How should President Trump open his State of the Union?

Two hundred and fifty years ago, our founders pledged their lives, fortunes and sacred honor to a radical idea: a country defined not merely by its borders, or by the heritage of those living there, but by the principles for which it stood. That every American is equal under the law. That we bend the knee to no one. That our direct representatives, not our head of state, wield the power of the purse. That the loyalty of our officials — and our troops — is to the Constitution, not to any person. That the legitimacy of our leaders is conferred by the will of the people through fair and free elections, and that while those leaders govern us, we rule ourselves. Above all, our new nation stood for standing for something. For being more than just a country: a beacon of hope, liberty and justice around the world.

These were the principles for which our founders risked their lives. They’re the principles handed down, however messily and haltingly, to us. And today, after a year spent betraying every single one of those principles, and witnessing the results, my message to the American people is simple:

Maybe those guys were onto something.

David Litt is a former speechwriter for President Obama and the author of “It’s Only Drowning: A True Story of Learning to Surf and the Search for Common Ground.”

Today, America is back in the driver’s seat of its own future. Our southern border is secure, with illegal crossings down more than 90% from the peak under Biden. We are no longer a haven for cartels and traffickers, as law enforcement has stopped hundreds of millions of dollars in illicit drugs from pouring into our communities. Gas prices are down nationwide, although not in California, where Gavin Newsom’s costly mandates keep prices well above the national average. Most importantly, we’ve delivered real relief for hardworking Americans. With the passage of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, the average taxpayer will receive $3,752 in tax relief this year. We’ve delivered no tax on tips, no tax on overtime, and thanks to relentless advocacy, red-blooded Americans in high-tax states will enjoy up to a $40,000 state and local tax deduction. That kind of progress doesn’t happen on autopilot — or by autopen. In 2025, we took the keys away from Joe Biden. In 2026, we’re putting our pedal to the metal and driving America full speed ahead.

Rep. Young Kim is a Republican who represents California’s 40th District.

To those who said you wanted no kings? Well … too bad.

(Laughs and pauses for applause)

I stand before you today as a man who kept my promise to stop the American carnage unleashed by DEI and Democrats. Under my reign we have terrorized immigrants into submission even if it means killing or detaining fellow American citizens. We have unleashed an armed militia; repealed funding from shithole countries, probably killing lots and lots of people but that’s not our problem anymore; fired thousands of Americans from good-paying middle-class jobs; cut Medicaid; and raised grocery prices. And we are cracking down on anyone who doesn’t like it.

(Applause)

That’s right, it doesn’t matter who it is. We’ve got million-dollar corporations winning. America is great again. America is white again. America is manly again. We take what we want when we want it. That’s what I told Venezuela and look at that. We ended up getting Venezuela. We got it.

And when people, liberals, Democrats, women, say, “Stop! What are you doing?” I say, “Who is gonna stop me?”

No one.

That’s who.

No one.

Tanzina Vega is a journalist, media strategist and educator. She is a former host of “The Takeaway” on New York Public Radio and has also worked at The New York Times, CNN and The Boston Globe.

The state of our union is strong, but the state of our Constitution is on much shakier ground. As Americans, we agreed that we would govern ourselves through representative government. But 250 years later, we have lost the plot. We’re no longer willing to compromise or to allow some states to do things differently from other states. We’re no longer interested in the stability of the legislative process in Congress. We’d rather have a president make all the decisions in a winner-takes-all game of government by executive order. We look to the courts to referee our most bitter political disputes instead of our school boards and city councils. And then we blame the courts — not our elected representatives — when we don’t like their decisions. This is not sustainable. We have midterm elections coming up, and I urge every citizen to vote in the primary election and demand that local, state and congressional candidates stand for more than hating the other guy. Demand more legislation and fewer Instagram reels. Demand a debate about the tradeoffs of how we spend our money and not just demagoguery about which side is morally bankrupt. Let’s get off our phones and get back to work.

Sarah Isgur is the editor of SCOTUSblog and the author of the forthcoming book “Last Branch Standing: A Potentially Surprising, Occasionally Witty Journey Inside Today’s Supreme Court.”

Mr. Speaker, Mr. Vice President: Many people say George Washington was our greatest president because he walked away from power. He was a great man, but he didn’t have the numbers I have, and he didn’t have the absolute, total authority that I’ve built over this last year. I’ve tested the system like nobody in history. I’ve shown that the checks and balances are just suggestions if you’re strong enough. Many are saying I’ve even broken our Constitution. But because I love this country more than I love the power — though honestly, the power is nice. Really, I push a button, and a Diet Coke gets brought right to me or a bomb lands on Iran. Honestly, sometimes I get confused which button is which, but they’re powerful buttons, these buttons. Very powerful. So even with all that power, and it’s more power than Washington had, like a lot more power, I am doing something even Washington wouldn’t have the guts to do.

I have decided that the ultimate win — the greatest deal ever made for the American people — is for me to return this authority to the Constitution before it breaks for good. They’ll say it’s the most selfless act in the history of the world; frankly, they should probably give me the Nobel Prize for it. But my genius has pushed our beautiful country to the very edge of the cliff, and tonight, I am stepping back so the Republic can live. By resigning the office of the presidency, effective immediately, I have taken the greatest step I can take to be able to say to you, Mr. Speaker, that the State of our Union is strong!

Ian Bassin is co-founder and executive director of Protect Democracy and a former associate White House counsel in the Obama administration.

Tonight, I want to begin with a simple truth: Our country is strained. Families are worried about prices. Communities are divided. Trust in our government is fragile. And too many Americans feel that the system doesn’t work for them. As president, my responsibility, above all else, is to govern on behalf of our whole nation — not just Republicans, not just Democrats, not just independents. To support the millions of Americans trying their best to build a good life, raise a happy family and thrive. That is the important work ahead of us, and tonight, let’s talk about how we will get there.

A time such as this demands gravity, not spectacle. Americans don’t want a showman; they need a leader who recognizes the current weight of the moment and is positioned to meet that moment with them. Opening with humility and acknowledgment of shared strain would lower the temperature, signal seriousness and create space for persuasion rather than provocation. Starting from empathy instead of ego would tell citizens: I see you, I hear you, and I understand what’s at stake. Only then can policy follow with credibility.

But we all know this won’t happen.

Brittany Martinez is the executive director of Principles First.

I often say that a good speechwriter, like a good lawyer, should be able to argue both sides of a case. The difference, of course, is that nobody has a constitutional right to a speechwriter. So rather than an attempt to normalize or justify the cruelty, mendacity, lawlessness and destructiveness of this administration, the following is what I might write for a president whose policies are manifestly unpopular but who wanted to say something that could actually be embraced by a majority of voters.

My fellow Americans, this year marks America’s 250th birthday. A quarter of a millennium. Rather than focus tonight on the five years of my presidency, I want to focus on 250 years of America’s journey. Two hundred and fifty years ago, as our colonies joined to become a nation, we were only 2.5 million people — less than 1% of the number of Americans today — about one-fifth of them enslaved. The average life expectancy was 38 years. By the way, the average height of men was 5'8" — so Speaker Johnson would feel right at home! Women couldn’t vote. The Industrial Revolution was still years away. Our winning battle for independence delivered freedom, and freedom delivered progress at a speed and scale unmatched in human history — from the railroads that connected the nation to the technology that connects the world to the rockets that allow us to explore beyond it. Since securing our own freedom, our nation has defended freedom around the globe, lifting entire peoples and continents out from under the heel of tyranny, communism and fascism. It is our freedom that has secured the strength of our union, and I want to speak this evening about my work to usher in a new era of freedom.

Jeff Nussbaum, a partner at Bully Pulpit International, is a former speechwriter and special assistant to President Biden. He is the author of “Undelivered: The Never-Heard Speeches That Would Have Rewritten History.”

My fellow Americans, and I mean the REAL Americans, nobody thought I could do it again, but I did. When I was elected by the biggest mandate in American history one year ago, everyone wanted to know, “Can you top your first term?” And folks, surprising to no one, I’ve absolutely crushed it. Nobody has accomplished what I’ve done in 365 days. Unbelievable numbers, the best ever.

I pardoned the January 6 patriots, great people, treated very unfairly. I sent troops into American cities that needed law and order, the kind only I can deliver. I fixed our schools, no more woke garbage, just REAL American history. And ICE? Tremendous work. The best deportations anyone’s ever seen. Families? Communities? Look, you can’t make an omelet without breaking eggs, okay?

I’ve dismantled the deep state, gotten rid of government waste, destroyed trust in corrupt institutions, all of it. Your groceries are the cheapest they’ve ever been, right? Mission accomplished, folks. So I’m resigning. When you’re this far ahead, you leave on top.

JD Vance will never fill my shoes. Tremendous shoes. The biggest. But maybe he’ll surprise us. Maybe not.

Bill Burton is a former deputy White House press secretary for President Obama and founder of Bryson Gillette.

I am the Great Yertle the Turtle! —
Who that I might reign,
(As Dr. Seuss warned)
O’er all I can claim,

Ordered my turtles
To swim to my stone
And, using said turtles,
Built a tall throne.

I made each turtle stand
On another turtle’s back
That I might strut and sign orders
From atop my turtle stack.

As for what will become
Of a teetery turtle tower
Built on lawlessness, greed,
And sheer lust for power —

Well, if I read books,
Lol, I might see —
Dr. Seuss having
Laid it all out for me.

But for now, here I sit
Sowing cruelty, chaos and grief.
All hail Yertle the Turtle!
Your reptile-in-chief!

Gish Jen is the author of “Bad Bad Girl,” “The Resisters” and many other novels.