WASHINGTON — On Tuesday night, the president read a speech somebody else wrote for him. The pundits are saying he sounds presidential. But today, Donald Trump will go back to being Donald Trump.
White House officials prepped reporters for Tuesday’s performance by saying that President Trump will be “optimistic” as well as “very unifying” and that “the tone will be one of bipartisanship and it will be very forward looking.” And Trump will speak “from the heart.”
No. Trump, we knew, would speak “from a teleprompter.” That’s why we expected to hear “unifying” and “bipartisan” notes. If you want “from the heart,” check his Twitter account.
What if Trump’s State of the Union contained not the sentiments of speechwriters but the words Trump himself tweeted and retweeted during his first year in office? Here are some optimistic, unifying and very forward-looking excerpts.
On the state of the union:
Our economy is now booming and with all I am doing, will only get better. The Trump economy is booming. Unprecedented success for our Country, in so many ways. Lowest Unemployment for Women &ALL. Somebody please inform Jay-Z that because of my policies, Black Unemployment has just been reported to be at the LOWEST RATE EVER RECORDED! Most explosive Stock Market rally that we’ve seen in modern times. I guess somebody likes me (my policies)!
Broke Harry Truman’s Record. I think that would qualify as not smart, but genius and a very stable genius at that! Donald Trump is the greatest President our Country has ever seen. This will be perhaps best presidency ever. Despite the constant negative press covfefe.
On bipartisanship and unity in domestic affairs:
Only now with a #RealPresident do we see the scope of destruction engineered by #Obama and the #Democrat cabal. The Democrats should be ashamed. This is a disgrace! Phony hypocrites! They lost the election, and now they have lost their grip on reality. If the Dems (Crooked Hillary) got elected, your stocks would be down 50 percent from values on Election Day.
ObamaCare is dead and the Democrats are obstructionists. Perhaps just let OCare crash &burn!
On nuclear security:
Why would Kim Jong-un insult me by calling me “old,” when I would NEVER call him “short and fat?” I told Rex Tillerson, our wonderful Secretary of State, that he is wasting his time trying to negotiate with Little Rocket Man. My Button works!
On cooperation with allies:
@Theresa_May, don’t focus on me, focus on the destructive Radical Islamic Terrorism that is taking place within the United Kingdom. Mayor of London says there is “no reason to be alarmed!” Pathetic excuse.
The Obama Administration agreed to take thousands of illegal immigrants from Australia. Why? I will study this dumb deal!
The FAKE NEWS media is trying to say that large scale immigration in Sweden is working out just beautifully. NOT!
On hemispheric relations:
We need the Wall to help stop the massive inflow of drugs from Mexico, now rated the number one most dangerous country in the world. We very badly NEED THE WALL. Mexico will pay for it through reimbursement/other.
On Russia’s interference in U.S. elections:
When will all the haters and fools out there realize that having a good relationship with Russia is a good thing, not a bad thing? Trump Russia story is a hoax. #MAGA! It’s all a big Dem HOAX! Just found out that Obama had my “wires tapped” in Trump Tower just before the victory. Nothing found. This is McCarthyism! This is the single greatest witch hunt of a politician in American history! Also, there is NO COLLUSION! Where are Crooked Hillary Emails? What a mess!
On the president’s optimistic and forward-looking vision for America:
Such poor leadership ability by the Mayor of San Juan, and others in Puerto Rico, who are not able to get their workers to help. They want everything to be done for them.
The opinion of this so-called judge … is ridiculous. If something happens blame him and court system.
The FAKE NEWS media … is not my enemy, it is the enemy of the American People!
Low I.Q. Crazy Mika, along with Psycho Joe, came to Mar-a-Lago 3 nights in a row around New Year’s Eve, and insisted on joining me. She was bleeding badly from a face-lift. I said no!
.. and may God help the United States of America.
Follow Dana Milbank on Twitter, @Milbank.
