Analyst: Trump’s State of the Union was powerful but may not unite country

Political analyst Doug Schoen wrote in a Fox News opinion column that President Donald Trump delivered a “virtuoso performance” in Tuesday’s State of the Union but that it was unclear the address fundamentally changed the political dynamic in the United States.

Schoen wrote that Trump sought to link the nation’s progress and future to his administration and the Republican Party, calling the moment a “golden age of America.” He said the president argued the affordability crisis that helped Democrats in 2024 was now under control and outlined Republican proposals on health care, retirement, prices and taxes that he said would benefit Americans.

But Schoen criticized Democratic behavior in the chamber, saying it undercut a unified response. He cited the ejection of Rep. Al Green, D-Texas, members of the so-called Squad who jeered and wore buttons with expletives, and more than 30 empty seats as some Democrats held a separate “People’s State of the Union,” which he said made Democratic messaging worse.

Schoen said Trump effectively used imagery — from the U.S. Olympic hockey team to military honorees — and staged moments such as asking lawmakers to stand if they believed “the first duty of the American government is to protect American citizens, not illegal aliens.” He wrote that almost no Democrats stood and that Republicans gave a lengthy standing ovation, but he questioned whether the moment, and the speech overall, would change many minds or make immigration the defining issue going forward.

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