The Right’s Brand Is ‘America First.’ The Left’s Brand Is Getting Mad About That

https://thefederalist.com ^ | February 25, 2026 | Elle Purnell

[bitt]

At Tuesday’s State of the Union, Democrats set themselves up as angry foils to basic civics and feel-good American patriotism.

In the most made-for-TV of many made-for-TV moments in Tuesday night’s State of the Union address, President Donald Trump urged every member of Congress to “stand up and show your support” for the statement: “The first duty of the American government is to protect American citizens, not illegal aliens.” Cameras panned to show nearly the entire left-hand side of the chamber awkwardly remaining in their seats. After two minutes of Republican cheering and Democrat scowling, Trump suggested that Democrats should “be ashamed of yourselves,” and the cameras showed Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Mogadishu, shouting angrily in response.

Sure, the question was a setup, but it was a really, really easy setup, the kind of statement you might assume was a trick question if it showed up on a civics exam. Democrats could easily have neutered the stunt just by agreeing that a government’s primary duty is to its citizens, a concept that even the known right-wing radicals at the World Economic Forum recognize in word if not in practice.

Instead, they took the bait, affirming to constituents and voters everywhere that they do not view your interests and rights as their concern and are put out by the suggestion that they should.

In April, Democrat Sen. Chris Van Hollen made a special trip to El Salvador to gaze into the eyes of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, an illegal alien who has been found to be a member of MS-13 and is suspected of human trafficking. Van Hollen referred to the El Salvador native as his “constituent,” to the ire of some of his actual constituents back in Maryland. Tuesday night, scowling in their seats, his congressional colleagues sent the same message.

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TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Culture/Society; Editorial; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: thedems

[bitt]

p

[Harmless Teddy Bear]

a concept that even the known right-wing radicals at the World Economic Forum recognize in word if not in practice.

I beg your very finest pardon madam?

[bitt]

:)

[Sequoyah101]

I would love to see this pounded and pounded and pounded home.

[GaryCrow]

Trump had Omar’s hijab spinning around on her head like Linda Blair in The Exorcist.

[Bob Ireland]

***they took the bait, affirming to constituents and voters everywhere that they do not view your interests and rights as their concern and are put out by the suggestion that they should***

This should be telling us something - telling us that they are not depending on popular support in order to achieve power. One thing that they are depending on is deception through generated mental illness.

To help them with that is a mammoth media machine - a brothel media machine. A prominent symptom of that is Trump Derangement Syndrome, but more even than that. A great tsunami of evil is poised to sweep over the land.. . . . . . . . . .That which hinders is still holding.

[sjmjax]

That moment should be a part of a major campaign ad.

[Harmless Teddy Bear]

I fell into the sarchasm but now I have climbed back out. :)

[nickcarraway]

Lol. The Wright’s brand is we have no idea what’s going on

[PIF]

The Right’s Brand Is ‘America First.’ The Left’s Brand Is ‘America Last.’