The State of the Union and the Myth of Patriotic Monarchy

Last week’s State of the Union address served as more than just an annual political event. It was a showcase of the ongoing battle over American identity—one side fighting to affirm constitutional ideals, the other invoking patriotism while undermining the very foundation it claims to protect. President Joe Biden, affectionately roasted as “Joseph Raisinette Biden” by Jon Stewart, delivered a defiant and fiery speech aimed at proving two things: that he still has the stamina for leadership, and that the state of our union, in his words, is “strong and getting stronger.”

The address was Biden’s opportunity to lay out a policy agenda while swatting away constant criticisms about his age and vitality. Stewart noted the tightrope Biden walked—delivering substance while demonstrating vigor, cracking jokes, and taking swipes at critics who say he’s too old to serve. He didn’t just speak; he fought—”Put up your dukes!”—a moment Stewart humorously described as Biden confronting his haters head-on.

But it was not just the President’s speech that drew attention. What followed—Senator Katie Britt’s Republican rebuttal—became infamous for all the wrong reasons. Her delivery, filled with strange tonal shifts and awkward domestic staging, invited widespread criticism. As Stewart joked, it felt like watching a mother melting down while her child awkwardly tiptoes in for a bowl of cereal. Her attempt to channel emotion into patriotism ended up sounding more like a monologue from a kitchen-sink drama than a serious counterargument to the State of the Union.

Yet buried in Britt’s awkwardness was a telling phrase: “We are steeped in the blood of patriots.” Delivered with an unsettling smile, this moment encapsulated a recurring theme in modern Republican rhetoric—that they are the true heirs of the American Revolution, the only real Americans. It’s an old myth, one that Stewart exposed with scathing humor and sharp insight. The myth insists that only Republican voters love the Constitution, that “real America” is conservative, rural, and hard-working, and that liberals—particularly those in places like California and New York—don’t count as part of the authentic American story.

Stewart deconstructs this claim not with anger but with mockery, drawing attention to how often Republican leaders wrap themselves in the Constitution—sometimes literally. Whether giving speeches in front of giant replicas of the founding document or declaring their undying devotion to its words, Republican figures paint themselves as defenders of a sacred American gospel. They quote the preamble with religious zeal: “We the People,” a phrase they claim for themselves while accusing others—Democrats, liberals, dissenters—of hating America.

But the contradiction comes when this so-called constitutional devotion is tested by the actions and words of their chosen leader: Donald Trump. Stewart points out, with righteous comedy, that Trump’s behavior often directly contradicts constitutional principles. From suggesting that protestors be shot in the legs, to saying that journalists should be jailed for protecting sources, to arguing that the President has absolute legal immunity—even for murder—Trump routinely assaults the very rights the Constitution protects.

One of the most chilling moments Stewart highlights is Trump’s declaration that he would like to be a dictator—for just one day, of course. But as Stewart rightly warns, that’s how it begins. “Let’s just start with a few people doing the arm salute,” he quips, darkly invoking the creeping dangers of authoritarianism cloaked in performative patriotism.

Perhaps most concerning is not what Trump says, but how his followers respond. Stewart shows footage of supporters casually stating they’d accept Trump as a dictator, even suggesting he could commit murder and they would still stand by him. These are the same people who drape themselves in flags, chant about freedom, and claim the mantle of the Founding Fathers.

And that’s the hypocrisy Stewart dismantles with surgical precision. Supporting dictatorship is your right, he says, but don’t call it patriotism. The Founders didn’t shed blood to enthrone kings—they overthrew them. You can’t stand for the Constitution while supporting complete presidential immunity. You can’t invoke “We the People” while seeking to place one man above the law.

In one particularly biting moment, Stewart jokes about Trump’s supposed affinity for the Constitution by flipping through a pocket copy looking for the clause that allows political assassinations. Spoiler: it’s not there. “Faithfully execute the laws,” he reads. “Well, I think we’re done here.” The joke lands because it underscores the absurdity of constitutional cosplay that ignores actual legal principles.

Stewart also points to the darker implications of these shifting norms. The rule of law, due process, the First Amendment—all bedrock rights—are being eroded not through legislation, but through acceptance. Through repetition. Through mythmaking. The myth of the Constitution-loving strongman allows supporters to reconcile the contradictions between their values and their votes. It becomes okay to call for a dictator, as long as you’re wearing an American flag when you do it.

In closing, Stewart asks for a little honesty. If you want Trump to have unchecked power, just say so. Embrace the monarchy. But stop pretending it’s what George Washington fought for. Stop dressing up like revolutionaries while pledging allegiance to authoritarianism. And, he jokes, if you’re going to cosplay at the rallies, wear the red coats. Because that’s who you’re really channeling.

In the battle over the soul of America, rhetoric matters. The Constitution is not a costume or a prop. It’s a living document meant to bind us to shared principles—principles that are being tested not only by those in power but by those who cheer them on. Stewart’s segment was more than comedy. It was a constitutional intervention. A reminder that patriotism is more than flags and slogans. It’s fidelity to democratic ideals, even when they’re inconvenient.

And that’s the state of the union we should be talking about.