What Chord Trump’s Inaugural Address Should Strike
Two days before Ronald Reagan took office, we met in Blair House’s guest quarters where he put polishing touches on his first inaugural address. While I had worked on several drafts, I was only a collaborator because for many days Mr. Reagan had personally assumed the critical role of placing an imprint on his introduction to leading the free world. Forty-four years later, this last-minute attention to detail is the perfect role model for Donald Trump. It’s an occasion where the president-elect clearly needs to assert his own voice in place of a ghost’s.
In last month’s Meet the Press interview with NBC’s Kristen Welker, Mr. Trump said the message of his inaugural address would be one of “unity.” If true, that would be bizarre inasmuch as he would be parroting a central theme of President Biden’s 2021 inaugural address where Biden sermonized, “To restore the soul and to secure the future of America — requires more than words. It requires that most elusive of things in a democracy. Unity. Unity.” Moments later he repeated, “Today, on this January day, my whole soul is in this: Bringing America together. Uniting our people.”
Those platitudes weren’t enough. Biden prattled on into territory that entraps authors of such addresses — the temptation to use bloated oratory and hopelessly empty clichés. Biden further hoped to lead America to “persevere through this dark winter,” and that it would be said of his leadership, “they healed a broken land,” and “that democracy and hope, truth and justice, did not die on our watch but thrived.”
But in the end, the final judgment on Mr. Biden’s presidency, nor that of his predecessors, is measured by banal rhetoric and manufactured phraseology. He would have been better served by coming up with language that reflected where “Scranton Joe” fit into his coming slot of American history and culture. In his case, he was elected to the presidency because he stood apart from the reckless fringe of his primary opponents and appeared not to drift from his roots — offering a steadiness away from the contentions that preceded.
As for Donald Trump; he was not elected to “unify” the nation and sit at America’s fireside with graham crackers and milk. What he told Ms. Welker about his inaugural address is likely just what she wanted to hear. The theme of unity “will make you happy,” he told her — little more than the courteous tender of a feel-good hug for her and her audience.
I don’t believe it is Mr. Trump’s obligation to please New York television interviewers or Washington editorial writers on inauguration day. On the other hand, I don’t advocate his delivering a divisive harangue against his adversaries or stirring unnecessary national divisions. What would be refreshing, however, is for the new president to announce a realistic entry into office, shorn of elaborate pledges of fellow-feeling that are unlikely to be achieved — especially with today’s openly pernicious and hostile opposition epitomized by Senator Charles Schumer and Congressman Hakeem Jeffries. Feigned gestures of “let’s-just-all-get-along” would seem empty and transparently hypocritical.
Over 77 million people returned Mr. Trump to office for his straightforwardness and his authenticity, and anything short of that would seem unlike what they expect of him. His gruff strength and extravagant personality are natural, and false theatrics and out-of-character sanctimony don’t fit. The cannoneer cannot be re-cast as a flower-child. He discovered a way to reach people who had not been spoken to — an uncomplicated message of a man who believes in the sanctity of people over government, the notion of a strong national defense, safe streets, secure borders, a sensible financial structure, and robust foreign policy. Those are what should be at the core of Mr. Trump’s inaugural address.
But he needs to do us a favor by avoiding overstatement — the standard checklist of paragraphs, each of which begins with the words “we will,” or “we can” — like the grandiose goal he set out in his 2017 address, “We will build new roads, and highways, and bridges, and airports, and tunnels, and railways all across our wonderful nation.”
Finally, if he wants to bring down the curtain with a bit of sentimentality, Mr. Trump can replicate what the former first lady revealed in her Fox News pre-election interview. Melania Trump summarized that her husband loves his family; he loves his country; he wants to make the American dream possible. If President Trump turned away from the teleprompter and let those traits be known about himself, it would be the best conclusion to his speech and a fine introduction to the 47th presidency.
Ken Khachigian was chief speechwriter to Ronald Reagan and is the author of the memoir Behind Closed Doors: In the Room With Reagan and Nixon.
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