The Trump stalemate

Neither Republicans nor Democrats are letting the president govern as he'd like

Congressional leaders watch President Trump gives a speech.
(Image credit: REUTERS/Carlos Barria)

President Trump's State of the Union address on Tuesday was boring. That doesn't mean that it was insignificant.

The most striking thing about the speech is how little it had to do with the goals and principles of the so-called conservative movement or the Republican Party. Since when has Paul Ryan, who flies at taxpayer expense to Wisconsin every weekend to see his children, believed in paid family leave, which he dismissed only two years ago as a "brand-new entitlement" that would bankrupt the country? How enthusiastic is the House Freedom Caucus about spending $1.5 trillion on anything that cannot be used to blow up terrorists? Isn't it the conventional wisdom among Republicans that pharmaceutical companies have no choice but to overcharge Americans for prescription drugs and that having government intervene to lower costs would hurt "innovation"? Is "America First" a no longer controversial applause line?

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Matthew Walther

Matthew Walther is a national correspondent at The Week. His work has also appeared in First Things, The Spectator of London, The Catholic Herald, National Review, and other publications. He is currently writing a biography of the Rev. Montague Summers. He is also a Robert Novak Journalism Fellow.