Caffeinated Politics

One might assume that on the day of President Trump’s State of the Union address—one full year into his second term—his supporters would be basking in the warm glow of triumph. After all, this is the moment they fought for. The victory they insisted would restore greatness, stability, and a kind of mythic national order. Surely, they should be strutting into grocery stores with the swagger of the vindicated.

And yet, oddly, the swagger is missing.

Instead, shoppers are staring down price tags like they’re reading ransom notes. Grocery costs remain too high for many Americans, and the only thing falling faster than consumer confidence is the manufacturing sector, which was supposed to be the crown jewel of the “America First” revival. Job creation—once the rallying cry of the movement—has slowed to a crawl. It turns out that slogans don’t hire people, and tariffs don’t magically resurrect industries, especially when the Supreme Court has now ruled those tariffs unconstitutional and the emergency powers behind them legally baseless.

But surely, supporters should still be thrilled. After all, the administration delivered on one of its most loudly advertised priorities: mass deportations, except that this, too, has curdled. Following the killing of American citizens in Minneapolis by ICE officers, public opinion has swung sharply. Deporting Brown people—once a political applause line for the racists in the Trump camp—has become deeply unpopular, underwater in every major poll. Even many who once cheered the policy now find themselves awkwardly distancing from it, as if they never quite meant that. (But we need to hold them accountable all the same. Promoting hate has a price that must be paid.)

And here’s the real kicker: with so many Brown people removed from the workforce, one would think white Americans—who were told they were being displaced by immigrants—would now be swimming in entry‑level job opportunities. A labor market cleared out just for them. A tailor‑made economic utopia. So why all the grousing? Why the complaints about job scarcity, wage stagnation, and lack of opportunity? Wasn’t this the promised land they had voted for?

It’s almost as if the problems were never caused by immigrants in the first place.

But let’s not spoil the moment. Trump’s supporters should be ecstatic. They should be celebrating the fulfillment of the agenda they championed. They should be cheering the outcomes they demanded. They should be proud.

And yet, somehow, they’re not.

Perhaps the irony is too on‑the‑nose even for them.