President Trump's recent speech to Congress defied tradition by emphasizing partisanship over unity, highlighting his electoral victory while criticizing Democrats. He accused President Biden of being ineffective and inflated his term's accomplishments, likening himself to George Washington. Trump's rhetoric sparked division, as Republican members showed enthusiastic support while Democrats largely remained silent or protested. He focused on cultural issues, particularly opposing affirmative action and transgender rights, presenting the address in a tone reminiscent of a campaign rather than a formal presidential speech.
Trump set a tone of division almost from his first words, calling his predecessor Joe Biden the worst president in history and chiding Democrats as so stinting in their praise of him they would not even grant him perfunctory applause.
He was speaking to a house divided. Republicans stood and cheered. For Democrats, it was silence, with occasional shouts of protest.
Trump leaned hard into cultural flashpoints - his opposition to affirmative action, diversity programs and transgender rights.
The tenor was more that of a campaign speech than an address to Congress.
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