Trump’s State of the Union Address is Representative of America’s Decline into Fascism 

Image via White House Twitter/X Account 

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On Tuesday, February 24, 2026, Donald Trump delivered the longest State of the Union address in American history, and it certainly felt like it. This was not accidental, as seen in how it barely addressed the actual “state” of our nation; instead, Trump put on the spectacle of the ages. 

There has been much research done on the aesthetics of fascism and the imagery that fascist governments utilize to bolster their images. One of the most influential theorists is Walter Benjamin, who described how fascist governments aim to portray themselves in ways that turn citizens into potential actors through mass media. While Benjamin cites radio, photography, and film, as it was written in 1936, this can be applied to modern media, such as television and social media. 

In a state in which the government uses mass media to influence the feelings of the masses, politics essentially becomes theater, and spectacle replaces substance, which can clearly be seen in Trump’s State of the Union address. 

Trump’s guest list was representative of current Republican talking points and anthropomorphized American patriotism. Trump calls out to the families of the victims murdered by immigrants, creating the illusion of the threat that immigrants face in America. He addresses Sage Blaire, a detransitioner from Virginia, who is working alongside their parents to sue their school for helping them with their gender identity without informing their parents. This further pushes the idea of a “transgender ideology” and tries to draw on the anxiety of parents across the United States.

Alongside these guests was 100-year-old World War II veteran, Captain Rotce Williams, who was presented with the Congressional Medal of Honor for his service as a Navy pilot. Trump also invited the U.S. men’s hockey team to show face (specifically white, male faces) after their gold medal victory against Canada in the 2026 Winter Olympics. 

These guests force Democrats into a moral trap, in which their forced applause acts as consent.f Democrats do not clap, they are seen as “un-American” or simply as standing for immorality. So, they must clap. 

Unsurprisingly, Trump went on multiple tirades throughout his speech about the dangers of illegal immigrants, explicitly citing Somali immigrants in Minnesota. This is the community that Trump was targeting when he sent ICE agents to the northern state, resulting in the murders of Renee Good and Alex Pretti, neither of whom was mentioned in Trump’s speech. 

However, their deaths were not completely forgotten, as Ilhan Omar, a Somali immigrant representing Minnesota, shouted that Trump had killed Americans and that he should be ashamed. She was supported by the Michigan representative Rashida Tlaib, who was wearing a keffiyeh during the address to demonstrate her support for Palestine. Trump responded to Omar by saying that the only reason Democrats did not want voter ID laws was that they wanted to “cheat” in elections. He drives this home by asserting the government’s primary duty: to protect American citizens, not illegal aliens.

Trump is narrowing the definition of citizenship, of who is “allowed” to be an American. He is instituting nationalistic ideals as the primary purpose of government, which is incorrect and inherently fascist rhetoric. He is framing his political opponents as illegitimate by misrepresenting their goals and motivations, while furthering his argument that elections are inherently fraudulent. 

Al Green, a representative for Texas’s 9th congressional district, was forcefully removed from the floor of Congress after holding up a sign stating “Black People Aren’t Apes,” which was in reference to Trump’s social media post depicting former President Barack Obama and former First Lady Michelle Obama as apes. Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib were reportedly removed by Trump officials. Meanwhile, other Democrats, such as Nancy Pelosi, wore white buttons demanding the release of the Epstein files, while also standing and clapping throughout Trump’s speech. Only three members actually disrupted the speech, and they were removed or suppressed, while the non-disruptive protests had virtually no impact on Trump or his speech. 

Trump is utilizing democratic institutions to undermine democratic legitimacy. He is suppressing dissent and ignoring critics. Only a few days after this speech, Trump escalated foreign policy posturing, allying with Israel to bomb Iran. 

The speech felt long, not simply because of its duration, but because Trump pushed the mythos of American heroism and patriotism to avoid actually addressing the state of the union. Fascism is not always bombastic violence, although there are absolutely examples of this occurring at present, as seen in Minnesota and Iran. It is the slow normalization of extremist language, of spectacle instead of governance, of the mythos of a great nation. Democracy cannot survive on audience participation alone, and protest can no longer be just about wearing buttons.

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This article was edited by Remi Morris.