Good day everybody, my title is Stephen A. Crockett Jr., and I’ve been overlaying politics for the higher a part of the twentieth century. I like lengthy walks and kittens (not full-grown cats), and I see myself as a modern-day—
Managing Editor Monique Choose–Stephen, this isn’t your Tinder profile. Please hold the intro associated to the State of the Union.
Stephen–Sure, the State of the Union, or as I prefer to name it Republican PornHub. Critically, the quantity of adulation and T.O.-esque “That’s my quarterback..” that’s about to go on, ought to have this State of the Union labeled NC-17.
That is about to be a full-on white man No Restrict Information reunion through which President Trump is predicted to talk on his failed tariffs, doable warfare with Iran, the potential of a shutdown to the Division of Homeland Safety, and the destitute economic system, which has reached “do one thing unusual for a chunk of change” ranges.
Monique– Stephen, even when that was an actual measurement of the economic system, I nonetheless wouldn’t allow you to say that.
Stephen–Tremendous. You need to in all probability formally introduce your self and be sure you point out the “Trump Dump Detector.” It’s been trending on-line, and it’s in all probability nothing…
Monique–I’m not speaking about that!
Good day, everybody. My title is Monique Choose, and I’m the Managing Editor of NewsOne. Tonight, I will likely be offering dwell updates throughout Donald Trump’s State of the Union tackle, together with my colleague, Stephen A. Crockett Jr. I’ll attempt to hold Stephen in line, however I can’t promise something.
And whereas I can’t predict precisely what Trump goes to say, I’m going to go forward and predict he’s going to do a complete lot of self-congratulatory backpatting, opine on how a lot he has achieved for marginalized teams, most particularly the Blacks, and he’ll seemingly, as he did final yr, largely embellish info and knowledge to swimsuit no matter narrative he runs with tonight.
Final yr, throughout Trump’s speech earlier than the joint session of Congress, he did simply that. As I wrote then:
Donald Trump stood in entrance of a joint session of Congress Tuesday night time and delivered what wasn’t a lot a State of the Union tackle because it was a political stump speech filled with the identical lies and contradictions he advised on the marketing campaign path and has continued to spout in his first 43 days in workplace.
And:
For his half, Trump made certain to assault what he calls “woke” tradition and DEI initiatives — assaults which were widespread with and parroted by his base.
“Our nation will likely be woke not,” Trump mentioned.
He went on to say folks “must be employed primarily based on talent and expertise, not race and gender.”
“We’ve ended the tyranny of so-called ‘Range, Fairness and Inclusion’ insurance policies all throughout the whole federal authorities and certainly the personal sector and our navy,” Trump mentioned.
He mentioned, “We are going to restore true democracy once more,” at a time when many really feel he’s doing all the things in his energy to dismantle the democracy that at present exists.
This can be a man who doesn’t stray too removed from his common script, so I’m going to spitball right here and say we are able to seemingly count on extra of the identical.
In any case, bookmark this publish and refresh the web page often for dwell updates of the State of the Union 2026.
All updates will likely be beneath.
11:09 p.m. ET: It’s lastly over
After 1 hour and 48 minutes of watching an previous white man yell at his farts, State of the Union 2026 is over. We didn’t actually hear something new. As Stephen mentioned in our group chat, “America is being run by an previous white LL Cool J, and we simply spent two hours watching him lick his lips and flex his pecs.”
“This was Narcissus staring right into a mirror being held by Jerome, going, ‘Don’t I look fairly?’” he added.
Anoa, who was over it at concerning the 1 hour and 25 minute mark, mentioned, “Midterm season is underway. Don’t be fooled by this mess.”
And that’s actually the place it’s, people. We will’t belief something that comes out of his mouth or from the desks of anybody in his administration. They’re all suspect at this level.
Good luck, all people.
10:53 p.m. ET: Reality Examine!
Trump’s nicely previous the 90-minute mark from final yr. He’s positively off script at this level. And he simply lies so quick. We’d like AI to assist us calculate the lies per minute.
Trump as soon as once more can’t appear to seek out the reality. He continues to repeat false statements as info. With regards to drug seizures and strikes on alleged drug vessels, Trump mentioned that medication getting into the U.S. are down. Politifact evaluated the declare and rated it false.
It’s a misstatement of knowledge from Customs and Border Safety that exhibits drug seizures dropped by 98%, not that the quantity of medication getting into the nation dropped. CBP’s knowledge primarily referred to hashish.
And but the Coast Guard confirmed that there was a 200% INCREASE in cocaine seizures in 2025. So the medication are nonetheless getting in
Trump is enjoying quick and free with info, identical to his pardon energy. Why else would a president who claims to care a couple of “warfare on medication” launch a drug kingpin like former Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernandez? He had been sentenced to 45-years in jail for conspiring to import cocaine into the U.S.
10:51 p.m. ET: This man is unquestionably off-script and rambling at this level
I’m not even certain what Trump is speaking about at this level. I’m making an attempt to maintain up, however he appears to not be following the script and is as an alternative boring all of us.
10:36 p.m. ET: Trump is making an attempt to beat his personal report (Anoa)
He’s about to move his 90-minute mark from final yr. He simply lies so quick. We’d like AI to assist us calculate the lies per minute.
10:25 p.m. ET: In response to Trump’s claims of voter fraud and “dishonest” in elections (Anoa)
Pssst. There’s no proof that dishonest is rampant in elections. However critically, the voter ID necessities within the SAVE America Act usually are not only a easy voter ID.
It’s estimated that as much as 34 million in any other case eligible folks might be blocked from voting. Each state already has some mechanism for figuring out voters, with little to no proof of nearly non-existent fraud. And the one fraud just lately uncovered has been dedicated by Trump’s former bestie, Elon Musk.
An identical regulation handed in Kansas prevented an estimated 30,000 folks from voting, an estimated 12% of first-time voters. Trump is pushing insurance policies he is aware of will take away voters and weaken possibilities of shifting the steadiness of energy in Congress.
Additionally, non-citizens usually are not voting in giant numbers. The Heart for Election Innovation & Analysis launched an up to date report debunking claims of widespread non-citizen voting. In line with the report, “allegations about noncitizen registrations or voting seem to come up from misunderstandings, mischaracterizations, or outright fabrications about complicated voter knowledge.”
It’s not about saving the nation or securing elections. Authorized Protection Fund President and Director-Counsel Janai Nelson urged the Senate to uphold “their sworn duty to uphold the basic proper of each eligible citizen to take part totally and equally in our democratic course of.”
“The civil rights group stands collectively in our vigorous opposition to any piece of laws that goals to return our elections to these of the Jim Crow period,” Nelson mentioned. “The SAVE America Act and the MEGA Act each try to position overwhelmingly burdensome necessities on voters at a time when our freedom to vote faces assaults on all sides. The U.S. Senate should see purpose and focus its efforts on advancing proposals that put the freedoms of voters, and never the authoritarian whims of an administration, first.”
10:18 p.m. ET: “These individuals are loopy!” (Monique)
Each accusation is an admission.
After happening a prolonged, transphobic rant filled with lies, he identified that Democrats in attendance didn’t cheer for him.
“These individuals are loopy!” he exclaimed as he pointed at them, and all I may do was sit right here and giggle on the previous man shaking his fist on the wind as a result of the decision is coming from inside the home, homeboy.
10:09 p.m. ET: We’ve formally reached the fear-mongering portion of this system (Monique)
As I kind this, Trump is doing his finest to color an image of massive, scary immigrants and “Somali pirates” to scare the folks listening into believing that so-called “unlawful aliens” (we can have the dialogue about language and the way in which it strips folks of their humanity at one other time, however you can’t legislate somebody’s humanity) are a reputable harmful risk that’s making “America” unsafe. To paraphrase what a buddy mentioned to me in a textual content in that very second, when will we begin deporting the English-speaking white boys that shoot up faculties and church buildings and grocery shops and and and…?
10:03 p.m. ET: Anoa Changa-Peck has entered the chat
And Trump’s nonetheless at it together with his nonsense on healthcare. Reality checks on Trump’s well being care claims present that his proposals from his first time period would’ve left tens of millions with out insurance coverage. Republicans proceed to trash the Inexpensive Care Act however have failed to supply a complete various.
Shock suprise, Trump’s additionally deceptive on his prescription drug costs. His claims haven’t panned out. Analysis from FactCheck.org signifies that 1) most individuals have insruance don’t pay the checklist worth Trump claims he’s lowering, and a couple of) the value after your insurance coverage copay is probably going decrease.
For instance, an individual with medical health insurance who pays a flat copay for drugs is unlikely to get a greater worth by going to TrumpRx, two economists from the College of Washington defined in an opinion piece printed in STAT. Actually, the TrumpRx web site says: “If in case you have insurance coverage, verify your co-pay first—it could be even decrease.”
9:55 p.m. ET: Rep. Al Inexperienced (Stephen)
Effectively, what have you learnt? Seems to be like Texas Rep. Al Inexperienced didn’t go away in protest; he was ejected from the Home chamber through the SOTU presidential tackle.
Right here’s what occurred:
Through the joint session of Congress, Rep. Inexperienced held up an indication studying “Black folks aren’t apes!” early within the speech.
After being requested to cease, he refused and was escorted out of the chamber by the Home Sergeant at Arms on the course of Home management.
This marked the second consecutive yr Inexperienced was faraway from a State of the Union/Joint Session of Congress for disruptive protest — in 2025 he was escorted out after loudly heckling Trump’s speech and refusing to cease.
9:49 p.m. ET: Trump is giving out medals for individuals who bend the knee (Stephen)
Trump introduced that the American hockey staff not solely gained gold within the 2026 Winter Olympics, but additionally defeated Canada, which didn’t invent hockey however certainly modernized it. As a result of apparently, you’ll be able to’t be Canadian and never know and love hockey. However the surprising half is that after the introduction of the US Hockey staff, Trump introduced he would award the very best civilian honor, the Presidential Medal of Freedom, to goaltender Connor Hellebuyck. Even Hellebuyck appeared shocked. Different athletes who’ve obtained the consideration embody: Michael Jordan, Jerry West, and Jackie Joyner-Kersee.
9:41 p.m. ET: “We ended DEI” (Monique)
Trump bragged about ending range, fairness, and inclusion initiatives throughout the nation, and what he really means is he used govt orders and threats to tug funding to get folks to fall consistent with what’s arguably a white nationalist agenda comng immediately from the very best workplace within the nation.
9:33 p.m. ET: We received oil now?! (Stephen)
Lawd, Trump simply identified that he’s obtained tens of millions of barrels of oil from Venezuela. He uncared for to say that underneath his course, the previous president of Venezuela, Nicolas Maduro, was kidnapped and tens of millions of barrels of oil have been stolen and offered. The cash from the sale of the stolen Venezuelan oil at present sits in a Qatar account that the president has entry to.
However that’s in all probability completely authorized and above board.
9:27 p.m. ET: The Meals Stamps Declare – (Monique)
Trump boldly claimed, “In a single yr, we’ve got lifted 2.4 million People — a report — off of meals stamps,” and what he actually meant to say was that the usgoverment lower meals stamp funding dramatically, and now many People are struggling.
9:23 p.m. ET: Rep. Al Inexperienced and different members of Congress stroll out (Stephen)
Rep. Al Inexperienced and several other members of Congress walked out of the SOTU shortly after the president started talking. At one level, the Texas Democrat stopped to point out his signal, which learn, “Black folks aren’t apes,” to others within the crowd. One man appeared to seize Inexperienced’s signal, and a short encounter ensued, prompting the group to chant “USA!” “USA!” It was all very anticlimactic.
I form of needed Inexperienced to hit the person. Not as a result of I get pleasure from violence, I don’t. However it will have been the very first signal that the Democrats are keen to get into the mud and struggle reasonably than making an attempt to disgrace a morally bankrupt Republican celebration.
9:20 p.m. ET: We’re going to be up all night time making an attempt to fact-check this man (Monique)
I’ve the sensation I’m going to be up all night time making an attempt to fact-check all the things he’s saying, however he’s already began with the bragging.
“After only one yr, I can say with dignity and satisfaction that we’ve got achieved a metamorphosis like nobody has ever seen earlier than, and a turnaround for the ages. It’s certainly a turnaround for the ages,” he mentioned with an annoyingly pompous look on his face.
9:15 p.m. ET: Right here’s what occurs at a State of the Union tackle (Stephen)
In case you’ve by no means seen a SOTU, it goes like this: Some goofy walks out and introduces the president, after which everybody acts like they actually love him. It’s nearly like a boxer strolling to the ring, besides the boxer on this case is a mendacity president who runs the White Home very similar to a petulant youngster who inherited the throne.
Some members turned their backs, and the president made his solution to the lectern, and Texas Rep. Al Inexperienced held up an indication that learn, “Black individuals are not apes,” a shot on the president who shared a controversial and racist video to his licensed social media account that depicted former president Barack Obama and former first girl Michelle Obama.
After which as soon as the applause died down, the president started reciting the phrases being spoken to him by means of a tool as a result of I’m fairly certain he has bother studying.
9:10 p.m. ET: Trump enters the chamber, and Al Inexperienced is READY! (Monique)
Trump walks into the chamber to loud applause and whistles. He stops to shake many palms as he makes his solution to the entrance. ABC notes on air that there are far fewer Democrats current than in previous years. As he reaches the entrance, the digital camera captures Rep. Al Inexperienced (D-Texas) holding an indication that reads “Black Folks Aren’t Apes.”
I do know that’s proper, Al Inexperienced.
