Plus: Discord explains age verification with apologetic blog; IOC president blames PR team during press conference.
The United States has faced growing tumult in recent months, with an immigration divide, tariff woes and concerns about the economy. One could argue these are uncertain times. But you wouldn’t know it from President Donald Trump’s State of the Union address.
Lasting a record-breaking one hour and forty-seven minutes, Trump addressed Congress in his classic manner. He was candid, he criticized his opponents and he touted his accomplishments as the reason the country is “winning.”
“Our spirit is restored. Inflation is plummeting. Incomes are rising fast. The roaring economy is roaring like never before. Our enemies are scared. Our military and police are stacked. And America is respected again, perhaps like never before,” Trump said early in his speech.
Conservative representatives barely had time to stay seated as Trump listed off win after win, placing blame on democrats for dragging the nation down: “Democrats are destroying our country, but we’ve stopped it just in the nick of time.”
Dems remained less enthusiastic, with a handful of attendees who appeared to be scrolling on their phones. Texas Representative Al Green was once again removed for holding up a “Black people are not apes” sign. Minnesota Representative Ilhan Omar argued with Trump from her seat over the recent killings in her state. Trump was quick to respond that she “should be ashamed.”
Media reactions were mostly rooted in corrections, claiming that Trump’s speech was full of falsehoods or exaggerated details. The AP and FactCheck.org refuted each claim point by point.
The New York Times called it a “spectacle,” a performance that cast Trump as the pinnacle of “American Heroism,” while Fox News called it “profound” and “a great performance” while acknowledging it may do little to sway voters. CNN’s Kaitlan Collins said this was nothing new from the president, noting he became “increasingly irritated” throughout the night.
Why it matters: Trump’s speech wasn’t a surprise. It was Trump being Trump. He doubled down on his claims with the confidence and authority that his supporters have come to love him for.
He made it clear who he sees as the enemy, reinforced himself as a champion of American ideals and didn’t avoid conflict. His message was either a positive outlook on the direction of our country or a distraction from the realities our nation is facing, depending on what side of the aisle you’re on.
Time will tell where voters stand, but it’s clear that Trump has no desire to change course. In his eyes, his strategy has worked twice. Why switch it up now?
Editor’s Top Reads:
- Discord has released another explanation and apology regarding its age verification policy after its last clarification left users in an uproar. CTO Stanislav Vishnevskiy plainly admitted the company missed the mark. “The way this landed, many of you walked away thinking we’re requiring face scans and ID uploads from everyone just to use Discord. That’s not what’s happening, but the fact that so many people believe it tells us we failed at our most basic job: clearly explaining what we’re doing and why. That’s on us.” He went on in the lengthy blog post to describe the change in more detail, emphasizing what it is not, more than anything. He followed it up with what their goals are and why they’re making this change, ending with a plea about building trust. These are the words Discord’s loyal users wanted from the beginning. The blog did an excellent job framing the change as a necessary tool for safety while reassuring users that most people won’t be affected. The problem is that trust is difficult to regain once it’s gone. This may help ease some concerns, however, and the plain language approach from Vishnevskiy, not as a CTO, but as an everyday user of Discord, may begin to repair the damage.
- At a press conference during the closing of the Winter Olympics, International Olympic Committee president Kirsty Coventry was asked a series of questions by reporters that left her floundering, including about a possible German bid to host the 2036 Games and a soccer leader’s political activities. She repeatedly admitted she didn’t know about these issues and, in front of cameras, said that someone on her team “maybe needs to be dismissed” for not briefing her properly. “Frankly, and I’m looking at my team because I was not aware that Germany had made any comments in and around 2036. So I don’t really have an opinion on it,” she said, before continuing on. Oh, boy. When cameras are rolling, it’s a bad look to appear unprepared, which is exactly what Coventry’s comms team should have helped her avoid. It’s not always possible to be ready to answer every question, but it is essential that comms teams help guide leadership so that when tough questions are presented, the leader can address them in a way that helps them look calm, steady and informed. Coventry’s team missed the mark here, but she was the one who took the fall. That being said, Coventry should have tabled her remarks until she could speak privately with her team. Her lash out did little to help her cause and if anything, drew more eyeballs to her stumble.
- Bill Gates apologized to his own foundation staff because of renewed controversy over his past association with Jeffrey Epstein. WSJ reports that at a recent internal town-hall meeting, he said his meetings with Epstein were a “huge mistake,” acknowledged that the situation had cast a shadow over the foundation’s reputation, and expressed regret for involving others in those interactions. He also addressed details emerging from newly released U.S. Justice Department files and admitted to having had extramarital affairs, which were later uncovered in the same documents, though he insisted he “did nothing illicit” and did not engage in criminal conduct with Epstein’s victims. “Knowing what I know now makes it, you know, a hundred times worse in terms of not only his crimes in the past, but now it’s clear there was ongoing bad behavior,” he told staff. The Epstein fallout is forcing many CEOs and leaders to address their ties or resign altogether and it’s clear Gates wants to appeal to his staff first and foremost with a careful explanation in order to save his foundation. He’s contrite and apologetic while taking accountability, which is a good step. Whether this is enough to garner the forgiveness he’s seeking, without too much reputational damage, remains to be seen.
Courtney Blackann is a communications reporter. Connect with her on LinkedIn or email her at courtneyb@ragan.com.
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