Abby McCloskey, Bloomberg Opinion, March 4, 2026

A skeptic might ask why Trump needs this speech. He already commands attention unlike any modern political figure.

Answer: Because there’s nothing else quite like it. Even for a nation disenchanted with politics, there’s a mystique to the State of the Union. At no other time do Congress, the Supreme Court, the Cabinet, and millions of Americans sit at attention for the president. The Founders included this speech in the Constitution to balance the branches of government. For the president to take the witness stand before members without term limits and tell them: This is the nation as I see it and what should come next. Congress might seem these days like a china shop nervously awaiting its bull, but it was designed to be the most powerful branch of government — the greatest democratic institution on Earth.

Trump is going to lay it on thick and hard. And he has a lot to work with. His detractors always underestimate this to their peril. . . . Just as telling will be what the speech leaves out.