Posted by Coppers Dad on February 25, 2026, 6:57 am
The Right’s Brand Is ‘America First.’ The Left’s Brand Is Getting Mad About That
At Tuesday’s State of the Union, Democrats set themselves up as angry foils to basic civics and feel-good American patriotism.
In the most made-for-TV of many made-for-TV moments in Tuesday night’s State of the Union address, President Donald Trump urged every member of Congress to “stand up and show your support” for the statement: “The first duty of the American government is to protect American citizens, not illegal aliens.” Cameras panned to show nearly the entire left-hand side of the chamber awkwardly remaining in their seats. After two minutes of Republican cheering and Democrat scowling, Trump suggested that Democrats should “be ashamed of yourselves,” and the cameras showed Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Mogadishu, shouting angrily in response.
Sure, the question was a setup, but it was a really, really easy setup, the kind of statement you might assume was a trick question if it showed up on a civics exam. Democrats could easily have neutered the stunt just by agreeing that a government’s primary duty is to its citizens, a concept that even the known right-wing radicals at the World Economic Forum recognize in word if not in practice.
Instead, they took the bait, affirming to constituents and voters everywhere that they do not view your interests and rights as their concern and are put out by the suggestion that they should.
In April, Democrat Sen. Chris Van Hollen made a special trip to El Salvador to gaze into the eyes of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, an illegal alien who has been found to be a member of MS-13 and is suspected of human trafficking. Van Hollen referred to the El Salvador native as his “constituent,” to the ire of some of his actual constituents back in Maryland. Tuesday night, scowling in their seats, his congressional colleagues sent the same message. https://thefederalist.com/2026/02/25/the-rights-brand-is-america-first-the-lefts-brand-is-getting-mad-about-that/
SOTU Viral Moment
Posted by Coppers Dad on February 25, 2026, 7:15 am, in reply to "America First "
