As President Donald Trump delivered his inaugural State of the Union address for his second term, it was a spectacle brimming with dramatic flair and bold policy declarations. Throughout the nearly two-hour presentation, Trump highlighted his administration’s successes, ranging from immigration reforms and foreign policy maneuvers—such as the military actions in Iran and the apprehension of Venezuela’s Nicolas Maduro—to efforts aimed at reducing the cost of consumer goods. With the United States nearing its 250th anniversary, Trump painted a picture of national pride and unity, even inviting the victorious men’s hockey Team USA from the Winter Olympics, sparking fervent chants of “USA” among lawmakers. He also called upon Americans to “utterly reject political violence in any form,” a poignant message delivered five months following the tragic murder of conservative figure Charlie Kirk, as his widow Erika watched. Trump opened with a declaration of America’s “golden age,” heralding a new era of prosperity under his leadership.

However, the speech soon veered into theatrical territory when Democrat Al Green was expelled from the chamber for displaying a sign that read “Black People aren’t apes,” a response to a controversial video shared by Trump depicting the Obamas as apes. The President largely adhered to his script until members of the progressive Squad, Ilhan Omar of Minnesota and Rashida Tlaib of Michigan, began to vocally challenge him on nearly all major policy announcements. Omar’s protests reached a peak as she labeled Trump a “murderer” following his commendation of ICE agents’ efforts to deport undocumented immigrants. Frustrated by the interruptions, Trump retorted, “You people are crazy.” Analysts, both Republican and Democratic, shared their insights on the address with the Daily Mail, offering varied assessments of his performance.

Dr. Jonathan Bronitsky, co-founder and CEO of ATHOS and a former chief speechwriter at the Justice Department during Trump’s first term, observed that Trump appeared to be in his element. He noted that despite the speech being Trump’s “least formal,” its impact was undeniable. According to Bronitsky, the President deftly put Democrats on the defensive and wasn’t hesitant to confront them directly, even providing “opportunities to literally rise to the moment.” He commented on how Democrats reacted with animated gestures, finger-pointing, vocal interjections, and even tears, ultimately exposing their true nature. Highlighting a key moment, Bronitsky recalled Trump’s call for lawmakers to stand in support of American citizens over undocumented immigrants: “Stand up if you agree with this statement: The first duty of the American government is to protect American citizens – not illegal aliens.” When several Democrats, including Arizona Senator Mark Kelly, remained seated, Trump remarked that they should feel “ashamed.” Bronitsky concluded that in terms of style, Trump was victorious, praising the speech’s pacing and emphasis as “excellent” and “theatrical in the best sense.”

Joe Biden’s former deputy press secretary Andrew Bates ripped into Trump for only spending two minutes on Americans’ number one priority, ‘affordability.’ Bates mentioned recent nationwide polling showing that the economy is the most concerning issue to voters and insisted that ‘Republican policies that are making their lives more expensive.’ He specifically called out Trump’s plan to replace the income tax with tariffs, calling it the ‘biggest transfer of wealth from working families to billionaires in history.’ ‘Instead of listening to the voters who are crying out for relief, the President patted himself on the back, gaslighting Americans who know he’s lying about the bills they pay every day.’ Bates ended with a zinger, saying that everyday Americans are ‘tired’ of the ‘Epstein Class’ winning as Trump’s administration continues to battle with the fallout from the Epstein files.

Author Tevi Troy, presidential historian and former White House aide, said that the best moment of the night was the shoutout to Team USA. Trump paraded out the hockey team that won gold over Canada just a few days ago at the end of the Milan Cortina Olympics. Troy called it a ‘memorable moment’ showcasing American patriotism. ‘While presidents have long highlighted people already in the gallery, the bold entrance was unusual. It was also a rare unifying moment in this address, as most of the Democrats applauded the Olympians as well,’ he stated. ‘Always a showman, Trump has a good sense of powerful stories that resonate,’ he said about the President’s other notable guests, including Erika Kirk, a World War II veteran, and an officer wounded during the raid that captured Venezuelan strongman Nicolas Maduro. Troy noted that Trump ‘broke little new ground on Iran,’ simply reiterating that Iran cannot be allowed to have a nuclear weapon. That came despite speculation that Trump was going to make news on his decision on whether to strike Iran as negotiations on a nuclear deal stall. Troy added that the one-hour and fifty-minute speech was ‘once again too long.’ And he added that the Democrats ‘did not enjoy Trump‘s many ad libs at their expense.’ That included Trump’s troll of Nancy Pelosi over her alleged ties to insider trading and his calling the Squad lawmakers ‘crazy.’

According to University of Michigan professor Rusty Hills, Trump’s speech was ‘very much a campaign rally address cloaked in the mantle of a State of the Union address.’ Hills ripped into Trump’s ‘patriotic, pugilistic and partisan’ speech. ‘Trump repeatedly blamed and belittled Democrats and former President Joe Biden for America’s problems.’ He pointed out the moment during which Trump dared Democrats to stand He concluded: ‘As a campaign speech to the party faithful, it earned an A. As a call for unity and bipartisanship, his grade is an F.’

Jessica Anderson, president of the conservative Sentinel Action Fund said Trump did a good job describing the new ‘Golden Age.’ ‘Tonight, President Trump set out a clear vision for the next three years and built on this progress, unveiling new policies, like savings accounts that will give every American worker a real piece of the American Dream,’ she told the Daily Mail. Anderson pointed out that with the midterms just months away, it was ‘exactly the message voters want to hear.’ She hit Democrats for refusing to ‘prioritize the safety of Americans over illegal immigrants’ during the theatrics.

Noel, former speechwriter to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and president of the writing agency Washington Writers Network, says Trump planned out his strategy well. ‘President Trump knows that no one remembers every statistic or follows every policy point, and most don’t watch the full speech,’ he said. ‘But they see the clips and remember the stories you tell. He succeeded by featuring memorable guests and turning a usually dry event into a show. It was vintage Trump.’