Federalist Radio Hour: “You’re Wrong” with Mollie Hemingway and David Harsanyi

Episode 188: The State Of The Union
Date: February 25, 2026
Hosts: Mollie Hemingway (Editor-in-Chief, The Federalist) & David Harsanyi (Senior Writer, The Washington Examiner)

Episode Overview

In this episode, Mollie Hemingway and David Harsanyi dive deeply into President Donald Trump’s recent State of the Union address, analyzing its tone, content, and political impact. The episode covers the speech’s memorable moments, Democratic and Republican reactions, the effectiveness of political messaging, and moves into a discussion of the State of the Union rebuttal, the SAVE Act (Voter ID legislation), Supreme Court decisions on tariffs, and cultural moments like the recent Olympic hockey victory. The hosts maintain their signature blend of incisive critique, humor, and ideological clarity throughout.

Key Topics & Insights

1. Trump’s State of the Union: Style and Substance

[00:55–09:01]

• State of the Union Length and Energy

  • Trump’s SOTUs are seen as “more raucous, more entertaining, there’s more going on,” as compared to predecessors that the hosts find “generally tedious and annoying.” (Mollie Hemingway, 01:27)
  • Despite the almost two-hour runtime, the speech “went by quickly,” and Trump’s delivery—especially when ad-libbing or breaking from script—was a highlight.

• Contrast with Past State of the Unions

  • Harsanyi recalls Trump’s 2020 SOTU after the first impeachment as a standout for its energy, optimism, and momentousness (e.g., awarding of the Medal of Freedom to Rush Limbaugh).

• Ideological Framing

  • Trump’s address was “much more ideological and big picture than normal,” with clear emphasis on two competing visions of America. Rather than a mere ‘laundry list’ of accomplishments, Trump used storytelling—especially featuring guests in the gallery—to “show, not tell.” (David Harsanyi, 03:16–04:45)

• Democratic Response in the Chamber

  • Democrats largely sat or scowled during Republican applause lines, and some even stayed away.
  • Mollie: “Trump used the bully pulpit to his advantage, for sure. Casting Democrats as crazy people—which they are for the most part.” (05:16)

Memorable Quote

“Democrats couldn’t figure a way out of it… no matter what they did, it kind of played into [Trump’s] big narrative.”
— David Harsanyi ([04:40])

2. Political Impact & “The Big Moment”

[06:13–11:38]

• Importance of the SOTU

  • A rare speech that breaks through informational silos; for at least one night, Americans across all media bubbles watch the same event. (David, 06:13–06:41)

• Defining Moment: The “Stand with Americans” Stunt

  • Trump ad-libbed by asking who would stand if they believe that defending Americans’ rights is the first duty of elected officials—most Democrats remained seated.
  • Harsanyi was critical of “raise your hand” stunts in general, but said, “In this case... it was sobering as an American to watch... It was kind of crazy.” (08:08–09:01)
  • Mollie: “They look like just... they’re out of touch with the reality of American life.” (09:25)

Notable Quote

“I think that will be the defining moment of this speech and the thing people remember probably the most.”
— Mollie Hemingway ([09:01])

3. Do State of the Unions Change Anything?

[12:31–15:11]

• Skepticism on Lasting Impact

  • Both hosts discuss the limited effect of SOTUs on actual political outcomes or public opinion.
  • Harsanyi relays a friend’s cynical take: “Nothing said matters, because Congress is not going to do anything other than hand over Congress to the Democrats in November.” (12:34)

• Congressional Inertia

  • Critique of a Congress that “does not have a lot of people who agree with their voters that we are at a moment of great inflection.” (13:38)
  • Mollie: “Making grandiose promises that you can’t actually fulfill is a problem in politics.”

4. Patriotism and Gallery Moments

[15:11–20:19]

• Reagan’s Legacy, Trump’s Twist

  • Trump, like Reagan and Clinton, effectively uses real Americans in the gallery to tell stories, but with a more pointed (even confrontational) narrative arc.
  • Harsanyi lists several highlighted guests—including war veterans, victims of left-wing violence, and a girl affected by school gender policies.

• Emotional & Cultural Resonance

  • Mollie: “I love unfettered patriotism… I hate that so many Americans feel uncomfortable being flag wavers… I think it’s true. Reagan had this really big—or he could fuse that unfettered patriotism into his own political positioning.” (18:55–19:20)

Memorable Moment

“I love unfettered patriotism... Saying that we’re the best. I think it’s true. I love to do it.” — Mollie Hemingway ([18:55])

5. State of the Union Rebuttal & Modern Political Theater

[22:20–32:19]

• Abigail Spanberger’s Rebuttal

  • Delivered from Colonial Williamsburg, “to create the perception that they’re patriotic as well.”
  • Both hosts agree: “The rebuttal is inherently awkward and a thankless job... I can only remember Marco Rubio drinking or Bobby Jindal looking ridiculous.” (Mollie, 27:32)

• Democrats’ Moderation as Political Theater

  • David: “The whole game right now is to be as radical as possible while using your control of the media to put forward seemingly moderate people.” (24:39)
  • Both skeptical that Spanberger (now Governor of Virginia) is genuinely moderate—“one of the most left-wing governors in the country right now.” (Mollie)

Notable Quote

“Democrats have a massive problem that they’re weirdos. They’re captured by weirdos.”
— Mollie Hemingway ([22:20])

6. Debate Over the SAVE Act (National Voter ID Law)

[32:19–44:39]

• Debate over Federal vs. State Election Law

  • Mollie is skeptical of nationalization: “I’m always worried about any kind of nationalized laws having to do with elections... I just don’t know that it’s the right or constitutional thing to do.” (34:35)
  • Both agree voter ID is “the bare minimum.”

• Fraud and Election Integrity

  • David highlights how voting fraud is hard to measure but systemic vulnerabilities abound: “Almost everything in the game is about how you set up the system on the front end.” (39:01)

• Effectiveness of the SAVE Act

  • Mollie asks: “Do you think passing the SAVE Act will change a single election victory?” Both agree fraud exists but is not as pervasive as Trump sometimes claims.
  • “I think people should take tests to vote... If you can’t perform that basic level of, or show that basic level of competence, you shouldn’t be making decisions for the rest of us.” (Mollie, 42:49)

7. Senate Filibuster and Congress’s Institutional Health

[44:39–48:34]

• Zombie Filibuster Debate

  • David: “I see no problem with actually letting the Senate debate. They should debate so much more.” (44:39)
  • Mollie is a staunch defender of the current filibuster, seeing it as a key bulwark of federalism and legislative stability.

• Procedural vs. Substantive Reforms

  • Fears over weakening the filibuster and setting precedents for Democrats to pass sweeping reforms with narrow majorities.
  • “The filibuster is virtually the only thing preserving federalism in this country.” (Mollie, 47:09)

8. Supreme Court Decision: Tariffs and Executive Power

[48:34–62:52]

• Court Divided Over Trump’s Tariffs

  • Justices Gorsuch, Barrett, and the liberals form majority to strike down some tariffs; Thomas and Alito dissent.
  • David: “It was a mess of an opinion... It was a complicated issue.” (50:44)
  • Mollie strongly supports Gorsuch’s opinion for its clarity and writing, disagrees with Thomas and Kavanaugh’s historical/statutory arguments.
  • Central Issue: Should the president have unilateral authority to set tariffs, or is this Congress’s prerogative?

• Checks and Balances

  • Both express frustration that Congress willingly abdicates power to the executive, then fails to act when power is returned.

Quote

“There is no conception of the founding, I don’t think, where they envision the President... unilaterally putting tariffs on every single country on the planet for whatever reason he came up with, without any input from Congress ever.”
— Mollie Hemingway ([54:49])

9. Culture: Olympics, Hockey, and Patriotism

[62:52–70:08]

• Olympic Hockey Victory

  • Both hosts revel in Team USA beating Canada, and lightly mock Canadian bitterness.
  • Mollie: “Watching the American team win was just great—just because we won, but because we beat Canada, you know, it was just amazing.” (62:55)
  • David notes “unfettered patriotism” displayed by players, especially in contrast to left-wing sports writers who turned on the athletes for attending the White House or smiling at Trump jokes.

• American Identity in Sports

  • Anecdotes about American athletes, social media, and desperate attempts to politicize victory.
  • Critique of totalitarian attitudes in left-wing culture: “Everyone thinks totalitarian means you’re not allowed to participate in politics when it really means they make everything about politics... and we don’t want that here.” (Mollie, 69:01)

10. Pop Culture: “Night Manager” and TV Disappointments

[70:08–73:25]

• The hosts share thoughts on recent TV shows (“Night Manager,” “Night Agent”), disappointed by endings, plot twists, and the prevalence of “gay subtext” in entertainment.
• Lighthearted banter about serialized viewing in the streaming era vs. old network TV.

Notable Quotes by Timestamp

• “Trump used the bully pulpit to his advantage, for sure. Casting Democrats as crazy people—which they are for the most part.”
  — Mollie Hemingway ([05:16])

• “It was sobering as an American to watch people sitting there saying they do not agree that elected officials should care more about American citizens than criminal illegal aliens.”
  — David Harsanyi ([08:40])

• “I love unfettered patriotism... Saying that we’re the best. I think it’s true.”
  — Mollie Hemingway ([18:55])

• “Democrats have a massive problem that they’re weirdos. They’re captured by weirdos.”
  — Mollie Hemingway ([22:20])

• “The filibuster is virtually the only thing preserving federalism in this country.”
  — Mollie Hemingway ([47:09])

• “There is no conception of the founding, I don’t think, where they envision the President... unilaterally putting tariffs on every single country on the planet... without any input from Congress ever.”
  — Mollie Hemingway ([54:49])

• “Everyone thinks totalitarian means you’re not allowed to participate in politics when it really means they make everything about politics... and we don’t want that here.”
  — Mollie Hemingway ([69:01])

Segment Timestamps

| Segment | Timestamp | |-----------------------------|------------| | Trump’s SOTU – First Impressions | 00:55–05:16 | | The “Stand Up for Americans” Moment | 06:13–09:01 | | SOTUs and Political Impact | 12:31–15:11 | | Gallery Guests and Patriotism | 15:11–20:19 | | SOTU Rebuttal & Spanberger Analysis | 22:20–32:19 | | The SAVE Act & Election Law Debate | 32:19–44:39 | | Senate Filibuster Philosophies | 44:39–48:34 | | Supreme Court and Tariffs | 48:34–62:52 | | Olympic Hockey & Sports Culture | 62:52–70:08 | | TV Shows: Night Manager/Night Agent | 70:08–73:25 |

Conclusion

This episode offers a nuanced, at times irreverent, but highly substantive examination of the State of the Union, the nature of contemporary American politics, and the culture war’s impact on institutions and patriotism. With sharp analysis and memorable banter, Hemingway and Harsanyi provide valuable context for listeners seeking to understand not just the content but the stakes and sensibilities shaping today’s political landscape.