Jessica Karl, Columnist

If Trump’s State of the Union Address Was Actually Backed by Facts

An honest look at the country without all the unnecessary flourishes and false bravado.

February 24, 2026 at 10:24 PM UTC

By Jessica Karl

Jessica Karl is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist and author of the Bloomberg Opinion Today newsletter.

Time for a reality check.
Photographer: Win McNamee/Getty Images North America

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Dozens of Democrats are expected to boycott President Donald Trump’s State of the Union address tonight, and they’re calling on voters to do the same: “Trump is trying to tank our union — the least we can do is tank his ratings,” Massachusetts Senator Ed Markey said in a post on X. It’s quite the pivot from last year’s disastrous paddle protest: