once they invite him; if they don't, then he should do it on TV.
It is fortunate that Trump’s address has been delayed. That time should be used to prepare a “State of Trump”, preferably by a more reliable professional than Giuliani.
1
What might he say in any speech that could be believed? There seems to be no point in him talking publicly at all - ever. A waste of time, money, and attention - and it just adds to the angst of the nation.
1
What's going to happen next is set in stone. There's always a way to make things worse ... and Trump will find it.
We know what the state of the union is-unfortunately-and it has nothing-nothing to do what Mr. Trump will declare it to be.
Do most of us care what he says? Do most of us believe anything he has to say?
1
The Constitution does not require a presidential Address on the state of the union, just the conveying of information. He could submit a written statement on a used paper napkin and it would be sufficient according the Constitution.
1
I find this most interesting. We Progressive Democrats have found our efforts ignored to move the Democratic Party away from support of the Military Industrial complex back to support for the residents of the USA. Conservative Democrats have gone to great lengths to keep control of their power through the DNC's non-democratic antics. After last year's elections made it clear that Progressives would not be repelled, Pelosi almost lost her leadership. Finally she is showing a backbone and saying "NO" to Trump. I wish she had done it in 2008 in support of Single Payer Health Care, but if not then, this is a good time to use the power of her position.
1
The House chamber is certainly Ms Pelosi's turf, but the State of the Union is constitutionally mandated (Artcle II, Sec. 3) delivered from "time-to-time." Should the Speaker be able to cancel a requirement of the law of the land? President Cheeto might be on solid ground on this one. I'm just saying.
@David Keys
No speech is required. He can simply deliver it in writing.
1
"The State of the Union is, well, unclear."
Oh, it's clear enough to most of the American people.
1
The shutdown speaks for the State of the Union.
55
This reversal by President Trump is indicative of his “management” style: first comes the knee-jerk twitter reaction followed by a more measured announcement which was probably brought on due to an intervention by a White House aide. Remember our “immediate” withdrawal from Syria?
Like we say in New England: If you don’t like the weather, wait a minute.
4
Thankfully, we are being spared more bizarrely constructed "speech" that fails third grade English, and serves to only confirm the mental illness of Trump.
After his blatant felony witness intimidation, we need only have him speak to a judge, in cuffs and an orange jumpsuit: we do not give criminals the sacred opportunity to address a joint session of Congress in The People's House.
8
I find your parenthetical reference to Trump comparing himself to Lincoln troubling. The quote that preceded this reference was not made by Trunp, but rather an academic who mused that Trump could alway deliver his speech in writing as did Lincoln. This was clearly not an example of Trump comparing himself to Lincoln. I’m by no means a Trump supporter, but I know a cheap shot when I see one.
3
Who cares about State of Union address, that too from a liar and a criminal! It's better that such theatrics be stopped for ever. Such mundane theatrics cost a lot of tax payers' money and time of Congressmen, who hardly can do the job for which they are paid (so high) and, on top of that, take most holidays than any other employee (Govt or private) in the country.
They better concentrate on their jobs, do what they are suppose do (not that's not protecting their influential donors and rich corporations), and, for now, keep the Govt running. They must not penalize and take hostage of the whole country for their greed and/or inefficiency, or support the tantrums of a whimsical and tyrannical President.
2
We all know what this SOTU address of donald's will be:
The State of Donald the Great.
2
Even though I'm not a fan of Nancy in general, my honest opinion is that this was the wrong move by her in the long run. She's apparently not strong enough to physically stand behind the president like speakers of the past. She should've let someone else take her seat if she can't handle it.
1
Trump can submit it in writing or deliver it from the Oval Office. End of drama.
2
What about the State of the Earth? Mother Nature votes for keeps!
3
Apparently when Nancy said to Donald: “Do not (mis)characterize the power I have” he did not truly comprenend the POWER SHE HAS.
I doubt she meant it as a threat at the time. But since Donnie trafficks in threats as his MO, he likely understand now - the POWER SHE HAS:
He likely realizes that - at a moment’s notice - she COULD nod her head to those in her House pulling at the reins for Impeachment.
Be afraid, Donnie. Be very afraid to give vent via tantrums. “The Lady is not for turning....”
4
I'm quite surprised we won't be getting a Tweet-of-the-Union.
2
We all know, all too well, what the state of the Union is. Trump would do better to stop fixating on his cost- and time- ineffective wall and start getting the taxpayers some value for money.
The State of OUR Union is sliding down hill, propelled by a mess made in Washington, led by President Trump. Many people, in and out of government eagerly await the report from the Mueller investigation in hopes that it will bring a strong case for impeachment and removal of a criminal administration.
The people of the US are in a state of winter funk as they read and listen to the news of the downward spiral caused by the dysfunctional government. Many people are depressed and hoping for some good news. The opioid epidemic continues to take it's toll on working America while the use of cannabis is at an all time high across all age groups and income levels. There has been a noticeable uptick in travel to the cannabis legal states where a 20% increase in out of state sales has been measured.
The business community is worried that the government shutdown will bring on a recession that could have been avoided. The need for a working ecosystem of institutions and businesses that keep the Nation on a positive track is clearly missing. The mess is causing stock market volatility and a pale of uncertainty.
The most uncertain of the American public is the non-white population. The lack of moral direction coming from the president is leading to a rise in racism and bigotry that can be seen in many places across the county.
So the state of the nation is uncertain, nervous and hoping to see a correction coming from elected officials who are not the current GOP
1
We really don't need to give the POTUS the bully pulpit to continue his bald-faced assault on the truth. Deflate his ego a bit and let him stew in his own self-created hot mess.
1
Why waste time and taxpayer money for trump's State of the Union speech. We already know what state we are in a GOP-trump-McConnell mess.
24
Invitations by West Virginia , North Carolina and Michigan for the SOTU spectacle to be presented to bodies other than the Congress would seem to violate the mandate in Art II, Sec 3 of the Constitution. But since Woodrow Wilson, the SOTU has been mostly a partisan policy campaign, not a serious discussion, and since Reagan, it has been largely a "show-and-tell" of events having nothing whatever to do with the government. Maybe when this president finally delivers one, he'll describe the actual state of affairs in this nation.
3
The SOTU address is a big baloney sandwich. No matter who gives it. Who can bear to listen to the whole thing? And then to listen to the pundits take it apart as if it mattered, ugh ugh.I am for an amendment to do away with it.
12
" Ms. Pelosi said on Wednesday that she would not allow a floor vote on such a resolution until the government was fully reopened."
Blocking a vote on this seems to me to be undemocratic.
How can one representative block a vote? Is she afraid she will be voted down?
5
I think you should ask Mitch McConnell that question
54
@Bicycle Bob Mitch McConnell has been doing it for the last month and for several years.
43
@Bicycle Bob,
She is the Speaker of the House and as head of the chamber has that authority.
49
Having the speech outside of Washington is a bad idea and panders to the already serious divisiveness of the current House and Senate. Nice quotes from Foner, the "professor," an eminent historian of the first rank in his own right.
1
I was never that impressed with Nancy Pelosi. I proudly stand corrected!
28
If lying to Congress is a felony, maybe Nancy Pelosi should allow Trump to deliver the SOTU to the House only if he is willing to do it under oath and to take questions afterwards. I'd bet he'd turn the invitation down faster than Rudy Giuliani could say "perjury trap."
26
President Trump has made a mockery of the Presidential office many times over; the latest is the shutdown and holding America hostage. There are 800,000 Federal employees not getting paid and he occupies his time by continuing with negative tweets; talks about a State of the Union address which he may be entitled to as President but not merit a moral human being and he continues to blatantly attack Pelosi and Democrats for his wrong doings. Allowing him to conduct a state of the union address in the Capital during this fiasco of a shutdown he created is beyond moronic.
The country is in chaos, division and hate is rampant, government bi-partisanship is out the window, feral employees are not getting paid and Americans are not receiving services, immigration is a mess, health care, education, infrastructure and the environment all need attention, pharmaceutical drugs are out of control and he wants to gloat on camera about what he thinks his accomplishments are. Pelosi is right on……end the shutdown then talk.
23
Does one call an exchange between a firm, reasonable adult and an obstreperous child a “tit for tat exchange”?
I didn’t think so!
Nancy Pelosi is an experienced leader, a mother and grandmother, with a long career in politics, who grew up in a political family.
Donald Trump is a spoiled, mentally ill, fading self-portrayed businessman with a long history of failures, who was groomed to be a law-breaker and scam artist.
“Tit for tat” is Donald’s MO.
Experience with the Levers of Power is Nancy’s Forte.
Advantage, Nancy.
Donnie’s real battle is with the Mueller investigation - that should keep him up at night!
21
Maybe Trump could give the State of the Union address from the Kremlin ...
14
the state of the union is 'from time to time' not every January... it has just become a 'time to time'. That this man can't step up and lead, and chooses to lie instead and make up non factual nonsense shows his insanity and inability to lead. He is out of touch, and knows nothing about living paycheck to paycheck and does not care... he has no idea of the constitution and what this country was founded on....they and he have no plan for a wall... where are the plans? where is this wall to be? Who is contracting? there is no plan... he needs to stroke himself somewhere else instead of our house
17
Trump together with Putin should deliver it. Putin created this mess with Trump as his American agent. Let us face the true reality show that is happening. By not allowing full federal funding, Trump is accomplishing the Putin agenda of destroying our Democracy step by step. Until we face the tyranny Putin has wrought upon US through Trump we will be stymied.
10
Why not give the speech from the Kremlin? Seems appropriate.
85
Well said!
Better yet, just let Putin give the speech. He's writing the script and calling the shots anyway.
And Trump won't even have to bother seizing the translator's notes this time, because we all know what Putin will say.
4
Trump said he wanted to deliver his State of the Union speech "on time, on schedule and on location". Nancy Pelosi is not budging until the government reopens. It remains to be seen whether Trump will blink first in this game of chicken.
But who will miss Trump’s state of the Union speech other than his diehard supporters, who endorse his authoritarian streak and nativist policies?
He will most likely lash out at immigrants again and compare them to mobsters, while calling for scrapping the – in his eyes – obsolete immigration system.
This year there wouldn’t be a boisterous, self-confident, united Republican party rally around its president, after losing the House to Democrats.
8
The state of our Union is fractured. Almost half the country, not only doesn't support the President, they loathe him and his personal failings. The balance fiercely defend him and his record.
The Speaker disinvites him from the SOU. Part of the government is shut down over a border barrier. The Democrats don't want one, the Republicans and President say it's essential for national security.
The majority of the media are trying to drive him from offkce. The President calls them "the enemy of the people." Some Democrats call him a racist and want him impeached. He calls it a " witch hunt. " Recently two high profile media stories proved false after a fierce national debate. The President says it's an example of "Fake News."
Our nation has become polarized, fractured and intolerant. When will this madness end?
4
@Frank Leibold: The emperor at the center of all this is the most buck naked whack job I've ever seen in a US public office.
16
It will only end when President Trump
Is removed from office by impeachment or resigns in return for immunity from prosecution for his many crimes against American interests and his open admiration for Putin.
2
While our temper tantrum throwing man-child in the People's House, the 2019 World Economic Forum is in full swing in beautiful Davos.
World leaders. economists, titans on industries are assembled there.
This year's theme is "We're in a new economic era: Globalization 4.0
Both by name or country, the assembled world wide leaders have en masse criticized the dangerous isolationism of our president in a quite overt form, ringing the alarm of a possible world wide recession, rising tensions between nations, rising arch-right governments, etc. etc.
7
Question: If the Constitution states the president must deliver to Congress, how can any other venue satisfy that mandate?
3
The Constitution only requires the timely report to the Congress. It says nothing about a televised speech to the joint chambers.
9
@Dee
In the early years of the Republic, when Congress was rarely in session, “deliver” probably meant on horseback, to each member.
There is no Constitutional requirement that “deliver” means “a speech” directly in the Congress.
4
@Dee
The Constitution only says that the president should inform the legislative branch about what is now called "The State of the Union".
So venue was not mentioned, but the branch of government mentioned in Article l of the Constitution.
3
During the campaign of 2016, Hillary Clinton said, "“I’m the last thing standing between you and the apocalypse.”
Two-plus years later, Nancy Pelosi (and, granted, some federal judges) is the last thing standing between us and Presidential authoritarianism.
I wish the government were re-opened and 800,000 furloughed federal workers and their loved ones could return to their normal lives. I'm livid that the shutdown Trump claimed he'd proudly own is upending their existence, while doing no material damage to his own.
But Speaker Pelosi is right to stand her ground. She leads a co-equal branch of government, and the citizenry is fortunate that every day she musters the patience and energy to re-school Trump about that. The alternative is unacceptable.
As for the State of the Union, we need no formal address from the faux POTUS to know it's dysfunctional.
196
@D Price, you are absolutely right in saying that Speaker Pelosi should stand her ground. If she doesn’t, Trump will use hostage taking whenever he senses opposition to any unpopular or dangerous idea he espouses. It makes me angry when I read articles that reduce what’s happening to “tit for tat” because it makes it appear that what Pelosi is doing is as petty, when it is an attempt to save us from more Trump inflicted damage.
81
@Marinda
Brava.
Tit for tat is just more “both-siderism” by journalists afraid to upset their corporate overlords. This is because in today’s USA, pointing out the truth will seem too one-sided (to the “other” side), and may lose ratings. Which, of course, means lower profits. Thus, the truth is for sale, and you can purchase whatever truth you want.
Bring back the Fairness Dizctrine
32
@D Price
And as you know, the Founding Fathers mentioned the co-equal legislative branch of the newly founded federal government In Article I of the Constitution.
The executive branch is mentioned, for good reason, in Article II.
Methinks that the Apprentice-President has neither a clue about that nor anything else about history.
33
In my opinion Nancy Pelosi’s greatest achievement in the last 3 weeks is to highlight the submissiveness, hollow record and lack of any meaningful accomplishments by her predecessor Paul Ryan. Who, it should be apparent to all, failed to uphold his constitutional duty as Speaker of the House.
87
@DWS: Ryan got that delayed-reaction blow up the economy tax bill passed. That's another zinger still coming down the pike. Electing Republicans delivers inherently incompetent government.
16
There's nothing like the pomp and circumstance of a president entering the House chamber and Trump would be greatly deflated to forego it. Thus, this is the wedge that will bring back the government. But the relationship between Trump and the legislative branch will never be the same. The House in the person of Nancy Pelosi has drawn a line in the sand that is a more effective barrier to Trump's fever dream ambitions for a wall. It says, this is as far as you go.
18
I think it would be better if we returned to the pre-Wilson tradition of the President reporting on the state of the union in writing, describing what he or she sees as the issues the country faces and proposing legislation he or she would like to see enacted to address the nation's problems. The printed report could certainly be made available to the public.
As it is now, the State of the Union address is a cheap political show, with one side interrupting often to applaud while the other sits on their hands. Nothing about the State of the Union televised address encourages serious thought of the well-being and concerns of the country.
If the televised oral address is to continue, the President should begin by saying, "Please do not interrupt with applause or boos, as I will be presenting issues facing the country that I hope all will listen to and consider thoughtfully."
11
Does anyone really care about 'The State of the Union Address' which will certainly be more about Trump's insane state of mind rather than the country he has pledged to serve.
Perhaps he could tweet it in and do us the service of allowing us the choice of reading it or not. we really have heard to much from this guy already.
18
@just Robert
Yes! I care! I look forward to anytime I can watch him try to read anything. My dog has better comprehension skills than the prevarication-in-chief and between the “heavy breathing” and the weird auto-corrects when he misreads something from the teleprompter, it’s always popcorn-worthy, “must-see” TV.
2
Maybe Trump will deliver the Sate of the Union address in Moscow?
16
He's a terrible public speaker. He should avoid the embarrassment and probably just submit it in writing.
19
@DonS
Maybe he'll be laughed out of the House, as in the case of his UN speech. It would be nice to see that on television.
10
Why do we keep thinking that Trump will eventually compromise or be reasonable? He doesn't care if the government is shut down. He doesn't care if people get hurt. He is normalizing chaos and dysfunction. He likes chaos because it opens opportunities for him. That is how he ran his business, and simply declared bankruptcy when the numbers didn't add up.
That is the state of our union.
16
The state of the union is that the Constitution is being tested by a tyrant and supporters that are ok with a tyrant. We have see this many times before in history. Let's hope the ship that is the United State Constitution is strong enough to withstand this storm, and let's pray that an iceberg is not floating in its path.
7
@Christine A. Roux
" the Constitution is being tested by a tyrant "
The irony is that it was a Constitutional flaw -- the unnecessary Electoral College that was originally invented because of a feud between Virginia and New Jersey -- that got him into office in the first place. The document needs to be overhauled if we ever get the Republican obstructionists out of the way.
10
No matter where Trump delivers the State of the Dis-Union, I volunteer my services to draft the Democratic rebuttal:
A short while ago, Donald Trump conducted a press conference about the terror at our southern border from McAllen, Texas - a city that US News and World Report calls very vibrant, with a high quality of life, abundant medical facilities and a warm and receptive population. Crime is near a 30 year low in McAllen, and Texas Republican Representative and border security expert, Will Hurd calls Trump's notion that there's any kind of a crisis entirely imaginary.
Trump's lie fabricating the horrors of life in McAllen is not only bad for McAllen - and it's not only bad for the 800,000 federal workers whose paychecks he's holding hostage while they get evicted from apartments, can't get their farm loans processed and line up at food banks - it's also terrible for our economy, shrinking it by 13 hundredths of a percent each week of his shutdown.
And here we bump into one of the very first truths we've ever heard from Donald Trump. Trump told Wolf Blitzer in 2004: “I’ve been around for a long time and it just seems that the economy does better under the Democrats than the Republicans."
For the first time ever in this presidency, I have to say, on camera, to the American people: I agree with you, Donald, completely and wholeheartedly. So, in that spirit of agreement, let's get down to work and get our government up and running again, right now.
6
It’s somewhat striking that this article, purportedly giving a background history of the minutiae behind the State of the Union, fails to mention the historical roots of why the executive branch must be invited before being able to convene and address the two houses of Congress. How do you not mention Charles I in an article like this?
15
@Benjamin Davidson: The president exerts executive power only at the sufferance of the Congress and Senate, the representatives of the people elected by the political process established in the Constitution.
5
Given that nothing Trump says is true, we're better off w/o more of his blarney.
As a student of history, I contend that Trump has inflicted more damage on the USA than any person in 242 years of history. The less the world hears from Trump, the better off we are.
If Trump is not a Russian agent, I'd say Putin is the luckiest man in the world having this dunce do his dirty work for him.
53
@Sam Bolder
I might suggest John Calhoun, who talked the slavetrading states into rebelling against the lawful US government and caused the deaths of thousands of Americans, did more damage. But Trump is definitely number 2
6
@Charlesbalpha
This president has repudiated the benefit of consensus scientific findings on Global Warming - and instead taken steps to reverse and derail the previous steps taken by wiser politicians around the world. The consequential damages over the next two hundred years, though distant, will be truly catastrophic. As the US President during these critical years, Trump bears the leadership burden of accountability for how his actions made things worse. This is how Trump "wins".
2
I think the US is in a state of epileptic seizure.
I sure wish we could move on to more interesting topics, like post-particle physics. I hope today's Op-Ed about the toys physicists play with is opened to comments.
13
@Steve Bolger
Another article today talked about a furloughed scientist reading about the Chinese moon shot in the paper, while his own research lab was shut down by Trump.
A recent science fiction novel, RED MOON, is about a near-future where China surpasses the US in aerospace research. And it was written before Trump shut down NASA.
4
Trump writing the State of the Union is an excellent idea. But that means Congress would first have to appropriate money for a new box of crayons.
46
@James Cowles No doubt Nancy Pelosi has loads of crayons at her disposal for 5 children and 9 grandchildren and one president.
4
this clash of ego and wills is not news, nor interesting, nor impactful to the country.
what matters is getting the government up and functioning, to the extent it ever functions.
That children on both sides let ego and politics drive their behavior and decisions is appalling.
Both sides should do what is right for the country. A tiny amount to fund a border wall should not hold up the US government.
Why does Pelosi favor illegal immigration over legally applied for immigration? This clearly favors her hispanic voters over Asian, Indian, and European potential immigrants. Appalling. We need engineers from India and physicians from all over.
Let's have rational legal immigration, not chaos.
@Joe Yoh: When Trump is finally booted from the presidency, the US will feel like high voltage electrodes have been removed from its ears.
7
@Joe Yoh she doesn't favor illegal immigration, and yes this moment is highly impactful. something has to be done to stop the Trump bulldozer dead in its tracks before we can return to sanity. It looks like this is the event that might get that started. Everyone wants a rational immigration system, including Pelosi.
12
@Joe Yoh, the only immigration Trump favors is getting cheap labor for his own properties, legal or illegal.
10
The drama surrounding the State of the Union address tells us everything we need to know about the actual State of the Union.
113
Maybe the president should hold the state of the union in Puerto Rico.
58
The State of the Union is....Chaos!
55
In Trump's case, more appropriately delivered from a jail cell.
89
@Barry Moyer
The Kremlin is probably an available venue.
I'm certain Putin would be pleased to host the event.
At least then Trump could claim transparency in government.
6
Welcome to divided government , Mr.Trump.You have had two years of a House and Senate who would not stand up to you. There is now a Democratic House led by Speaker Pelosi, not “Nancy” -using her first name is demeaning. You are about to find out how important the House of Representatives is and you and your toadies are going to have to modify your bullying behavior and stop trying to make every branch of government dysfunctional!The people just voted- their choice was overwhelmingly for Democrats.
102
@Janet Michael: Look how Trump operates. He seems to have something to hold over every last stooge in his entourage. Look how he intimidated Michael Cohen by making reference to his father in law's vulnerabilities. Who in Trump's entourage isn't a Michael Cohen?
The speech will be the bluster of a thug.
17
@Janet Michael
Divided we fall. They don't care as long as their self-interest is attained.
Hardworking US taxpayers and responsible citizens must unite to:
find a way to hold self-interested and self-enriching Elected Politicians, government officials, their staffers and operatives from both parties personally and financially liable, responsible and accountable for the lies and half-truths they have told US, their gross mismanagement of our county, our $22 T and growing national debt (107% of GDP), and our $80 T in future, unfunded liabilities they forced on US jeopardizing our economic and national security, while benefiting themselves, their staffers, their party and special interest donors.
5
We all know what the state of the union is.......a mess. If the purpose is to advance the President’s political agenda, it is not clear the country or the world would benefit from learning more than we know already.
Trump wants a political rally with red hats, mindless cheers and hostile name calling. With Ms Pelosi the bully in chief has finally met the parent he never had. She will not allow this spectacle in the people’s house until the President starts doing his job and cleans up the mess he made. Mr. Mc Connell it is time you put on your big boy pants and hold the line with your horrid man child in the Oval Office.
114
No need to put on airs with speeches or letters.
The State of the Union should be delivered in the actual State of the Trump Union: through a cluster of misspelled, lying, errantly capitalized and punctuated tweets!
40
The article is misleading to the extent that it implies that the president 'has to' give a State of the Union address' annually.
The author correctly cites the Constitution which requires that it be given 'from time to time'.
That could mean every four years.
No address is needed this year.
A tweet that says 'The union is anything but: it is quite a mess.' would be sufficient but unnecessary.
We already know that.
89
If I can avoid seeing DJT on TV, it suits me just fine. Perhaps he could give communicate the State of the Union in tweets, actually a tweet: we're doing just great, you know, except for Nancy.
The rest of us know that we're descending into governmental and economic chaos and hardship, thanks to the Trump-McConnell-Ryan shutdown.
51
Your headline in the print edition says that the State of the Union address is a “must,” when it is not, and the only example you give in either edition of a refusal by a House speaker to invite a President to speak is the time Tip O’Neill turned down Reagan’s speech on the Contras. Not to engage in “whataboutism” but what about the time Speaker Boehner refused President Obama’s request to speak about a jobs bill on the pretext that it would conflict with the first game of the NFL season?
22
The president is required, by the Constitution, first and foremost, to give information to the Congress. That's the challenge for Trump: to deliver reliable, fact-checked, verifiable information. Not his usual litany of superlatives, bold faced lies, equivocations, and assessments that are just plain wrong. Should the president fail to deliver real information, as required by the Constitution, he breaks his oath of office. This is not a political matter. The timing and the location of the account he gives is less important. What is legally paramount is the quality of the information, and therein is where Trump is most likely to shame himself and his supporters.
51
Thank you for that reminder...
sadly, there are some that just don't do well with facts.
As a fully functioning human (cognitively speaking), it boggles the mind.
So, I thank you for a some good one fashioned reality .It's a comforting way to start my day. Sure makes my Trump-xiety bit easier to bear,...at least till I read next article.
9
@Max & Max
Wouldn’t it be great if telling a lie during the State of the Union address was an impeachable offense?
18
@Bill B
Maybe they can put him under oath first. During Clinton's term the House Republicans set the precedent that a President can be impeached for lying under oath.
1
Re “Trump could take the high road ...”
If he were capable of doing that, this crisis wouldn’t exist.
“I’m not going to burden the American people and especially the federal workers with a shutdown. Let’s fully fund the government and then have an open discussion of the best way to secure our borders while remaining a beacon of liberty for the oppressed and downtrodden of the world.”
That’s what high-road Trump said, but that person does not - and apparently cannot - actually exist.
27
I am just waiting for the announcement that it will be delivered from the Trump Hotel Washington and will be carried by Fox.
Our real life government has become a reality TV show. This works in the occupant’s favor. We can do better.
18
The state of the union is that our government - you know, the one that’s of the people, by the people, and for the people - will have been shut down for more than 10% of the year by the time any speech is made.
34
Open the government first. Could guarding Trump without pay, be one of the worst jobs in the world ? It was always reported to be a terrible job in the Secret Service, prior to Trump.
13
Why would anyone care about what the Trump has to say about the state of the Union? If he follows his usual pattern, he will babble nonsense. Of course a State of the Union Address would be written by a speech expert, a teleprompter version of which Trump would have his usual difficulties, and would , as usual sound like an elementary pupil having difficulty with "big words".
35
“The State of the Union is, well, unclear.”
It’s not unclear - it’s crystal clear! It’s a disgrace and a self-inflicted mess caused by self-interested, self-enriching Elected Politicians.
This is what over one million American soldiers died for?
Here is what we need to do fix it:
We must find a way to hold self-interested and self-enriching Elected Politicians, government officials, their staffers and operatives from both parties personally and financially liable, responsible and accountable for the lies and half-truths they have told US, their gross mismanagement of our county, our $22 T and growing national debt (107% of GDP), and our $80 T in future, unfunded liabilities they forced on US jeopardizing our economic and national security, while benefiting themselves, their staffers, their party and special interest donors.
61
@US Debt Forum
YES!
Now, how do we do this?
How do we overturn Citizens United?
How do we get rid of lobbyists?
How do we prevent politicians from taking high paying jobs in the industry they once governed?
Take the money out and we'll have a good shot at getting people who want to govern not get rich quick.
22
@US Debt Forum You mean, if speaking truthfully, ONE "self-interested, self-enriching elected politician", Donald Trump.
7
@Butterfly
We decoded DNA
We sent a space craft 13 billion miles into space.
We can fix this by working together.
It won’t be easy but we will find a way
14