Black Leaders React to Trump’s State of the Union

For nearly two hours, President Donald Trump stood in front of Congress and the entire nation to deliver his first official State of the Union address of his second term. But while his supporters boomed with cheers and applause as the president ran though his full year back in the White House, Black leaders were quick to pull the veil from over his eyes.

“It was as pathetic as I expected it to be,” Tenn. state Rep. Justin J. Pearson told The Root. “Donald Trump and this administration are consistently proving why they do not serve the majority of Americans and why their policies are geared and targeted toward people in their MAGA movement and the wealthiest and the most powerful.”

Experts predicted Trump’s address would touch on the economy, foreign affairs and his disdain for Democrats. But while he hit everything on the list, Black politicians like Pearson argued he did nothing to ease the pain of struggling Americans. “The president of the United States of America got up there and said ‘this is the golden age of America.’ It’s golden for people who live in Trump Tower. It’s hell for the rest of us,” he continued.

Minority House Leader Hakeem Jeffries released a statement condemning Trump’s speech. “The State of the Union throughout the past year under Donald Trump’s presidency has been a complete disaster,” he wrote. “Instead of presenting the nation with a positive vision for our future and the economy, the President blamed others for his failures.”

Heading into the Tuesday (Feb. 24) speech, a majority of Americans disapproved of Trump’s handling of the economy and immigration– the two main policies he ran on back in 2024. Given Trump’s declining approval rating, Miss. District Attorney Scott Colom told The Root it’s evident that he’s not paying attention to the needs of everyday people.

“Tonight we heard that prices are ‘coming down significantly.’ Tell that to the families I talk to across Mississippi who are paying record prices at the grocery store right now,” he began. While it’s true that prices of some groceries like eggs and chicken are going down, other foods like beef have skyrocketed.

“That’s the disconnect: Washington says one thing while Mississippi feels something completely different.” Colom is in the Senate race against Cindy Hyde-Smith. “While families here are stretching every dollar, Cindy Hyde-Smith is busy clapping along, serving millionaires and billionaires and telling hardworking Mississippians to change their grocery list… Mississippi deserves a senator who will actually fight for them.”

Mandela Barnes, the former Lt. Governor of Wisconsin, told The Root the president’s speech had nothing to do with Americans. “Trump delivered a State of the Union for his billionaire donors not for Wisconsin farmers getting crushed by his tariffs, small business owners watching their costs spiral, families making impossible choices between groceries, rent, and healthcare.”

Barnes is running as a Democrat in the state’s gubernatorial race. “I’m committed to actually delivering for Wisconsin by expanding healthcare access, delivering a middle class tax cut by closing loopholes for the ultra-wealthy, and making sure everyone feels safe in their community,” he added. “That’s the Wisconsin Way and it couldn’t be further from Trump’s lies he delivered tonight to service his billionaires.”