As President Donald Trump addresses a joint session of Congress Tuesday night, what he doesn’t say will be more revealing and certainly more consequential than the rah-rah rhetoric he is expected to deliver.
You are going to hear the word “mandate” over and over again to justify the indiscriminate pickaxe Trump has taken to federal programs. Indeed, if one were planning a drinking game where you took a sip every time the word “mandate” was mentioned, then you’d get light-headed at lightning speed. But you likely won’t hear about the cascade of unforced errors, the raggedy missteps that happen when speed is prioritized over substance and the pain caused by the callous and cavalier approach to people’s livelihoods.
You likely won’t hear about the cascade of unforced errors, the raggedy missteps that happen when speed is prioritized over substance.
A president’s speech to Congress always includes a measure of oratorical chest-thumping. It’s the moment to lay out an agenda and make the case to fence sitters in Congress or disaffected citizens watching from the couch. It’s also the platform to reinforce the idea that America is headed in the right direction — even in moments of great challenge.
But America is hurtling into uncharted territory. After six weeks of a demolition derby approach to government, America is being mocked and reprimanded by its European allies. They once looked to the U.S. with admiration and respect, but are now perplexed by the president’s decision to align U.S. interests with Russia’s dictator. Americans are not accustomed to an unelected civilian co-president who lords over taxpayer money while his own businesses reap millions in government funding.
Tariffs are not new, but this round of ill-advised tariffs imposed on our closest neighbors caused the markets to dive as China joined Canada and Mexico in imposing retaliatory measures. Egg prices remain high and continue to climb. Americans should brace for more sticker shock once those tit-for-tat retaliatory tariffs take full effect.
And while this is all happening, America is led by a president who is unlikely to use his platform to quell the indigestion that his twirling tornado of tumult has caused.
The exact number of firings has not been released but reportedly tens of thousands of federal employees have been purged. They are reeling after being fired in an ignominious manner with little notice and even less compassion for their plight. It’s not just the shedding of so many civil service jobs. It’s the unapologetic glee behind the amputation.
The picture of Elon Musk wielding an oversized cherry-red chainsaw will make its way into future history books as a symbol of Trump’s Wreck-It Ralph approach to the nation’s federal workforce. We are not likely to see those kinds of props in the formal chamber on Capitol Hill, though Musk will surely be there in some exalted presidential-adjacent space. Yet we should expect the same cold-shouldered get-over-it-and-get-with-the-program messaging from the actual president himself.
The president is expected to explain that the short-term pain caused by a global tariff trade war will ultimately produce a stronger economy as Americans begin buying more products from farms and businesses within our borders. “To the Great Farmers of the United States: Get ready to start making a lot of agricultural product to be sold INSIDE of the United States,” Trump said on his Truth Social platform. He continued, “Tariffs will go on external product on April 2nd. Have fun!”
Don’t expect Trump to acknowledge that America imports more agricultural products than it exports. And while he will likely invoke the great farmers of the U.S. in his speech, don’t expect to hear much about farmers who grow the wheat, soybeans and sorghum that are sent overseas as part of the USAID Food for Peace program that Trump slashed. Those growers who have lost the market for their amber waves of grain from the Midwest aren’t having fun, and they aren’t going to pivot to producing tomatoes and avocados that Americans are accustomed to getting from Mexico.
After sweeping in so much change in just six weeks, Trump has a lot of explaining to do.
After sweeping in so much change in just six weeks, Trump has a lot of explaining to do. Will he share a plan for battling inflation or bring down the price of eggs?
Will he explain how Elon Musk, an unelected billionaire civilian with clear conflicts of interests, is gutting the government and awarding contacts to his own companies while dismantling the regulatory agencies and departments with direct oversight of his business interests?
Don’t count on it.
Trump may be expected to rail against Diversity, Equity and Inclusion programs in the name of promoting meritocracy. The lie at the heart of the anti-DEI crusade is that unqualified minorities are snatching opportunities away from more deserving white Americans.
Not only is that not true; characterizing DEI as giving unfair advantages to the unqualified is particularly hypocritical from a president who has appointed Cabinet members whose experience falls far below the historically established standard for their positions. Will the president tell Americans that DOGE people trumpeted $8 billion in savings that turned out to be $8 million? (Whoops.) Will he explain how the DOGE demolition crew accidentally fired the people who work to safeguard America’s nuclear arsenal and the people working to prevent the spread of bird flu? If the past is any indication, this address will feel more like a political rally where the GOP faithful offer thunderous applause for the man who is eviscerating their constitutional powers by ruling like a king. Though the Constitution gives Congress the power to make laws and set spending, Trump is making his own rules, and thus far the members of his party are going along for the ride. Though the Constitution gives Congress the power to make laws and set spending, Trump is making his own rules. Trump is masterful at messaging so he will use his natural showmanship to talk about strength and stability and safety, and those digestible oratorical nuggets will get picked up and distributed to his faithful on Fox News under the banner of “Renewing the American Dream,” the theme for his message tonight. But Americans are dealing with the reality of rising prices, the threat of lost government services and, for federal employees, lost jobs, as well as a significant shift in the United States’ standing among world leaders. After Friday’s disastrous Oval Office meeting with Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelenskyy, European Union Foreign Policy Chief Kaja Kallas said, “Today, it became clear that the free world needs a new leader.” For someone who is so focused on branding, Trump seems not to care that he’s tarnished the things that are associated with the United States’ well-earned reputation: Credibility. Reliability. Competence. Stability. Trust. The only thing he seems to be concerned about is a demonstration of strength. Speaking to the media from the White House, Musk admitted that he and his team had made some mistakes. That was a refreshing moment of humility on his part. However, humility is not in Trump’s approach to leadership. But an honest explanation of these missteps and a clear and honest explanation of Trump’s overall agenda is something the public deserves. Sadly, they should not expect to hear that tonight.
Michele Norris is a Senior Contributing Editor for MS NOW. 
