Trump's 'stale' SOTU performance exposed the 'brutal' reality he faces: analysis
President Donald Trump's State of the Union address revealed an actuality that MAGA can't ignore ahead of midterms.
Salon's Sophia Tesfaye described on Wednesday how the president's "bragging" about destabilizing the nation appealed to some conservative media outlets; however, some right-wing media have seen the noticeable shift underway in the Republican Party.
"There was no recalibration nor hint of strategic retreat, only chest-thumping and grievance," Tesfaye wrote. "Right-wing media lapped it up."
"What they celebrated was a performance engineered to dazzle the president’s base and humiliate everyone else," Tesfaye wrote. "It’s a reminder that for much of conservative media, the bar for greatness is not policy coherence or factual accuracy but emotional catharsis. If MAGA feels seen, if the libs are owned, if Democrats are forced into awkward stillness as Republicans leap to their feet, then the speech is a triumph."
But Trump's MAGA base can't ignore the president's diving approval rating, despite the president's attempts to deny that.
"If the president dazzled parts of the media and thrilled his base, he also exposed the limits of his vision," Tesfaye explained. "Two hours on the biggest stage in American politics, and the offer was the same as ever: fear them, cheer me. It’s stale to nearly all but his biggest sycophants."
And while some right-wing outlets claimed it was Trump's best work, others have questioned the president.
"The split screen couldn’t have been more brutal: the man who claims to have delivered an economy 'roaring like never before' was being repudiated at the polls in real time — and by working people in swing districts," Tesfaye wrote.
And the GOP can't dismiss what Americans already have on their minds.
"It’s a harsh reality too apparent for even Fox News to ignore," Tesfaye added. When Vice President JD Vance took to the network on Wednesday morning for a post-speech victory lap, even network anchor Bill Hemmer threw a wet blanket on the parade. 'It seems like you’re pushing a car uphill and you’ve got nine months to turn it around,' he said. 'You know Democrats are juiced. They are ready to vote tomorrow.'”