Event: The State of the Union

The State of the Union message to Congress is mandated in the Constitution. But it does not mandate what it has become: an annual spectacle that is a sort of civic theater for the benefit, not of Congress, but of the executive branch. It is an admixture now of free airtime, especially valuable in a campaign year; advocacy and announcements for the true locus of American governance; and incidentally, a report on the state of the Union. President Donald J. Trump did not create this state of affairs, but with his entrepreneurial showman’s instinct he has exploited the format to its fullest. None of this is to say that there is no content to the State of the Union address. There is, in fact, quite a bit, but it must be understood in its full context. This week’s address contained the usual laundry list of policy ideas and initiatives, many quite good, all crafted toward a particular desired narrative, and all grounded within a particular understanding of American civics. That understanding is worth illuminating, because it provides the key to grasping what, exactly, the administration of Donald J. Trump is for, what it means, and what it will do. One of the core themes of the Trump era is the restoration of what may be called dignitas. Trump evidently believes that ordinary Americans bear dignitas as much as he does. This is starkly visible in the 2026 address, which spends a great deal of time elaborating upon various measures and outcomes meant to increase the dignitas of the ordinary American. American drug prices will be lower. Healthcare will get price transparency. Peace will be pursued. Households will be protected from data-center-driven electricity rate spikes. Eggs are affordable. Gas is cheap. Investment firms won’t buy up housing stock. DEI programs are…