Title: SOTU: A Complete Disaster
Show: DeProgram Show with Ted Rall and Jamarl Thomas
Date: 2026-02-26
URL: https://youtu.be/My6xUH_kOwo
Duration: 16:00

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[00:00] Okay, so we have some questions and we can get into those um or we can skip in right into the State of the Union. What do you want to do? Yeah, let's jump into the State of the Union. Okay. Um let me ask you Ted, were you as frustrated with Democrats as I was? I mean, we we knew we knew what to expect from Donald Trump. We knew that he was going to be angry and ugly and mean-spirited. We knew he because it's his nature and he did it on purpose. He gets a kick out of it. But the Democrats walked right into his

[00:30] trap, right into it. Yeah. >> Yeah. Well, he There were several traps. So, the traps kept getting laid. Um you know, the most notable one where he obviously had coordinated this with the Republican leadership where he said, "Please, you know, you know it's trouble." Where it's like, "You know, I'm going to ask a question and if you uh agree with it, stand up and if you don't, stay sitting down." And it's like, "Do you Do you think that the priorities of uh you know, elected officials should be to prioritize the US citizens over illegal

[01:02] immigrants?" And and and so that's a trap and he just let it lie there. >> And and of course [ __ ] John Fetterman jumps right up. Right. The only Democrat. Right. >> right up. Now, the thing is I happen to agree with the answer to that question. It's a It's a trap, of course. It is a trap. But of course, obviously the priority of American elected officials should be US citizens. Goes without saying. But Democrats don't know what to do in a situation like that. They should be prepared to act as

[01:33] one. Um you know, maybe all get up and walk out at that moment. Um but they they should have been instead of just sitting there like basically screwed. John, I thought the Democrats um you know, one of my uh Republican friends uh exed me this morning and said, "Oh, you know, Donald Trump kicked ass." I don't think Donald Trump kicked ass at all. But he said But he said, oh the Democrats looked terrible. That's true too. The Democrats did look terrible. Um they just didn't know what to do John. I

[02:04] mean they didn't even in in years past they had their lame little like micro signs that they used to have a sign up. >> wearing the tags release the Epstein files. >> Right, like my news. How come you didn't wear those when Biden was president? Right, good question. And also why are they like two inches across? You know, you're on national television. You know, the only spiciness came from Al Green. You know. >> Just Al Green. And and like you know, and I thought you know, the Democrats just didn't seem to know what to do.

[02:34] They weren't willing to be there was no civil disobedience here. I mean you desperately needed at some points when he was insulting them questioning their patriotism and their sanity calling them crazy. At some point you need a [ __ ] you. And it's like where is it? What are they so worried about that their the sergeant at arms is going to kick them out? Whoop-de-doo. Watch it on TV later. What a joke. I mean >> Yeah, you know, yeah, first of all Al Green

[03:06] Al Green did not impress me last night with with his big sign. The The Democratic leadership said no signs. You're going to get thrown out. He pulls out this giant sign black people are not apes. Okay. Great. And then you get thrown out. And so what what have you accomplished? But also if you get thrown out get thrown out spicily, struggle, fight back. And he didn't. He just walked out. He just got up and went out. I mean it's it's all so performative. And the American people know that. >> sides. Both sides. I I I hated it. And

[03:38] I'll tell you what, when I was in college Reagan was president, the country was divided, Democrats on one side Republicans on on the other. I enjoyed those speeches. I enjoyed them. They were substantive. Mhm, on both sides. You could agree to disagree. You could stand up for what you believed in, but there was still decorum. And there's no decorum on either side. >> It's a clown show. And I mean like it literally was a you know the I thought it was like the the I

[04:08] mean I never thought I would say that I would see a congressional Medal of Honor which is the highest award that a member of the military can receive from the civilian branch of government. You know, it's basically like the the the Quad de Guerre or the Legion d'honneur in France. Like it was degraded by this spectacle. >> It wasn't the Congressional Medal of Honor, was it? Yeah, it was. >> it was the Presidential Medal of Freedom. No. No, no, no. It's the Congressional Medal of Honor. I looked it up. It's the with the blue ribbon and

[04:40] like Melania Melania gave gave the Congressional Medal of Honor to that World War II Korea veteran. >> brain didn't allow me to realize that that was the Congressional Medal of Honor. It was and it was like I I expected Montel Williams to step out any moment or Jerry Springer. There's like but wait, there's more. We not the hockey team. I'm like okay, whatever. I thought that the >> You're right. Oh my god, the Congressional Medal of Honor. Right. It's that's debased. That is a an august

[05:12] like every soldier dreams maybe of being considered for that. It's like then the I mean and you know 99.999% will never see one much less have one. I mean it's it was debased. It was depraved. The the the reuniting of the Venezuelan political dissident who had been recently freed the father with his daughter. It's like but wait, GUESS WHAT'S BEHIND DOOR NUMBER TWO. I mean it was Donald Trump is a consummate

[05:42] entertainer, but it really felt like the WWE more than ever before. It was but I thought John to me if this moment was particularly repugnant and and made me ashamed to be American was when he you saw the look on John Roberts face when he first came in and you knew this was like he he's a smart man. He knows what's coming. He knows he's going to be insulted and humiliated on national television and yet he's there, right?

[06:14] And it's horrible. It's like the kind of [ __ ] Saddam Hussein used to do. And then he he he it happens. He insults the Supreme Court, questions their decisions, which he's already ignored, says that he's going to continue to ignore the Supreme Court. Four of their four or five members are right there. Uh-huh. Uh Barrett, Justice Barrett, like looked looked you the look on her face he appointed her. The look on her face was priceless. She had this

[06:45] look of like oh my [ __ ] god. Um You know interestingly, I'm sorry to interrupt you. Interestingly the Trump appointees to the Supreme Court have been pretty good. That's true. They've been surprisingly good. It's these dinosaurs like Alito and Thomas appointed by the moderate presidents that are just disasters. >> No, that's that's been it that is

[07:16] interesting, John. Thank you for that observation. Uh But I thought I mean do you make do you think it's as important as I do? I mean because I've never I don't I've never seen In my opinion they should have gotten up and left. >> have. We've never had a president that has vocalized the words I'm going to ignore the Supreme Court. No. Never. >> And and and not especially not in such a high-profile setting. Yeah. It's a It's a direct constitutional challenge.

[07:46] It is a direct constitutional challenge, and I thought it was appalling. And I thought that the you know, there was just no resistance at all worth noting. You know what? >> Matina Matina makes a good point here. It could have been worse. Boring and lies is better than we're going to war. And And there was >> are going to war. There was talk about that beforehand. Like was he Actually, you said it, Ted, as well. Was he going to use the the speech to announce that we were in the midst of an attack on Iran?

[08:18] I'm sure the Iranians were expecting that. And we'll talk about Iran, obviously. Mhm. Glasses off, huh? John, I I got to say I I also think politically, domestically, um Donald Trump really squandered an opportunity yesterday. I mean, the Republicans are up against the are really on the ropes um in going into the midterms. And he didn't lay out any plan for them. No plan. He didn't help them at all. If you're If you're a you know, if you're an incumbent Republican, you're you're very worried this morning. Um and uh you know, his polls are in the

[08:51] toilet. I mean, at 37% a president might credibly be thinking about resigning, not delivering a State of the Union address. Um and that number seems to have not found its floor yet. We may it may continue to drop. Who knows? It might stay steady or even go up. But right now, but he committed the Joe Biden mistake. Don't Don't Don't believe your lying bank account. The economy is roaring. Yeah. Yeah. Roaring. Yes, he did. People don't like that. Yeah.

[09:22] They don't. I really do. And I I think it's like it's not specifically really about this particular speech that's going to change minds. But if that But that is the messaging of the of the administration and the Republican Party. And people are going to hear that day after day. And what that introduces is hopelessness. Right? I mean, literally everything that he announced was stuff that, you know, basically, look at what we did. Well, we all know about healthcare. We know that the healthcare Trump Rx thing is lame. We know that the

[09:53] Trump savings accounts are lame. Um, you know, the American people don't think that help is on the way. If you're suffering, you need to either know that help is on the way or help might be on the way. They don't feel like that now. I think you're right. Yeah, I think you're right. But I want to reiterate something that we just said. There was no plan. And this was essentially the only nationally televised opportunity between now and November

[10:24] to lay out a plan that the Republicans can run on as a party. Mhm. You know, and watching Mike Johnson sit behind uh Trump and just smile and nod his head and clap. It's like, buddy, this is on you. You should be leading your caucus and you're not. You're just sitting there praying that that Jesus, you know, delivers the best ideas to you. How's that working out? >> [laughter] >> You should I mean, if I were Mike Johnson, I'd have

[10:56] Newt Gingrich living on my couch and I'd be asking him every morning, noon, and night how he pulled off 1994 by nationalizing the midterms. Um, you know, that's that's what the Republicans should be doing and they should have a a real plan for the workplace, a real plan for AI, a real plan for healthcare. Lord knows they've had 10 years to come up with one on healthcare. Um, and they just I don't know if they can. I don't know

[11:27] if their donors won't allow them to. I don't really, you know, I don't know if they're too disorganized, I don't know if this president's too scattered. All of the above, probably, some other stuff I'm not thinking of, but it was I mean, you know, we we knew it was going to be like that. That's why I didn't bother to make the State of the Union, you know, when I who came up with the with the headline for today, the main story, cuz I knew it wouldn't be the main story. Yeah. >> But it's still I mean, it's still even though you know it's coming, it's still depressing. Still, I want to crack on the Democrats

[11:59] because they are utterly devoid of any ideas. They are terrible. And if if anything came out of last night, >> [snorts] >> it is the absolute necessity, the immediate necessity for viable third parties. Right, but that's not going to happen, at least not on the national stage. Nope. It's not. It's got to be, you know, really truly I think the the model is like the the Farmer-Labor Party or all these early 20th century parties, right? Like

[12:29] >> the uh like the Socialist Party and so on. You got to develop regional strength. You've got to get some I mean, look at Bernie Sanders, right? He's the closest thing to a resistance that we have. He was an independent candidate for uh for for for mayor of Burlington, Vermont. That's where he started. >> Yes. And it took a long time for him he it took, you know, decades before he percolated up to the national stage, but he did. That's what you have to do. It That's the hard work. The left in this country doesn't want to do the hard

[12:59] work. They want to have a rally, you know, on a beautiful Sunday every 4 months. That's it. They don't want to stand out in the rain every day. Uh you know, and and they don't want to build a third party from the grassroots. They don't want to organize the working class. They They don't They want to have a national strike just like that, you know, you by through Facebook groups. Um And again, vote for me cuz I'm not the other guy is not a strategy. No.

[13:29] Although it can be, it it works sometimes, but then like then But then you need but this is the problem. You know, you look at the likes of Chuck Schumer looked like he was not just already dead, but dead and halfway rotten. >> Yeah, he >> [laughter] >> he was he looked like a like a scarecrow. Like he was he was like 100 years old. He was hanging like this like Yeah, exactly. So so sure, let's say Trump is unpopular, the Republican at least the Republican house is unpopular, and so the Democrats win 15, 20, 25,

[14:02] whatever seats. And then what? They've got no no ideas. How in the world do they intend to govern? Well, they'll impeach And and I'll tell you another thing. If the Democrats do win a majority in the house, and then they immediately move to impeach Trump again, Mhm. they should never win another race. That's what they will do. >> As punishment, they should never win another race. No, they're they're utterly worthless. Um you know, they're just they they're not they're completely incapable of rising to the occasion. And like even

[14:32] the fact that like the boycott like Hakeem Jeffries and and Chuck Schumer told their their you know, their caucuses um don't you know, hey, you can boycott or or not. Look, you got to all be on the same page as a party. Either you all show up Yes. and you all do the same thing, or you all don't show up. >> Yes. Which would have been very powerful, too. That's right. It would have. >> they would have filled the seats anyway, but >> Yes. they would have. You know, it's funny. CNN was talking beforehand about

[15:04] uh about the seats. And I didn't realize Well, of course, there were way fewer seats than what they need. And so um I didn't realize that people go there 6 hours in advance to stake out a seat. And they'll bring like lunch and dinner with them. And just hold their food on their lap. And the Democrats like 112 Democrats didn't show up yesterday between House members and senators.

[15:36] And that's why they were able to to fill all those seats with the Supreme Court, the cabinet, visitors, even the sub cabinet, all kinds of stuff. It's just not the way it used to be. At all. Covered has a question for you John pertinent to all this. Did you notice that that disgusting slob John Fetterman actually wore a suit last night like a normal human being? >> First thought in my mind like I can't believe that idiot finally put on a suit. Finally. Cuz if he feels so strongly about his

[16:07] about his cheap ass hoodie and stuff, wear the hoodie. Hypocrite. Want to support the show with style? Go to deprogram.live and check out our merch. That's deprogram.live or check out the description below. Thanks for watching. >> [music]
