March 5, 2025

By Ed Kilgore

Photo: Ben Curtis/AP Photo

Before Donald Trump’s first joint address to Congress since returning to the White House, I wrote about what things he might do to increase support for his agenda in the big speech. These included “speaking to the nation, not to his base,” renouncing the chaos so many perceive his administration has engendered, asserting control over Elon Musk and DOGE, more closely relating his agenda to concerns, like rising prices, that Americans think he is inadequately addressing, and disclaiming responsibility for the government shutdown that may be just down the road. He didn’t do any of these things.

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