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“And you’ve seen nothing yet.”
These were the words that began the longest address to Congress in modern American history. President Trump’s speech perfectly encapsulated the moment. He crossed the finish line of his first year, and that in itself is a success.
The only thing both sides of the political aisle seem to agree on is that Republicans are doomed in 2026. Trump’s disapproval ratings have hit new highs, and he faces real challenges with voters ahead of the midterms. With this in mind, much of the Right is becoming despondent. This despondency, however, is both impractical and delusional.
The first year of Trump 2.0 was always going to be the hardest. After a humiliating defeat a year ago, it was inevitable that the Left would reassemble to fight Trump’s political agenda.
In the courts, federal judges blocked tariffs and deportation efforts. Local leaders assembled “No Kings” and “Hands Off” rallies nationwide. Deaths in Minnesota gave Democrats hope for a George Floyd 2. They flipped the border issue that sent Trump to the White House a year ago into a “common sense” and “decency” issue that even swayed some on the Right. They forced a release of millions of Epstein Files, which saw accusations of pedophilia against the president.
And, even then, Trump came out victorious.
Trump will seek other means to continue making tariff deals. No BLM-era riots appeared. The “No Kings” protests lasted a day in the news, and then the protestors returned to their retirement homes. Long-term funding of ICE through the One Big Beautiful Bill is still in place, and the courts are about to make mass deportations significantly swifter and easier. Even on Epstein, the fire has died down, at least around Trump.
And none of that includes the victories of the past year.
The U.S. border is the most secure in American history, and fentanyl flows are down significantly. Inflation, gas prices, and murder are down. DEI and climate policy have been crushed.
Trump made more promises as well, including new home building, wars against big pharma and insurance companies, a new “War on Fraud,” and “Trump Accounts.” He plans to ban illegal immigrants from voting, stop transgender ideology in schools, and end insider-trading in Congress.
And he did it all with a Trumpian flair. He called out Nancy Pelosi’s insider trading, called Democrats “crazy” and “sick,” and taunted them for not standing to celebrate common sense wins. Trump, however, did not wallow in negativity. Even when he briefly knocked the Supreme Court, he touted a plan for the future.
The speech was all about patriotism. Trump continued to return to the 250th anniversary and American exceptionalism. In doing so, he cited America’s religious roots and divine call in the world: “When God needs a nation to work his miracles, He knows exactly who to ask.”
There are still serious unanswered questions. What does skilled immigration look like going forward? How will housing values stay high for homeowners while simultaneously becoming more affordable? What are the specifics going forward for tariffs and deportations? What happens in Iran? Trump will have to answer these in the coming weeks and months. There is a long fight ahead. But in his patriotism, there was optimism. And that is what the Right must internalize as it rips back the reins of America’s future.
In the end, these speeches are about the tone. America saw a Trump that was calm, confident, high-energy, and, as always, off-script and hilarious. Despite Ilhan Omar’s taunts, Al Green’s sign, and the recent Supreme Court denial, Trump fought his inner demons. He was aggressive without being petty. He stayed on topic while still dropping his trademark lines. He constantly gave credit to others and put the attention on heroes who were not himself. From Marco Rubio to the men’s hockey team, from military heroes to civilian ones, everyone had a role in America’s greatness.
After a year of struggle, Trump’s speech told the country that his administration is still standing and ready to keep going. This is a momentum-defining moment for the Right. Now is the time for the Right to reassemble for a 9-month-long counterattack leading up to November. The apathetic nihilism that seems to be in the veins of every conservative must be replaced with the unmitigated fearlessness that creates a gold medal win in Milan or a military triumph in Venezuela.
When Trump says the Golden Age is upon us, or that we’re winning and winning and winning, it’s partly true and partly aspirational. There is so much more to be done. Really, a Golden Age is never inevitable, and vultures wait at every turn. The “Golden Age,” therefore, is a call to action for the patriots of America. Those who love America have a moral imperative to rise up at this pivotal moment in history. It may not be sacrificing teeth on the ice or legs in a helicopter, but the Right needs to shed its lethargy and lose its aversion to actually doing work.
It’s not a request. It’s not a hope. Ultimately, we few don’t really have a choice.
