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Political Strategists unveil grades for SOTU

Posted on 2/25/26 at 4:57 am
Posted by BoomerandSooner
Member since Sep 2025
2169 posts
Posted on 2/25/26 at 4:57 am
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-15585519/Political-strategists-unveil-grade-Trumps-State-Union.html

Daily Mail poll
What grade would YOU give the speech?

A or B
59%
947 votes

C
6%
90 votes

D or F
35%
561 votes


quote:

Jonathan Bronitsky: 'Trump brilliantly put the Democrats on their heels'
Grade: A+

According to Dr. Jonathan Bronitsky, co-founder and CEO of ATHOS and formerly chief speechwriter at the Justice Department during Trump's first administration, Trump was in his element.

He pointed out that while this speech was Trump's 'least formal' - it is 'precisely why it landed.'

The President 'brilliantly put the Democrats on their heels' and wasn't afraid to call them out directly, he went on.

And Trump even gave them 'opportunities to literally rise to the moment.'


quote:

Tevi Troy: 'Rare unifying moment'
Grade: B

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.


quote:

Rusty Hills: 'It was a campaign rally'
Grade: F

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.'


Lolololololololololololololol!

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.'


quote:

Andrew Bates: 'Gaslighting Americans'
Grade: E for Epstein

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.


quote:

Jessica Anderson
Grade: A++

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.


quote:

Rob Noel: 'Vintage Trump'
Grade: A

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.'
Posted by AUJACK
Member since Sep 2020
1179 posts
Posted on 2/25/26 at 5:07 am to
Appreciate the information, but it does not really matter what a political strategist thinks.

Personally, I enjoyed the The State of the Union. I think any good political strategist worth their salt could make a name for themselves, on the republican side, from the SOTUS alone.
Posted by Doctor Strangelove
Member since Feb 2018
3394 posts
Posted on 2/25/26 at 5:13 am to
I watched the Fox News feed for the SOTU and when Trump said that Somalia was a place where corruption and fraud was common in their culture and we need to deport them the camera kept panning on Omar. She was shaking her head and finally erupted. Loved him calling out the horrible immigration policy of democrats.
Posted by The Torch
DFW The Dub
Member since Aug 2014
28769 posts
Posted on 2/25/26 at 5:13 am to
quote:

Rusty Hills: 'It was a campaign rally'
Grade: F


They all have that look
Posted by BoomerandSooner
Member since Sep 2025
2169 posts
Posted on 2/25/26 at 5:14 am to
quote:

Joe Biden's former deputy press secretary Andrew Bates


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This post was edited on 2/25/26 at 5:16 am
Posted by RCDfan1950
United States
Member since Feb 2007
39120 posts
Posted on 2/25/26 at 5:16 am to
The Poll likely reflects the true and current ideological breakdown of the American population. 60/40% MAGA. But that could swing 10% or more to either side given a particular scenario.

Towards the future it’s affordability and the old “it’s the economy, stupid” narrative. As usual. The Dems had to drop the Covid bomb last time to ‘win’ what was an inevitable economic based Trump victory. That won’t fly again. After what has and is being learned re rigged elections, the Muh Dictator card is off the table as the Right is ready for authoritarian intervention if that is what it takes.
Posted by ole man
Baton Rouge
Member since Nov 2007
17538 posts
Posted on 2/25/26 at 5:48 am to
If nothing else gets him an A, the defining moment was when the Dems didn't stand in support if Americans over illegal, that blindsided them and that was their answer even a frick lefty could see that
Posted by Hangit
The Green Swamp
Member since Aug 2014
46121 posts
Posted on 2/25/26 at 6:12 am to
quote:

Rusty Hills: 'It was a campaign rally'
Grade: F


Rusty molests puppies and wishes he could get his hands on children.

quote:

'Trump repeatedly blamed and belittled Democrats and former President Joe Biden for America’s problems.'


He pointed out that DJT repeated this but didn't say it was wrong. I have not seen any Dem claim that their president was mistaken.
Posted by TurkeyBaconLeg
Member since Jul 2018
1904 posts
Posted on 2/25/26 at 6:26 am to
WTF is a "Politcal Strategist"?

I mean, I could claim to be one because I post about politics on various forums and I know stuff. I have decades of political posts and discussions about various issues. I am a PRO!

All of us here on TD PT could be political strategists if we wanted to!

TurkeyBaconLeg gives Trump SOTU speech an A++.
Posted by SallysHuman
Lady Palmetto Bug
Member since Jan 2025
18036 posts
Posted on 2/25/26 at 6:29 am to
quote:

TurkeyBaconLeg gives Trump SOTU speech an A++.


Sally gave it two barks up.

I thought it was great.
Posted by cornerstore
Member since Jul 2024
1957 posts
Posted on 2/25/26 at 6:34 am to
Political strategists may be above the media in the scumbag hierarchy
Posted by rebeloke
Member since Nov 2012
17155 posts
Posted on 2/25/26 at 6:42 am to
The Democrats didn’t stand when asked if they valued Americans over illegal immigrants.

He blasted the SCOTUS and let them know they would answer the mail once a year.

He called the Democrats crazy insane and said they should be ashamed of themselves. He also hung the shutdown on them. Called it the Democrat shutdown.

He awarded and highlighted military service. Trump for all his faults loves America and our military.
Posted by Swamp Angel
West Georgia Chicken Farm Territory
Member since Jul 2004
9884 posts
Posted on 2/25/26 at 6:44 am to
Does anyone really believe that Trump's disapproval rating in in the 60% range as we're being told of late?

The swamp creatures are afraid and doing everything they can to avoid being decapitated and left to the vultures.
Posted by supadave3
Houston, TX
Member since Dec 2005
32035 posts
Posted on 2/25/26 at 6:52 am to
quote:

He blasted the SCOTUS and let them know they would answer the mail once a year.


I thought he did a good job there. He didn’t belittle or insult them, but did point out that it was an ‘unfortunate’ decision but he never said it was wrong. He didn’t call the court corrupt. He didn’t start a feud. He respectfully disagreed.
Posted by soonerinlOUisiana
South of I-10
Member since Aug 2012
1596 posts
Posted on 2/25/26 at 6:55 am to
Thanks, but I don’t need a political strategist to tell me what I think.
Posted by olgoi khorkhoi
priapism survivor
Member since May 2011
16590 posts
Posted on 2/25/26 at 7:29 am to
quote:

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.






I thought Billionaires didn't pay income taxes.
Posted by MizzouBS
Missouri
Member since Dec 2014
6823 posts
Posted on 2/25/26 at 7:34 am to
How many voters watched the SOTU? Most of those watching were MAGA, so he was speaking to the choir.

The rest of America and most voters will get snippets or see highlights on social media from Bill Maher, Jimmy Kimmel, Jon Stewart, Stephen Colbert, CNN, MSNBC, or other liberal comedians.

In just a few days his speech will be considered one the worst SOTU speeches ever by people who get most of their news from social media.

That is the case with most things he does
This post was edited on 2/25/26 at 7:35 am
Posted by GumboPot
Member since Mar 2009
140016 posts
Posted on 2/25/26 at 7:38 am to
quote:

WTF is a "Politcal Strategist"?


Consultants that politicians pay millions of dollars to instruct for example the Democrats to run on the theme of "affordability" like last night.
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