For 108 Minutes, Trump Gave a Tedious Mussolini Impersonation
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Authoritarian Watch
/ February 27, 2026
For 108 Minutes, Trump Gave a Tedious Mussolini Impersonation
It was most mendacious State of the Union in US history. It was also the longest.
Sasha Abramsky
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President Donald Trump delivers the State of the Union address during a joint session of Congress in the House Chamber at the Capitol on February 24, 2026, in Washington, DC.
(Tom Williams / CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
On Tuesday night, President Donald Trump puffed up his chest, thrust out his chin, presented his aged jowls to the TV cameras, and from the rostrum of the House Chamber gave his best Mussolini impression.
It didn’t matter what Trump was saying—whether it was a soliloquy about the heroism of the US men’s hockey team (aided and abetted by the dupes on that team showing up to lend their muscled imprimatur to his ugly vision), a meandering monologue about tariffs’ eventually rendering the income tax obsolete (they won’t), or a barely cogent rationale for what looks to be war with Iran—the Republican claque in the auditorium responded by shouting that endless yawp of nationalism: “USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA!”
The chant echoed around the august legislative chamber, ricocheting off Congress’s domed ceiling, filling every nook with the thumping rhythm of American fascism.
The president portrayed himself as the deliverer of law and order, though according to NPR Epstein-file reporting from earlier in the day, he had allegedly attempted to force a 13-year-old to pleasure him orally in the 1980s. Pam Bondi—the head of the Justice Department, which had apparently disappeared three FBI reports relating to this particular allegation—sat in the audience and applauded Trump at every turn. The president snarled, blustered, and sought to paint Democrats as in bed with “the illegals.” He asked all those who sided with US citizens over illegal aliens to stand and mocked the Democrats when, refusing to buy into this us-versus-them narrative, they kept sitting. He demanded that Congress impose onerous restrictions on the right to vote—presumably to secure a GOP victory come November. He oozed contempt for global institutions and multinational alliances. And again and again, that mindless chant would begin anew, reverberating around the chamber. “USA! USA! USA!” If you closed your eyes and just listened, you could be forgiven for hearing echoes of scenes from a Leni Riefenstahl movie. “Sieg Heil! Sieg Heil! Sieg Heil! Sieg Heil!”
Current Issue
March 2026 Issue
This wasn’t democratic, discourse-based politics; rather, it was an attempted projection of dominance, albeit of a …
Are they actually going to vote on something real?
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For 108 Minutes, Trump Gave a Tedious Mussolini Impersonation
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Current Issue
Authoritarian Watch
/ February 27, 2026
For 108 Minutes, Trump Gave a Tedious Mussolini Impersonation
It was most mendacious State of the Union in US history. It was also the longest.
Sasha Abramsky
Share
Copy Link
X (Twitter)
Bluesky Pocket
Ad Policy
President Donald Trump delivers the State of the Union address during a joint session of Congress in the House Chamber at the Capitol on February 24, 2026, in Washington, DC.
(Tom Williams / CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
On Tuesday night, President Donald Trump puffed up his chest, thrust out his chin, presented his aged jowls to the TV cameras, and from the rostrum of the House Chamber gave his best Mussolini impression.
It didn’t matter what Trump was saying—whether it was a soliloquy about the heroism of the US men’s hockey team (aided and abetted by the dupes on that team showing up to lend their muscled imprimatur to his ugly vision), a meandering monologue about tariffs’ eventually rendering the income tax obsolete (they won’t), or a barely cogent rationale for what looks to be war with Iran—the Republican claque in the auditorium responded by shouting that endless yawp of nationalism: “USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA!”
The chant echoed around the august legislative chamber, ricocheting off Congress’s domed ceiling, filling every nook with the thumping rhythm of American fascism.
The president portrayed himself as the deliverer of law and order, though according to NPR Epstein-file reporting from earlier in the day, he had allegedly attempted to force a 13-year-old to pleasure him orally in the 1980s. Pam Bondi—the head of the Justice Department, which had apparently disappeared three FBI reports relating to this particular allegation—sat in the audience and applauded Trump at every turn. The president snarled, blustered, and sought to paint Democrats as in bed with “the illegals.” He asked all those who sided with US citizens over illegal aliens to stand and mocked the Democrats when, refusing to buy into this us-versus-them narrative, they kept sitting. He demanded that Congress impose onerous restrictions on the right to vote—presumably to secure a GOP victory come November. He oozed contempt for global institutions and multinational alliances. And again and again, that mindless chant would begin anew, reverberating around the chamber. “USA! USA! USA!” If you closed your eyes and just listened, you could be forgiven for hearing echoes of scenes from a Leni Riefenstahl movie. “Sieg Heil! Sieg Heil! Sieg Heil! Sieg Heil!”
Current Issue
March 2026 Issue
This wasn’t democratic, discourse-based politics; rather, it was an attempted projection of dominance, albeit of a …
For 108 Minutes, Trump Gave a Tedious Mussolini Impersonation
Are they actually going to vote on something real?
Log In
Email *
Password *
Remember Me
Forgot Your Password?
Log In
New to The Nation? Subscribe
Print subscriber? Activate your online access
Skip to content Skip to footer
For 108 Minutes, Trump Gave a Tedious Mussolini Impersonation
Magazine
Newsletters
Subscribe
Log In
Search
Subscribe
Donate
Magazine
Latest
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Newsletters
Sections
Politics
World
Economy
Culture
Books & the Arts
The Nation
About
Events
Contact Us
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Current Issue
Authoritarian Watch
/ February 27, 2026
For 108 Minutes, Trump Gave a Tedious Mussolini Impersonation
It was most mendacious State of the Union in US history. It was also the longest.
Sasha Abramsky
Share
Copy Link
Facebook
X (Twitter)
Bluesky Pocket
Email
Ad Policy
President Donald Trump delivers the State of the Union address during a joint session of Congress in the House Chamber at the Capitol on February 24, 2026, in Washington, DC.
(Tom Williams / CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
On Tuesday night, President Donald Trump puffed up his chest, thrust out his chin, presented his aged jowls to the TV cameras, and from the rostrum of the House Chamber gave his best Mussolini impression.
It didn’t matter what Trump was saying—whether it was a soliloquy about the heroism of the US men’s hockey team (aided and abetted by the dupes on that team showing up to lend their muscled imprimatur to his ugly vision), a meandering monologue about tariffs’ eventually rendering the income tax obsolete (they won’t), or a barely cogent rationale for what looks to be war with Iran—the Republican claque in the auditorium responded by shouting that endless yawp of nationalism: “USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA!”
The chant echoed around the august legislative chamber, ricocheting off Congress’s domed ceiling, filling every nook with the thumping rhythm of American fascism.
The president portrayed himself as the deliverer of law and order, though according to NPR Epstein-file reporting from earlier in the day, he had allegedly attempted to force a 13-year-old to pleasure him orally in the 1980s. Pam Bondi—the head of the Justice Department, which had apparently disappeared three FBI reports relating to this particular allegation—sat in the audience and applauded Trump at every turn. The president snarled, blustered, and sought to paint Democrats as in bed with “the illegals.” He asked all those who sided with US citizens over illegal aliens to stand and mocked the Democrats when, refusing to buy into this us-versus-them narrative, they kept sitting. He demanded that Congress impose onerous restrictions on the right to vote—presumably to secure a GOP victory come November. He oozed contempt for global institutions and multinational alliances. And again and again, that mindless chant would begin anew, reverberating around the chamber. “USA! USA! USA!” If you closed your eyes and just listened, you could be forgiven for hearing echoes of scenes from a Leni Riefenstahl movie. “Sieg Heil! Sieg Heil! Sieg Heil! Sieg Heil!”
Current Issue
March 2026 Issue
This wasn’t democratic, discourse-based politics; rather, it was an attempted projection of dominance, albeit of a …
