Trump record-breaking SOTU address draws split reactions from pros

Presidential speechwriters were sharply divided late Tuesday after President Donald Trump delivered his record-breaking State of the Union address, drawing praise from allies and prompting some Democrats to leave early.

During his speech, Trump focused on immigration enforcement, economic concerns and global trade, occasionally sparring with Democrats such as Minnesota Rep. Ilhan Omar; that person left the chamber early along with Team member Rep. Rashida Tlaib of Michigan, while Rep. Al Green, D-Texas, was recently fired after waving a sign condemning Trump’s social media post.

Former White House deputy counsel and speechwriter Gene Hamilton told Fox News Digital that Trump made a “resonant speech” and that he “couldn’t have been clearer about the current state of our great nation.”

“A vision of hope, prosperity and power driven by strong borders, a strong economy and love of country.”

Hamilton said the speech was “side by side” with some of the House Democratic caucus who did not even support the dictum that “the first duty of the government is to protect American citizens, not illegal immigrants.”

“Donald Trump saved this country with his election in 2024. His administration will continue to work every day to deliver real gains for the American people,” said Hamilton, who worked in the first Trump administration and now works with America First Legal.

On the other side of the political spectrum, Biden’s former speechwriter Dan Cluchey told Fox News Digital that Trump has done “less than zero to dispel the idea that he’s living in his own reality.”

Asked whether Trump has managed to address the immigration crisis and affordability criticisms well enough, Cluchey said his only play is to tell families not to believe their own pocketbooks as Americans “endure skyrocketing grocery, energy and healthcare costs, rising unemployment and an economy that is growing more slowly today than in any year under President Biden.”

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U.S. Representative Al Green protests President Donald Trump’s arrival to deliver his State of the Union address during a joint session at the Capitol on February 24, 2026 in Washington, D.C. (Kenny Holston-Pool/Getty Images)

“[That] it doesn’t work,” said Cluchey, who hosted a SOTU viewing party and speech-writing workshop at Georgetown University during Trump’s speech.

When asked about Trump’s ability to cite what he believes are his administration’s accomplishments, Cluchey said the dynamic “doesn’t really work when the claims you make up don’t match people’s real lives.”

“The willingness to brazenly lie about anything and everything has a benefit when you’re campaigning, but it doesn’t apply when you’re governing – and people actually live in a constant stream of chaos, cruelty and incompetence,” Cluchey said.

Cluchey said Trump didn’t do enough to combat his critics and instead appeared “as self-obsessed and delusional as always.”

Unlike Hamilton, Cluchey believed that Trump was unable to change any minds in America with his words.

Hamilton also disagreed, saying Trump reiterated that he was fulfilling his campaign promises.

“For all the haters and ‘black propagandists’ who run their mouths non-stop, President Trump’s success in just one year has dwarfed the accomplishments of every administration before him,” he said.

Michael Ceraso, a Democratic strategist with a background in speechwriting who has worked with presidential candidates Pete Buttigieg and Bernie Sanders, offered a slightly different perspective, saying that as a Democrat, he wants a president who works collaboratively, not someone who “talks in monologues.”

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Connor Hellebuyck is seen after President Donald Trump announced that he will receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom on Tuesday, February 24, 2026. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

“As a voter, I may not like him. I may find his long form tiring. But when he speaks, he never gives up on American exceptionalism,” Ceraso said.

“I see someone defending our cities, revitalizing the economy, managing global partners, and defeating terrorism against those he sees as threats to democracy.”

But Ceraso said he misses former President Barack Obama and his message of intellectuality, curiosity and togetherness.

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“As a voter, I believe both parties are bad for this country.”

“And I’m going with the man who entertains me,” Ceraso said.

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