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NO NATURAL ORATOR, US President Donald Trump has nonetheless shown at times that he can deliver a powerful speech that effectively outlines his vision, strikes an emotional chord and moves commentators to declare that he, at last, looks presidential. And then the teleprompter gets turned off.
Time and again, Trump has followed up a well-received, stuck-to-the-script address with moments of wild indiscipline, quickly losing any momentum in a controversy of his own making. His first State of the Union address tomorrow will be the biggest test yet of his ability to not just deliver a stately speech but also to then stay on track as the White House rolls out policies building on it.
“He has little message discipline,” said Ari Fleischer, former press secretary for President George W. Bush. “Virtually every time he moves the ball far down the field, he seems to derail himself with a tweet days later instead of building on the momentum.”
The State of the Union is a big set piece for any president, a chance to showcase the accomplishments of the past year while setting the tone for the next one. Every word is meticulously vetted, every presidential guest is carefully chosen and each moment is painstakingly rehearsed. For Trump, dogged by low poll numbers and the persistent Russia probe, the speech carries particular importance.
“It’s one of the few events presidents conduct in which 30 to 40 million or more Americans are watching,” Fleischer said. “There is hardly another moment of presidential exposure as big as this one, and it’s one when the president and his staff have all the control. They are not reacting to events. They are controlling them, and they need to deliver.”
Last February, Trump indeed delivered when he gave his first address to a joint session of Congress. The speech came amid a period of crisis for the young administration — national security adviser Michael Flynn had been dismissed days earlier — and amid questions about whether Trump had the ability and temperament to lead the nation.
Surprising critics, he sounded a rousing call for unity, declaring that it was time to end an era of “pure unadulterated division” in the wake of a bruising campaign and a tumultuous start to his presidency.
“The time for small thinking is over,” Trump said. “The time for trivial fights is behind us. We just need the courage to share the dreams that fill our hearts. The bravery to express the hopes that stir our souls. And the confidence to turn those hopes and those dreams into action.”
The speech, which also featured an emotional standing ovation for the widow of a slain Navy SEAL, drew raves from Republicans and grudging respect from many Democrats while prompting a number of observers to wonder if Trump had found his footing and was ready to usher in a new, more responsible chapter of his presidency.
That lasted less than a week.
On 4 March, Trump typed out a series of tweets in which he accused President Barack Obama of authorising a wiretap of Trump Tower, an unsubstantiated claim that Trump punctuated with the assertion that his predecessor was a “bad (or sick) guy!” The resulting furore derailed any momentum Trump had gotten from the speech and put the West Wing back on the defensive.
It’s far from the only moment when Trump has squandered a brief era of good feelings. In June, he delivered a somber address to the nation after the shooting at a congressional baseball practice, and then two days later, he took to Twitter to attack his own Justice Department while declaring the Russia probe a “witch hunt”.
And the day after he delivered a thunderous address as he accepted his party’s nomination for president at the 2016 Republican National Convention, Trump turned what was supposed to be a brief thank you to volunteers into a score-settling screed, relitigating the conspiracy theory that his rival Ted Cruz’s father had been involved in the assassination of President John F. Kennedy.
The White House has spent weeks crafting the State of the Union speech, seeking input from Cabinet heads and agency leaders. Led by policy adviser Stephen Miller and staff secretary Rob Porter, the speech has gone through a number of drafts that have circulated throughout the West Wing, and the president has added input with handwritten notes.
Trump is expected to highlight immigration and national security issues, outline his hopes for new trade deals and reveal some of his long-awaited infrastructure plans. He then could, as his predecessors did, spend some time traveling the country in support of those ideas.
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People rushing about yesterday after the shock that RTE hadn’t put any extra capacity on their servers for the fight.
Come on RTE, what do we pay you for?
:) I watched Katie’s fight online yesterday here: http://www.eurovisionsports.tv/london2012/
The EBU is streaming a whole range of Olympic events live (though without commentary). Hope that helps if you’re stuck today!
Best online tv for irish stations is Aertv.ie through safari on your iPhone (I have an iPhone 4), go to RTE2 HD. Uses a lot of bandwidth though, so go Wifi if you can
What about michelle smith??
Yeah that was my favourite memory. I know it soured afterwards but at the time it was fantastic.
Cian O’ Connor being stripped of his gold medal is definitely up there.
Riding a horse isn’t even a sport.
It’s a passtime for the privileged.
And naturally the Olympics should be reserved for the disadvantaged. You’d be a cert for gold in the ‘chip-on shoulder’, Niall
Niall – Horse riding is for the privileged? Ha ha ha ha ha and travellers and youngfellas in the fields around Finglas and Ballymun, 2 towns well known for their champagne lifestyles and blue-blooded families.
Its the 21st century and we have a republic now Niall. If you aspire to horse riding you can do it without having to be born with a silver spoon in your gob. Give up your flat cap and hobnail boots and they’ll even let you into the Shelbourne hotel for afternoon tea. Just remember not to spit on the carpets and don’t say “yes, Sorr” to the chaps in the tuxedos. They are the waiters.
What a bloody horrible thing to say, regardless of wether you like show jumping, he was and is a representing Olympian for Ireland! How dare you be so disrespectful!
Horse riding shouldn’t be in the Olympics.
And a former cheat who was stripped of his medal isn’t entitled to any respect
yea i mean everyone is disliking my comment about Michelle smith being the best memory. It was at the time god.
But i guess Cian is in a more ‘posh’ sport and he’s ‘higher class’ so if he loses a medal he did nothing wrong
Very proud of the past but Katie Taylor all the way. She has been an amazing ambassador for Ireland and the sport of boxing.
Eddie the eagle! Always Eddie the eagle.
John Treacy winning silver in the marathon in Los Angeles in ’84. Awesome performance by a guy who hadn’t competed in the event before.The battle he had with Charlie Spedding was incredible.
i know Johnson ain’t Irish but its an Olympic memory for me.
You’re right, he ‘isn’t’ Irish.
Paddy Barnes saying he wasn’t going to medal ceremony in Beijing.
Michael Carruth without a doubt the family were our next door neighbours , great excitement on the day and for weeks later , rte had cables running through our house , journalists looking for stories , great times , Michael sent a postcard to my mum all singed by the Irish boxing team sadly my mum and michaels dad have passed away , Austin was a gentleman , always involved in sports managed our local soccer team when I was a nipper , cherished memories .
Sorry signed , typo !
Michelle smith..Michael carruth and watching the phenomenal Michael Johnson atlanta 96
When that that great irish athlete Hussein O Bolt won gold for team GB.
Michael Carruth in 92 was amazing, and also somehow the casserole bowl exploded in the oven during the fight
Seeing Alan Wells sprint home as winner of the 100M in Moscow (I think ?) is my earliest memory, but John Treacy winning a silver medal in the marathon was a fantastic moment – for a Waterford man !!!
what about kenny egan winning silver last time? amazing fighter and gorgeous as well :)
The end of every Olympics. Does my head in :-)
Yeah does my head in too, I hate when it ends.
Most exhilarating memory is Sonia O’Sullivan bursting clear of the pack to lead the 3000m going round the final bend in 1992 in Barcelona.
Most painful memory was watching her fade in the final stretch to finish in that most cruel of spots, fourth.
For the sheer roller coaster of emotions, that was the most memorable for me.
I was only 10 at the time but I can picture it vividly.
Ronnie Delaney.
Sean Drey and Eamonn Coughlan came so close in Montreal and Moscow. So when I found myself sitting up to watch the Marathon of the LA Olympics it didn’t seem possible that John Treacy could actually pull it off. It was the first time I saw an Irish athlete win anything! (Apologies Mick Dowling but I wasn’t watching.)
have your say