SANTA BARBARA, Calif. — President Donald Trump’s joint address to Congress on Tuesday evening sparked both approval and skepticism across the political spectrum.
“The speech last night went overwhelmingly well,” Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson said Wednesday on "GMA." “It was not a speech for the mainstream media—it was a speech for the American people.”
Meanwhile, Democratic House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said, “That was one of the most partisan and divisive speeches ever delivered by an American president.”
To assess the speech’s impact and implications, political science professor Dr. Julien Labarre, at UC Santa Barbara and California State University, Dominguez Hills, offered his perspective, calling the president’s tone “both gloating and vengeful.”
Sen. Elissa Slotkin of Michigan delivered the Democratic response to Trump's address, accusing him of having no credible plan to deal with high grocery and housing prices.
“Americans made it clear that prices are too high and that the government needs to be more responsive to their needs,” Slotkin said. “America wants change, but there's a responsible way to make change and a reckless way, and we can make that change without forgetting who we are as a country and as a democracy.”
Labarre said he found the Democratic response “quite underwhelming and ineffective.”
While Trump touted his accomplishments on immigration and diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies, Labarre noted the president’s omissions were just as notable.
“The president’s silence on issues he probably thought were less favorable to him was louder than what was actually in the speech,” Labarre said, pointing to the lack of discussion on health care.
Trump’s use of a young cancer patient during the speech also drew criticism from Labarre.
“I found it questionable that the president would bring a 13-year-old boy diagnosed with brain cancer to use as a prop without mentioning that he ordered cuts to research, especially cancer research and science more broadly,” Labarre said.
Trump made Devarjaye "DJ" Daniel, a 13-year-old who aspired to become a police officer but was diagnosed with brain cancer in 2018, an honorary member of the U.S. Secret Service during the address.
Since his inauguration, Trump has made a whirlwind of moves, including firing thousands of federal workers in an effort to reduce the size of the federal government.
“We will be ending the flagrant waste of taxpayer dollars, and to that end, I have created the Department of Government Efficiency, which is headed by Elon Musk,” Trump said.
Musk has claimed that his department has saved taxpayers $105 billion in cuts.
Labarre cast doubt on Musk's reported numbers, arguing that “waste is largely a pretext” for deregulation and downsizing government agencies. He pointed out that “DODGE's reported savings are often exaggerated,” citing reports of inflated figures and misleading accounting practices.
With tariffs newly imposed on three major trade partners—Mexico, Canada, and China—Labarre warned of their economic repercussions.
“Tariffs hurt both the targeted countries, but they’ll also hurt American citizens,” he said, highlighting potential price increases on consumer goods, including energy, maple syrup, and avocados.
Labarre also raised concerns about the broader economic message being sent by Trump’s trade policies.
“The trade war that the president has waged against our allies sends a really terrible message because it comes at a moment when he’s also making concessions to our adversaries,” he said.
He suggested that in the long run, U.S. consumers and industries could face greater harm than the targeted nations as trade partners seek alternative markets.
Local Political Science Professor Shares Analysis of Trump’s Address and Its Impact News Channel 3-12.
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