By Mallory Mankin, Staff Writer
By Mallory Mankin
The Alexander Hamilton Society (AHS) hosted a State of the Union watch party in a Memorial Student Center classroom on the evening of Feb. 24.
In the longest State of the Union, President Donald Trump covered foreign and domestic policy, highlighting his successes, during the one-hour and forty-seven minute address. Attendees of the watch party laughed, cheered, sighed and conversed with one another as the speech progressed and different topics were raised by the president.
Students filled up the classroom quickly, and extra chairs had to be added to the back. Each person was given a bingo card upon entry with topics, names, locations, acronyms, common phrases, time estimates or iconic quotes that the president might bring up during his speech. Students of all years and majors hollered at the television, hoping that a bingo word would come out of the president’s mouth. When Trump said a key name, shouts of joy resounded, audible outside the building.
Yet, there were phrases that students did not expect. “A short time ago, we were a dead country,” Trump said. “Now we are the hottest country anywhere in the world.”
Several students, with mouths agape, looked at one another in surprise; others were laughing in shock. From the back of the room, a voice rang out, “Is that on the bingo card?”
“It transcends the bingo card,” another responded.
Other topics, like foreign policy, were not mentioned as much as students hoped. Jonathan Day, a first-year international relations major, said that there was less content about China than he expected, noting that this was the first State of the Union to not bring up China since 2005. Day also mentioned the length of the speech. Though it was long in nature, Day did not feel there was much depth to the topics addressed.
“For an address of record-breaking length, there was not much substance to the address beyond the expected victory lap and Dem put-down,” Day said.
Trump’s speech included a variety of criticisms towards the Democrats as he blamed them for a host of problems, calling them “crazy.” A spat with Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., interrupted the speech. The Minnesota Democrat believed Trump’s policies and claims about immigration enforcement to be wrong, and Trump was vehement in his defense of current ICE actions. Each told the other they should be ashamed.
Democrats in the Senate chambers remained seated throughout most of the speech. Trump also criticized the four Supreme Court Justices who sat in the Senate Chambers after they ruled against him in a case about his executive powers intersecting with tariff policy.
These polarizing moments were noticed and critiqued by students such as Isaac Long, a freshman computer science major.
“I was a little saddened by the state of the union,” Long said. “I wish that any kind of value was placed on cooperation, and that any sort of worth was put in seeking after the truth.”
Trump also pointed to members of the audience for heroic acts and patriotic excellence. The U.S. Olympic Men’s Hockey Team was brought out to showcase their gold medals, to which students responded with chanting: “USA! USA!” Trump announced that the goalie Connor Hellebuyck is to receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
Other military honors were bestowed during the address. Coast Guard swimmer Scott Ruskan was reunited with one of the girls he rescued during the Camp Mystic flooding during the speech. He saved 164 girls in total and was recognized by Trump for his service, earning the Legion of Merit Medal.
Students appreciated the moments of unity around topics like the Olympics and military recognition. They clapped and got excited when all the representatives in the chamber stood up and rallied around common goals.
When Trump mentioned websites and programs that he had started, such as trumprx.gov, students were quick to search online for further information. Receptive to his words, they were interested in exploring the real-life applications of his new policies.
At other moments, Trump highlighted civilians who took actions aligning with his policy initiatives. Sage Blair, a student at Liberty University, is the namesake of the Virginia Bill “Sage’s Law,” mandating that schools notify parental figures if a minor identifies themself as a gender other than their sex assigned at birth. She was championed by President Trump as he advocates for policies restricting the transitions of minors.
Sophomore international relations major Emma Wylie remarked on the frequent use of personal stories in the State of the Union. She said that they have value, though they can distract from more difficult topics pertinent to the state of the union.
“It allows the administration to sidestep harder questions about the real issues still plaguing everyday Americans,” Wylie said.
Other students were frustrated by the growing pageantry of the speech, for many of Trump’s claims were associated with his personal victories. He took credit for the FIFA World Cup and the 2028 Summer Olympics, stating that he was key in bringing those events to American venues. Trump acknowledged the coming 250th birthday of the country, proclaiming a “golden age of America.”
This rubbed freshman engineering major Liam Power the wrong way. He viewed the whole speech as a grand television star tooting his own horn.
“In multiple ways, it was really bullying out the pulpit,” Power said.
However, he was impressed by the students’ camaraderie at the watch party, noting the laid-back atmosphere. Power observed how many students united around service members while denouncing MAGA rhetoric, clapping for policies they agreed with and sharing food together.
“It was a refreshing disconnect from what was on screen, and reminded me that we can disagree with ideas while still getting along,” Power said.
