ABC SLAMS Trump for ‘Harsh,’ ‘Partisan Attacks’ in SOTU, ‘Painting a Rosy’ Economy

Curtis Houck
February 25th, 2026 11:39 AM

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In reacting Wednesday to President Trump’s 2026 State of the Union address, ABC’s Good Morning America followed its tiresome pattern of being all Trump hate, all the time by repeating an absurd 11 times the President’s grappling with negative polling and went out to deliver a speech that consisted of “brutally harsh” “partisan attacks” and irresponsibly “paint[ed] a rosy picture” of the economy when, in their telling, it’s cratered for everyday Americans.

This was in sharp contrast to their reviews of Joe Biden’s final State of the Union, which they reveled in as having been “aggressive,” “fiery,” and “tough” from a President having to deal with a “raucous” GOP that was “a clear contrast for voters.”

For 2026, co-host and former Clinton official George Stephanopoulos led the way, starting with an opinion-filled tease:

Stephanopoulos picked it up again in formally kicking off GMA’s coverage: “Facing his lowest-ever approval ratings, President Trump delivered the longest ever State of the Union, a mix of feel-good moments spotlighting popular Americans and partisan attacks ahead of the midterm elections.”

Co-host Michael Strahan also opined, huffing “[m]any Democrats boycotted the address, some shouting back at the President and others walking out of the chamber.”

A virulent Trump hater, senior political correspondent Rachel Scott had the task of the formal recap. Scott began by arguing Trump “was hoping for a bit of a reset here in a critical midterm election year, projecting confidence about the economy as he faces his toughest poll numbers yet.”

She immediately doubled down: “President Trump telling the American people the U.S. is winning even as he faces his lowest approval ratings of his second term...With polls showing he is losing ground on the economy, Trump painting a rosy picture ahead of the midterms, trying to convince wary voters Republicans can deliver.”

Scott emphasized the Democrat boycotts and didn’t do anything to chide Democrats who engaged in hijinks. Instead, she praised the Democrat response from Governor Abigail Spanberger (D-VA) (click “expand”):

Republicans rallying behind him, but the chamber divided from the start. More than 70 Democrats skipping the speech altogether, others protesting, the President firing back...Congressman Al Green holding this sign, calling out the President’s racist social media posts depicting the Obamas as apes before being escorted out. The handful of moments of unity honoring veterans and applauding the men’s hockey team didn’t last for long. Representatives Ilhan Omar and Rashida Talib often heckling the President as he spoke about sanctuary cities and undocumented immigrants, calling Trump a liar.

(....)

The President praised his immigration crackdown but made no mention of Minneapolis or the two Americans who were killed, Renee Good and Alex Pretti. He called on Republicans to pass a bill requiring voter ID and continue to push false claims about the 2020 election...About 90 minutes in, the President turning briefly to Iran, at some points drawing bipartisan praise...But the President doing little to explain why the U.S. may strike Iran, calling the country an urgent threat, even as he insists U.S. strikes obliterated the country’s nuclear program last year. Democrats tapping Virginia Governor Abigail Spanberger to deliver their response, asking Americans whether life is better under President Trump.

(....)

Spanberger offering a sharp contrast to the so-called golden age Trump described in his address...[W]hile there were certainly those fiery moments, there were also some moments of bipartisanship, including when the President brought out the U.S. men’s hockey team and also when he honored two American heroes, two veterans, including a 100-year-old Navy captain with the Medal of Honor. But George, I will tell you I don’t think I’ve ever seen so many empty seats inside that chamber. Again, 70 Democrats skipping the address altogether.

Chief Washington correspondent and four-time anti-Trump author Jonathan Karl followed and said that, while there were “genuinely powerful, emotional high points,” the speech came off like a combination of a high-octane award show” and “brutally harsh attacks on the Democrats on the chamber.”

Karl added “the speech was remarkably short on specifics” for “Americans who think the country’s going in the wrong direction and who are nervous about what the future holds.”

With prodding from Stephanopoulos about “cognitive dissonance” on foreign policy, Karl knocked Trump’s lack of a focus on it, arguing he “did nothing to explain why the United States military is preparing for a potentially larger and more drawn out military campaign or...why America may be on the verge of a war with Iran.”

Chief foreign correspondent Ian Pannell closed out the A-block State of the Union coverage with more Trump bashing.

Along with touting an Iranian foreign ministry official referring to Trump as today’s Joseph Goebbels, he took issue with Trump leveling claims against the Islamist regime’s nuclear desires “without offering any evidence.”

“It remains to be seen if the President has actually done enough to persuade Americans and allies to get behind a potential military attack,” Panell added, to which Strahan surmised “[t]here are definitely a lot of questions that went unanswered.”

The second hour featured a recap of Scott’s Negative Nancy attitude, followed by correspondent Elizabeth Schulze’s supposed “reality check” on the state of the economy.

Predictably, Schulze spun a tale of economic desolation and ruin: “President Trump is painting a rosy picture of the economy at a time when many households say they are not feeling it.”

She again mentioned ABC polling with “48 percent of Americans say[ing] the economy has gotten worse since Trump became President” as proof the country’s gone to hell.

“The President used the speech to tout economic numbers that look good on paper. Record highs and stock market, lower gas prices, falling mortgage rates. But, for many families, their perception of the economy comes down to what they're paying for day-to-day essentials and many of the costs are rising,” she boasted.

She then cited increasing costs of coffee (“double digits”), day care (four percent), electricity (six percent), groceries (two percent), medical care (four percent), and rent (three percent) in the last year as proof Trump’s economy has failed.

“So, while the President said inflation is plummeting, when we put all of this together, the typical household is spending about $170 extra every month compared to last year and for lower and middle income households especially, their take-home pay is not keeping up with the price hikes, underscoring a widening divide in the economy,” she concluded.

To see the relevant ABC transcript from February 25, click here.

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