America: the state of the union address…

I watched the first hour (actually about 40 minutes as he was late, as usual) pre-recorded. Usual rubbish but slightly less incoherent. The Republicans were on springs. Every sentence a standing ovation (although I noticed many getting slower bouncing up as they tired.) The Democrats sat there in stony silence except for a slight acknowledgement when Trump accidentally said something sensible. It took me about 15 minutes to watch as I fast forwarded through the Ovations. A lot of noise, little content.

I shall skim through the second hour later, maybe.

Maremia

Listened to the BBC fact checking on the News this morning.
Were any of the Supreme Court Judges in attendance?

Yes, four of them.

I wasn't sleeping well last night so I was browsing the Bluesky feed of comments on the SOTU speech. Trump shook hands with Judge Roberts who shut his eyes and grimaced during the handshake..

Senator Green was escorted out because he held up a sign saying that 'black people aren't apes'..

Lots of comments asking why Democrat senators weren't walking out.

Lots of disgust that the USA men's ice hockey team had turned up when the women's team had declined Trump's invitation to attend...

This is what I was waiting for. Bow we don't have to watch the buffoon.

Fact checks are in.

edition.cnn.com/interactive/2026/02/politics/donald-trump-sotu-address-vis/

Thanks Maizie.

I don't want to start another post, but I saw an image of Mike Tindall wearing a Make England Great Again red hat.

Please tell me this is a joke making fun of America.

imaround

I don't want to start another post, but I saw an image of Mike Tindall wearing a Make England Great Again red hat.

Please tell me this is a joke making fun of America.

It was a 'Make England Great Again' hat, probably in reference to the England Rugby team's very poor performances in the 6 Nations Cup over the past couple of weeks.

Possibly, though I hope not, it might have been in support of our right wing Reform party ( or even, heaven help us, to the even more right wing Restore party)

In the first instance it would be a jokey reference to MAGA hats

In the second,

I didn't want to believe it, so I am glad it has a reason. Makes sense.

I'd say, though, that even though Tindall is a 'commoner' his background is solid middle class, private school education. This 'type' very often is right wing...

NYT reporting that an Epstein file that has details of a woman’s accusation of Trumps abuse has disappeared.

MaizieD

imaround

I don't want to start another post, but I saw an image of Mike Tindall wearing a Make England Great Again red hat.

Please tell me this is a joke making fun of America.

It was a 'Make England Great Again' hat, probably in reference to the England Rugby team's very poor performances in the 6 Nations Cup over the past couple of weeks.

Possibly, though I hope not, it might have been in support of our right wing Reform party ( or even, heaven help us, to the even more right wing Restore party)

In the first instance it would be a jokey reference to MAGA hats

In the second,

I'm sure it would be tongue-in-cheek and in reference to the rugby.
He might have politial views but would surely not display them so overtly?

It's not working anyway, Mike! Although England could buck up but they're not as dismal as Wales.

Although England could buck up but they're not as dismal as Wales.

But Wales very nearly beat Scotland last weekend who had walked all over England the week before..

It's a funny old game...

Watched Sir Gareth Edwards and his wife on BBC4 this evening.

Those were the days! Gareth, Barry John, JPR Williams et al

This sums up what many are feeling Re The Speach.

www.facebook.com/reel/688654314270577

Absolutely

Oh, Petra, thank you for this. It made me laugh out loud.
I did wonder, though, as a supporter of Amnesty, whether this might count as " severe and unusual punishment"..

MayBee70

Anyone else staying up to watch this? They keep saying that many people throughout the world will be watching is because Trump is ‘an entertainer’ and they want to be entertained by him. Do they really believe this?

Who calls Trump an entertainer?

I can assure you this is not a word used of him in Denmark.

I didn't hear his speech, as I had no intention of listing to him or any other politician in the middle of the night!

I relied on the television news broadcast in the morning to give the important points of his speech, which it did.

Unfortunately, it is in our own best interests to listen to the nonsense Trump spouts as he very unfortunately ot my mind is the president of the USA, and thus capable of affecting all our lives to a lesser or larger extent.

RosiesMawagain

Thanks OP, as the saying goes, I’ll take a rain check.

I won't bother with the rain check!

MayBee70 - I think the man is an imbecile. It says something about the USA that he became President. I cringe when listening to his absurd ramblings.

In the US. He is called a reality TV star and entertainer. He is not a successful business man. Nor is he a politician. At best, he is an entertainer.

And that is being nice.

I won't post what I call him lest I be banned.

BBC Verify is most interesting in its analysis of President Trumps speeches.

I can barely stand to watch him utter even one sentence, I just couldn't cope with a couple of hours. The way he tilts his head, his repeating everything over and over again and his very weird mouth, Ugh!! How anybody could find him entertaining I just don't understand.

1 hour 47 mins long speech. Is he trying to convince the nation he can lean on a lecturn for so long. Imagine being stuck in that venue and having to listen to the waffle master.

The Ladies Ice Hockey team had a very nice dinner with Stanley Tucci in Milan. Just saying.

The Men’s team ate burgers at the White House. I thought the White House had a proper kitchen - or maybe they just have a branch of Macdonalds now.

Trump is like one of the Emperors in the end parts of the Roman Empire. As the Empire slowly crumbles, the rhetoric becomes more and more grandiose, indeed, idiotical.

We will conquer X,Y,Z. We will become the Greatest Ever. Whilst slowly, social and medical and other support systems collapse, the richer get richer, and prices in the shops go up.

I just had to look up for comparison a chunk of an Obama State of the Union speech. Just listen to any chunk of it (the final one, when he knew he would be going of course)

www.youtube.com/watch?v=rlLSBTAg0aM&t=1550s.

The US is capable of producing leaders and thinkers like this!

ps, here is a one minute clip to cheer you up as to what is possible in the US...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z7x4ZS7ZZWc&list=RDZ7x4ZS7ZZWc&start_radio=1