There were two great things about President Donald Trump’s address to a joint session of Congress on Tuesday.
The first is that the Democrats basically couldn’t applaud anything, because it was Trump being Trump.
The second? There was also nothing there that any sensible American could or should possibly oppose.
Government efficiency. Foreign policy victories. New jobs. A secure border. Support for police. DEI rollbacks. Restoring American strength in trade and in military power. All of these are things should be getting applause.
Instead, not only did the Democrats not applaud any of it, they were downright angry — so angry one representative had to be expelled from the chamber, and this shot, of Connecticut Democratic Rep. Rosa DeLauro, accurately summed up the mood of the evening:
Rosa DeLauro, a Democrat serving her 18th term as a U.S. representative, was hot and bothered by Trump’s speech but looked stunning, donning purple hair and a floral designer coat. pic.twitter.com/IdPpeDQ6NO
— Dean Cramer | Kingsofar (@kingsofar) March 5, 2025
And those reactions were part of what the president fed off of — so much so that he turned the tables on Democrats early in the speech, chiding them for their inability to applaud virtually anything.
“This is my fifth such speech to Congress, and, once again, I look at the Democrats in front of me, and I realize, there is absolutely nothing I can say to make them happy or to make them stand or smile or applaud,” Trump said. “Nothing I can do.
Do you support Donald Trump?
“I could find a cure to the most devastating disease, a disease that would wipe out entire nations, or announce the answers to the greatest economy in history or the stoppage of crime to the lowest levels ever recorded, and these people sitting right here will not clap, will not stand, and certainly will not cheer for these astronomical achievements.
“They won’t do it no matter what. Five, five times I’ve been up here. It’s very sad,” he said, adding: “It just shouldn’t be this way.”
TRUMP: I look at the Democrats in front of me – I realize, there’s nothing I can say to make them happy, stand, or smile or applaud. I could find a cure to the most devastating disease…or announce the answers to the greatest economy in history, or the stoppage of crime to the… pic.twitter.com/qbsRwbu06f
— Florida’s Voice (@FLVoiceNews) March 5, 2025
Which was true. When there weren’t moments like this, with Rep. Al Green from Texas getting ejected from the chamber for heckling …
.@RepAlGreen (D-TX) is removed from the Joint Session of Congress. pic.twitter.com/GJVHJpZHGc
— CSPAN (@cspan) March 5, 2025
… there were moments like these, where Democrats couldn’t even applaud for things every American should get behind:
Democrats just refused to stand and clap as President Trump announced the capture and extradition of the ISIS terrorist responsible for the Abbey Gate attack that left 13 American service members dead.
pic.twitter.com/HDXgoPuvsX— Greg Price (@greg_price11) March 5, 2025
President Trump just announced the terrorist mastermind behind the Abbey Gate Bombing, which killed 13 US Service Members, has been apprehended and will soon come to America to face justice.
Democrats did not stand or clap.
Despicable people.
— Karoline Leavitt (@PressSec) March 5, 2025
Democrats also refused to stand for Jocelyn Nungaray Wildlife Refuge, named after a 12-year-old girl who was sexually assaulted and murdered by two illegals in Texas @FDRLST
— Breccan F. Thies (@BreccanFThies) March 5, 2025
President Trump talks about Americans loving our country and joining our military in record numbers.
Democrats like Bernie Sanders didn’t like that. He literally walked out shortly after. pic.twitter.com/YMEu3ylGkm
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) March 5, 2025
If the Ds can’t clap for a beautiful 13-year old boy who wants to become a cop, there’s something really wrong with them.
— Ari Fleischer (@AriFleischer) March 5, 2025
Yes, that’s right: In case you missed it, there was a 13-year-old cancer survivor named Devarjaye “DJ” Daniel who wanted to become a cop and had been diagnosed with brain cancer six years ago; he was given five months to live.
“Since that time, DJ and his dad have been on a quest to make his dream come true, and DJ has been sworn in as an honorary law enforcement officer, actually a number of times,” Trump said, according to a New York Times transcript of the speech.
“The police love him. The police departments love him. And tonight, DJ, we are going to do you the biggest honor of them all. I am asking our new Secret Service director, Sean Curran, to officially make you an agent of the United States Secret Service.”
And, as was noted on social media, the Democrats couldn’t bring themselves to clap en masse for that.
What, precisely, is wrong with our country when it means more to virtue-signal by scowling and sitting for things every American should be proud of — and which the Democrats could try to maneuver into wins for them, were they smart enough — than it does to be proud of U.S. accomplishments?
If there’s one takeaway from Tuesday’s speech it ought to be this: The left cannot love America winning unless they’re steering the boat, and even then they’re only proud that they’re winning. America second. Not for the next four years, however — and the president made sure to call attention to that early. Rest assured, those watching paid attention.
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