A State of the Union that Would Make Me Stand
As President Trump delivers his address tonight, I challenged myself to think of what he could say that would actually get me on my feet.
I have grown to hate State of the Unions.
I’ve been around enough State of the Union addresses to know they are — at their core — theater. (And for staffers, a lot of work.)
I remember in my early days of the Obama administration, I used to escort the White House press corps to a holding room to watch on the cameras (they don’t get to go inside). I would meet the folks at the Capitol who would orchestrate the whole thing, and watch Congressional offices take themselves all too seriously.
I saw what real power looks like up close. And I know how a performative statement, or, as we’ve seen, a color-coded response, can fall completely flat.
In truth, I didn’t always hate State of the Unions. I actually do believe, still, that words matter. And there’s an importance of a ceremony. There was even a time when I thought a well-turned phrase from the right president in the right room could actually move something.
I’m not sure, in this era of political division, I believe that anymore. It’s like everyone just wants to be right.
But that got me thinking. I not someone who makes it a habit of standing to applause President Donald Trump. I worked for the other side. I worked for a President that Donald Trump actively belittles and accuses of everything from spilling the beans on aliens to treason. Not only did I work for President Obama, I believe in what he stood for.
That we are not red states or blue states, but the United States.
So, what would Donald Trump have to say tonight to actually get me to stand? Let’s be clear, I’m not in Congress, so we’re talking about my living room. Or maybe metaphorical standing. But in Congress or the living room, what would get me, just a citizen skeptic, on my feet?
I started thinking about it, and turns out, there are some things. And that surprised even me.
Here’s What Would Get Me Standing
America is strong.
No caveats. No “strong again.” No “strong because of me,” and/or “if not for me we’d be a failing nation.” The tired implication that the men and women who built this military, drove this innovation, and built the strongest global currency were somehow failures until he showed up? They weren’t. We weren’t.
If President Trump just looked in the camera and said, without caveat, we are strong — I’m up on my feet. Because we are. We sometimes fail to use our strength to advantage our workers or our families nearly enough. But we are still strong.
We need to work together.
I would love to see a robust plan for America that strengthens our manufacturing sector and exports, supports our small businesses and entrepreneurs. That’s not what we have right now, but it’s what we could have.
The Supreme Court handed him a decision on Friday practically begging him to work with Congress on tariffs. I’m a Democrat who grew up in manufacturing America. I want manufacturing to stay in America. If he reaches across the aisle on this one, genuinely, I’m not just standing. I’m the first one up. I’m willing to look at any plan to strengthen American security and manufacturing.
I’d also love to work on: Education. I want public schools that reward excellent teachers, exit the ones who aren’t doing the job, and pay for performance. On so much we can agree. I want us to be the best in the world and actually mean it.
We probably have different roads to get there — but if he names the destination, I’ll acknowledge we’re headed the same direction, especially if he expresses the desire to work together to get there.
We need to prioritize America’s health.
And I mean real health. Not the bespoke agenda of a man who, and I say this with the full receipts the Internet has provided, used to snort coke off toilet seats (RFK Jr.).
For me, real health means healthy water. Healthy air. Healthy communities. Regardless of zip code. The social fabric we’ve been quietly shredding for a decade. (Frankly real health to me will likely require medicare for all, but we’ll get there).
In truth, our country and too many people are struggling with loneliness, with insecurity. The quiet crisis of people who are angry because they are not okay. If President Trump names this honestly, I’m standing — and then I want to talk about how we solve this collective illness together.
Getting there together does not mean repealing the informed health regulations that actually protect people.
America should be safe for everyone.
No Americans should be gunned down unjustly in the street. No officers gunned down for doing their job. No one here seeking freedom should be denied a hearing. A secure border and updated immigration laws go hand in hand — because you don’t get to claim you want solutions if you only want half the sentence. I’ll stand for the whole sentence.
If President Trump could state this plainly, I could stand. (I’m still rooting for compromise to bring back the important Department of Homeland Security, with oversight concerns rightly addressed).
America is better for the freedoms we enjoy.
That’s the whole point.
People have always been searching for more freedom. We have been far from perfect in delivering it. We have enslaved, entrapped, and allowed many to suffer in the pursuit. But we have to keep pushing, for more rights and more freedoms. It is what makes our country unique and distinct and special.
And from the party that built its brand on not canceling people, maybe that’s somewhere we can actually agree?
I would like to think so.
Here’s What Will Keep Me Seated
Let’s start with personal grievances. Nothing is so defeating for so many of us, though, than the cult of personality President Trump puts around himself.
If he says he alone can fix it, we know that’s not true. He can’t. Nobody can. Honestly, he can’t even rebuild the east wing alone. I’ve watched enough presidents up close to know that the ones who governed best knew they couldn’t do it alone.
Another thing – If he blames one party for everything — one party didn’t break it, one party won’t fix it.
And lastly, if it’s all golden-age marketing with no actual plan behind it, I’ve heard enough about having the greatest healthcare system without a single plan to get us there.
I want the plan. Not “notions of a plan.” Or talking points. He will likely have enough time to deliver it. Let me hear it.
What I realized going through this thought exercise is how deeply I root for an America with shared values, where we can all stand. Where certain things transcend party. Where we can overlook who came up with the idea.
So here’s what I’ll do: If President Trump says something that gets me standing tonight, I’ll drop a note on Substack. And please let me know if you hear anything that does the same. I actually do hope it happens.
I guess I don’t know if it will.