What A Day — “Medals, Insults and A Very Long Speech”

Date: February 25, 2026
Host: Jane Coaston
Guests: Greg Walters (Crooked News Editor), Matt Berg (What A Day Newsletter Writer)

Episode Overview

In this episode, host Jane Coaston and her colleagues break down President Trump’s record-breaking, marathon State of the Union address. The episode examines the speech’s blend of self-promotion, fact-checked falsehoods, “awards show” grandstanding, and political posturing—alongside how Democrats (and some dissatisfied Republicans) responded at their own simultaneous event, “State of the Swamp.” With humor and skepticism, the podcast sorts through notable moments, reactions from lawmakers, contentious policy claims, and the evolving strategies for both political parties ahead of the midterms.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The State of the Union: Showmanship, Medals & Misinformation

• Format Shift Blamed on Woodrow Wilson

  • Jane opens by humorously blaming Woodrow Wilson for the now in-person, spectacle-driven State of the Union format:

    “God, I hate Woodrow Wilson.” (00:28)

• Fact-Checking Trump’s Claims & Stories

  • Trump shared a supposedly personal story about a girls' summer camp flood in Texas, falsely claiming he was present:

    “He was not there. On July 4, 2025, he was signing his big Republican spending law.” — Jane (01:06)

  • Repeated unfounded claims about Democrats cheating in elections and racist rhetoric about Somali immigrants.

• Tactics: Audience Yelling, Public Shaming, and “Award Show” Feel

  • Trump tried to pressure Democrats into standing for anti-immigrant statements, calling out those who didn’t:

    “Isn't that ashamed? You should be ashamed of yourself not standing up.” — Trump (02:01)

  • Political theater: He staged medal ceremonies, including awarding the Purple Heart to military heroes in a moment laden with symbolism and distraction (02:59).

• Key Quote on “Winning”

  “Our country is winning again... We’re winning so much that we really don't know what to do about it. People are asking me, please...we’re winning too much.” — Trump (03:44)

2. The Atmosphere in Congress and Among Democrats

• Low Attendance, Odd Optimism
  • Greg Walters reports from Capitol Hill that many Democrats skipped the address, with those present oddly hopeful about retaking the House and (maybe) the Senate:

    “There’s a certain amount of almost optimism here… we're gonna get through this even if it's gonna take all night.” — Greg (04:56)

  • This was interpreted by Dems as likely Trump's last time addressing a Republican-majority Congress.

3. Alternative Programming: “State of the Swamp”

• A Gathering for the Opposition
  • Matt Berg attended the “State of the Swamp” event, featuring hundreds of both Dems and anti-Trump Republicans. The atmosphere was described as cathartic and forward-looking.
  • Notable “resistance” symbolism, e.g., inflatable frogs (from Portland activists), and high-profile speakers ranging from Don Lemon to Robert De Niro.

    “It felt like a giant therapy session, not only for Democrats, but also for a lot of Republicans who do not like Trump.” — Matt (05:52)

  • Focus was on future organizing, revitalizing Democratic energy, and reclaiming patriotism.

4. Prizes, Sports, and Distraction Tactics

• Grandstanding Featuring Popular Figures
  • Jane observes that the speech included a string of “shout outs and prizes”—akin to an “Oprah’s Favorite Things meets campaign rally.”

    “You bring in people who are more popular than you. And at the moment, that is the men's Olympic hockey team.” — Greg (07:41)

  • The women’s gold-medal hockey team notably declined to attend, citing scheduling issues—a point made with wry humor by Jane.

5. Policy Claims: Affordability, Stock Trading, and Omissions

• Affordability as a Talking Point

  • Trump emphasized grocery prices and affordability, seemingly co-opting an issue Democrats have long tried to address.
    • “He acted like affordability was his idea...but people are still going to go out and buy groceries.” — Jane (09:24)
  • Greg notes the disconnect:

    “Who are you going to believe, Donald Trump or your lion eyes?” — Greg (09:53)

• Ban on Congressional Stock Trading (But Not for the President)

  • Trump voiced support for banning Congressional stock trading, but not for executive branch figures (including himself):

    “It's like a trade ban for thee, but not for me, which seems to be how Trump wants to play this thing.” — Greg (08:42)

  • Matt observes that this issue wasn’t a focus at “State of the Swamp.”

6. Foreign Policy Rhetoric

• Iran, Ukraine, and “Ending Wars”

  • Trump delayed foreign policy discussion until late in his marathon speech, focusing heavily earlier on sports and self-congratulation (14:58).
  • Allusions to military buildup around Iran and vague ultimatums:

    “He said that he wants to see talks succeed, but he doesn’t want to see Iran have a nuclear program.” — Greg (15:50)

• Opposition’s Critique

  • At “State of the Swamp,” the focus was on broken promises and the ways Trump had failed to deliver on ending wars, particularly marking four years since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine:

    “One way to look at that is… he famously said that he would end that [war] on day one… and the war is still going.” — Matt (15:54)

7. Democratic Strategy & Reactions

• Midterm Momentum and Investigations

  • Dems see affordability as an electoral strength and anticipate investigations into Trump’s finances if they gain the House:

    “Sen. Ed Markey...said Democrats are gonna have to buy a paper mill to produce all these subpoenas.” — Greg (16:43)

• Calls for Transparency

  • Rep. Seth Moulton pushes for release of the DNC’s 2024 “autopsy” report as a key step to party improvement (18:03).

• Unpopularity & Backfiring Tactics

  • Greg quips that giving an unpopular president a long platform is akin to a bad restaurant “doubling the portions” of disliked food.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “Isn't that a shame? You should be ashamed of yourself not standing up.” — Trump, on Dems not applauding anti-immigration rhetoric (02:01)
• “He was not there. On July 4, 2025, he was signing his big Republican spending law debacle… But don't worry, we got fearmongering and racism about Somali immigrants too.” — Jane (01:06)
• “You bring in people who are more popular than you. And at the moment, that is the men's Olympic hockey team.” — Greg (07:41)
• “Who are you going to believe, Donald Trump or your lion eyes?” — Greg (09:53)
• “It's a little bit like a restaurant that is serving food people don't like and deciding the way they're gonna fix this problem is by doubling the portions.” — Greg (18:52)
• “If they ever open up that law, I will be there with you someday.” — Trump, on awarding himself the Congressional Medal of Honor (20:38)

Important Timestamps

• 00:03–01:30: Jane’s introduction; critique of State of the Union theatrics and fact-check of Trump’s personal anecdotes.
• 02:01–02:35: Trump’s callout and public shaming of Dems on anti-immigration stance.
• 03:19–03:44: Medal presentations and “we’re winning too much” rhetoric.
• 04:50–05:37: Greg Walters on Capitol Hill; the “weird” but oddly optimistic Democratic vibe.
• 05:52–06:59: Matt Berg's recap of "State of the Swamp" alternative event—resistance, organizing, reclamation of American identity.
• 07:41–09:53: Analysis of Trump’s tactic of using popular athletes and focus on his affordability messaging.
• 14:58–15:50: Recap of Trump’s delayed and thinly detailed foreign policy comments.
• 16:43–17:57: Dems’ plans for investigations and their optimistic takeaways.
• 18:52: Final reflections on the wisdom of lengthy unpopular speeches.

Tone & Style

The episode matches What A Day’s signature blend: skeptical, sharp-witted, and deeply informed, with a splinter of humor cutting through political absurdity. Jane and her guests are open about their biases but keen on factual analysis, regularly fact-checking and offering critical commentary.

Summary for New Listeners

If you missed the episode, here’s what matters:
President Trump’s record-long State of the Union was heavy on self-congratulatory spectacle and light on honest policy or unity. Critics and many Democrats staged their own events or simply skipped the speech, focusing their energy on strategizing for the coming midterms—where they see real opportunity and the need for genuine reform, not just political theater. Amidst medals, insults, and exaggerated claims, the real action, according to this episode, is in organizing, holding the powerful accountable, and (maybe) just outlasting the noise.