Federalist Radio Hour ‘You're Wrong' With Mollie Hemingway And David Harsanyi, Ep. 188: The State Of The Union
Feb 25, 2026
They break down reactions to the State of the Union and whether it landed with the public. They debate the political and procedural fate of the SAVE Act and filibuster strategy. They parse the Supreme Court’s tariffs ruling and its impact on separation of powers. They celebrate the U.S. men’s Olympic hockey win and swap TV and culture recommendations.
AI Snips
Chapters
Books
Transcript
Episode notes
State Of The Union As A Visual Two Vision Argument
- Donald Trump's State of the Union framed two competing visions by showcasing citizens in the gallery to illustrate America's problems and his solutions.
- Mollie highlighted examples like flood rescuers and veterans to make the speech feel ideological and emotionally persuasive.
State Of The Union Cuts Across Media Silos
- The State of the Union still reaches audiences who get different media, making it uniquely important despite siloed news consumption.
- Mollie argued the speech matters because network viewers receive a different narrative than readers of major papers.
Standing Moment Became The Line Of The Night
- The moment Trump asked people to stand if they agreed elected officials should defend Americans over illegal aliens became the defining line of the speech.
- Both hosts agreed Democrats' refusal to stand looked politically damaging and reinforced Trump's narrative live to millions.
