Karl Rove Rips Trump for Making ‘Key Mistake’ at ‘Angry’ State of the Union

LEFT: Donald Trump (AP Photo/Alex Brandon) RIGHT: Karl Rove (screenshot)

Legendary GOP operative Karl Rove ripped President Donald Trump in a new Wall Street Journal column for making a “key mistake” during his State of the Union address this week.

Under the headline “The State of the Union Is Belligerent,” Rove praised the president for his ” effective and extensive use of gallery guests” on Tuesday night before getting to his critique.

“Throughout his record number of guest introductions, the president was empathetic and personable. His remarks, delivered as written, were often moving, patriotic and unifying,” he wrote. “This was also the most partisan State of the Union in memory. In what may have been a first, Mr. Trump attacked his predecessor by name several times. He repeatedly condemned congressional Democrats, tried to force them to stand and applaud him, and lacerated them when they didn’t. He was spoiling for a fight.”

“Many presidents have used the occasion to pressure the opposition on key issues. None have done so as directly and brutally as Mr. Trump did Tuesday. He savaged Democrats as ‘sick people’ and ‘crazy,’ claiming they ‘are destroying our country,'” continued Rove. “This cheered Republicans and angered Democrats in the room. But did it help Mr. Trump with the key voters the GOP must sway in the midterms? Almost everything the president said energized his MAGA hard core. But they aren’t enough to stave off a shellacking this fall.”

“For them, the president’s speech almost certainly didn’t sound based in reality,” submitted the ex-Bush advisor, noting that the country lost over 100,000 manufacturing jobs last year and is still feeling the effects of inflation.

“It too often sounded like a political convention speech rather than a presidential address. Even by the former’s standards, it was angry, pugnacious, and hence less effective,” concluded Rove. “If they’re to defend their majority successfully, congressional Republicans must offer more substance, be more forward-looking, display more empathy, and focus much more on the economy than what Americans heard Tuesday. They better get cracking. Time’s a-wasting.”

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