In the first 38 days of his presidency, Donald Trump seemed to struggle to find his footing. On his 39th, he found it unexpectedly in a strong, direct and — surprise of surprises — beautifully modulated and spectacularly delivered address before Congress.
You might think it’s grading on a curve to say such a thing about a relatively conventional State of the Union-style speech, which this speech was. But the fact that it was a relatively conventional speech was itself a sign that Trump is surrendering to the logic and traditions of the job he now has.
By all means, we should argue about the content. I was arguing with it on Twitter as he was speaking.
Elected officials, activists and wonks should vociferously debate the policies he outlined on taxes, health care, the military, trade and immigration. But the point is that he put himself on record as president.
He stood before the nation and said he was seeking to end the sequestration that has kept the military’s budget from growing.
He announced he would seek a giant infrastructure bill, but chose his words carefully in a way that suggested the federal government would actually spend far less than the $1 trillion he has hinted at for a year. (Private investors will join with Washington to get the number up to $1 trillion, he said subtly.)
He spoke more positively about our international alliances than ever before, and did so by claiming premature victory in getting our allies to pay “their fair share.” (Already? In 39 days? Please.)
He kept coming back to immigration, insisting that his wall will be built (ahead of schedule, which is a strange thing to say since there is no schedule as yet) and that he would move America to a merit-based legal immigration system rather than the haphazard family-based system that has been in use for half a century.
And he continued to preach a protectionist trade agenda that many of us believe will be far more harmful to the pocketbooks and wallets of the very people — the suffering working-class Americans — he seeks to help.
The point is, it’s not all coming out in leaks and trial balloons and often incompetently reported stories. What he said about these and other matters is now explicit Trump administration policy, which means we can go from here. And hold him accountable.
These were the words of the speech. But in this case, the music was far more important — the sound, the tone.
The word “I,” his favorite, appeared infrequently. The bragging was kept to a minimum. He spoke quietly, fluently and in a dignified manner entirely different from the raucous talk-show-caller style that has turned American politics on its head.
He even seemed to criticize it himself in his closing words: “The time for small thinking is over. The time for trivial fights is behind us.” It seemed, stunningly, an implicit acknowledgment that many of the fights he has been conducting over the past 39 days have been trivial ones, and it is time to rise to the moment.
The improvisatory campaign, which he has not seemed to be able to move beyond either emotionally or practically, is over. The formal presidency has begun. Rocking the boat was the way he got elected, but the president is supposed to put his hand on the tiller and steady the ship of state.
And, at least for the night of Feb. 28, that’s what this speech did.