Deconstructing Trump’s Inaugural Address

Donald Trump boasted that he would be writing his own inaugural address (and posed for a photo allegedly writing same), and after he delivered it, I believed that boast. However, the fact is that Trump read a speech written by two of his top advisers, Stephen Miller and Steve Bannon. (No self-respecting speechwriter I know would claim authorship.)

Let us examine Trump’s words against the backdrop of what he has previously said in speeches, extemporaneous rally slogans and comments, ubiquitous Twitter remarks, and otherwise:

 “Chief Justice Roberts, President Carter, President Clinton, President Bush, fellow Americans and people of the world—thank you.” The only folks he left out were Lyin’ Hillary (and Associate Justice Clarence “High-Tech Lynching” Thomas, who swore in the Vice President). Seems egotistical to speak to the “people of the world,” who revile and abhor Trump even more than we folks here in the US.

  

“We the citizens of America have now joined a great national effort to rebuild our county and restore its promise for all our people.” America doesn’t need rebuilding, just reshaping and shoring up, not to mention fundamental fairness. And it has had plenty of promise for all the people until you, Donald, began an effort to delegitimize and frighten millions of Americans who don’t fit your vision of who US residents should look like, where they should originate from, or whom they should love. “We the citizens” loathe and despise you, Donald. With your purportedly high IQ, haven’t you figured that out yet?

  

“Together we will determine the course of America for many, many years to come.” Not if we can stop you.

“Together we will face challenges. We will confront hardships. But we will get the job done.” By stealth, lies, ignorance, fear, deceit, gaudy showmanship, and probably treason.

  

“Every four years we gather on these steps to carry out the orderly and peaceful transfer of power.” Otherwise we would have tarred and feathered you long ago.

“And we are grateful to President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama for their gracious aid throughout this transition. They have been magnificent, thank you.” They were trying to keep you from breaking everything before they left town. We are all holding our breaths as you stumble through a presidency you are horrendously unprepared to fulfill.

"Today’s ceremony, however, has very special meaning because today we are not merely transferring power from one administration to another—but transferring it from Washington DC and giving it back to you the people." We the people have always had the power, but you and your greedy billionaire cohorts think it has been your birthright to grab it and distort it for your own ends.

"For too long a small group in our nation’s capital has reaped the rewards of government while the people have borne the cost." The small group in this country—not necessarily in the capital—who have reaped the rewards of government up until now are comprised of billionaires, lobbyists for major corporations, major air and water polluters, superbanks that are “too big to fail” even as they plunder the finances of ordinary working people, and thieving plutocrats from around the world who are investing their enormous profits in America to insulate them from seizure by their home countries.

"Washington flourished but the people did not share in its wealth." You did, and so did your friends and family, plus greedy military contractors such as Dick Cheney’s Blackwater. “Politicians prospered but the jobs left and the factories closed.” Barack Obama reversed the Republican tide and brought back millions of jobs after George W. Bush crashed the economy. Your fantasies about factories closing are in large part a figment of your tiny imagination.

"The establishment protected itself but not the citizens of our country." And you, Donald, are a card-carrying member of that establishment, lashing out at financial rivals, evicting tenants, filing business bankruptcies that affected thousands, and cutting infamous deals to cheat laborers and contractors who believed they would be fairly paid by you pursuant to their contracts.

"Their victories have not been your victories. Their triumphs have not been your triumphs. While they have celebrated there has been little to celebrate for struggling families all across our land." And your response is to dump on struggling families even more via restricted medical care, increased mortgage insurance premiums, environmental pollution, underfunded public schools, banned reproductive health care; the list is very long.

"That all changes starting right here and right now because this moment is your moment." That isn’t a sentence. It is gibberish. “It belongs to you. It belongs to everyone gathered here today and everyone watching all across America today.” If only you believed your own propaganda.

"This is your day." Then why have you ignored labor, environmentalists, immigrants, the LGBT community, reproductive rights activists, and the intellectual community?

"This is your celebration. And this—the United States of America—is your country." Duh.

"What truly matters is not what party controls our government but that this government is controlled by the people." Yawn. Repetitious.

"Today, January 20, 2017, will be remembered as the day the people became the rulers of this nation again." The people were the rulers of America until the Republicans blocked access when Obama became President.

"The forgotten men and women of our country will be forgotten no longer. Everyone is listening to you now." You don’t have a clue how to listen to anyone or anything save your own selfish desires.

"You came by the tens of millions to become part of a historic movement—the likes of which the world has never seen before." Unfortunately, the world has seen many movements like yours led by the likes of Adolph Hitler, Joseph Stalin, Benito Mussolini, Sadam Hussein, Mao Zedong, Kim Il Sung, Kim Jong II, Robert Mugabe, Idi Amin, Francisco Franco, Fidel Castro, Pol Pot, and Slobodan Milosevic.

"At the center of this movement is a crucial conviction—that a nation exists to serve its citizens." That is the hope of millions of Americans, which you ignore for your own selfish and self-centered purposes.

"Americans want great schools for their children, safe neighborhoods for their families and good jobs for themselves." Simplistic. As for jobs, you said that you would like to raise the federal minimum wage “to at least $10," but then you said wages should be set by each state.

"These are just and reasonable demands." That’s not how you described them on the campaign trail." Mothers and children trapped in poverty in our inner cities, rusted out factories scattered like tombstones across the landscape of our nation." You are unable to imagine the lives of African-Americans without picturing them in poverty in the inner cities because YOU DON’T VISIT MINORITY NEIGHBORHOODS IN INNER CITIES. Nice touch, “rusted out factories,” even if it is significantly exaggerated. And really, Donald, “like tombstones.” Truly bad metaphor. A high school student can write much better. Bigly.

"An education system flushed with cash" (flushed with cash? like a toilet?), "but which leaves our young and beautiful students deprived of all knowledge. And the crime and the gangs and the drugs which deprive people of so much unrealized potential." You haven’t stepped foot in the inner cities and harbor a fantasy view of nonstop crime and mayhem.

"We are one nation, and their pain is our pain, their dreams are our dreams, we share one nation, one home and one glorious destiny." Gibberish.

"Today I take an oath of allegiance to all Americans. For many decades, we’ve enriched foreign industry at the expense of American industry" (think Trump clothing lines, Trump hotels and condos), "subsidized the armies of other countries while allowing the sad depletion of our own military." The American military is the strongest on earth although you’ve never been to a base nor visited troops abroad nor served in the military, you hypocrite.

"Chief Justice Roberts, President Carter, President Clinton, President Bush, fellow Americans and people of the world—thank you." (Chumps.)

"We the citizens of America have now joined a great national effort to rebuild our county and restore its promise for all our people." More meaningless rhetoric.

"Together we will determine the course of America for many, many years to come." That’s what millions of people are afraid of.

"Together we will face challenges. We will confront hardships. But we will get the job done." Not if we can help it.

"Every four years we gather on these steps to carry out the orderly and peaceful transfer of power." But you used Russian espionage to enable you.

"And we are grateful to President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama for their gracious aid throughout this transition. They have been magnificent, thank you." You can’t hold a candle to the Obamas.

"Today’s ceremony, however, has very special meaning because today we are not merely transferring power from one administration to another—but transferring it from Washington DC and giving it back to you the people." Repetitious as well as incorrect.

"For too long a small group in our nation’s capital has reaped the rewards of government while the people have borne the cost." You should know; think of all your tax subsidies that deprived New York City of millions in tax revenues.

"Washington flourished but the people did not share in its wealth. Politicians prospered but the jobs left and the factories closed." Stop repeating. You need an editor.

"The establishment protected itself but not the citizens of our country." How could they protect themselves from predators like you?

"Their victories have not been your victories. Their triumphs have not been your triumphs. While they have celebrated there has been little to celebrate for struggling families all across our land." Boring. Repetitious. Cut.

"That all changes starting right here and right now because this moment is your moment. It belongs to you. It belongs to everyone gathered here today and everyone watching all across America today." More word salad.

"This is your day." And I have a bridge to sell you.

"This is your celebration.

"And this—the United States of America—is your country." How many times are you going to repeat this simplistic homily?

"What truly matters is not what party controls our government but that this government is controlled by the people." I beg to differ. Republicans plunder the government; Democrats help working people.

"Today, January 20, 2017, will be remembered as the day the people became the rulers of this nation again." Pardon me while I upchuck.

"The forgotten men and women of our country will be forgotten no longer. Everyone is listening to you now." With dread and little red hats made in China.

"You came by the tens of millions to become part of a historic movement—the likes of which the world has never seen before." Wholesale exaggeration is an affectation. Plus you know nothing about history.

"At the center of this movement is a crucial conviction—that a nation exists to serve its citizens." Yah, Donald, it really does.

"Americans want great schools for their children, safe neighborhoods for their families and good jobs for themselves." True, but you’re not going to help them achieve these goals.

"These are just and reasonable demands." Yawn.

"Mothers and children trapped in poverty in our inner cities, rusted out factories scattered like tombstones across the landscape of our nation." You already said this. It wasn’t true the first time either.

"An education system flushed with cash, but which leaves our young and beautiful students deprived of all knowledge. And the crime and the gangs and the drugs which deprive people of so much unrealized potential." Your ignorance and bigotry jump off the page.

"We are one nation, and their pain is our pain, their dreams are our dreams, we share one nation, one home and one glorious destiny." Patriotic mush. How did you dream up this rhetoric?

"Today I take an oath of allegiance to all Americans. For many decades, we’ve enriched foreign industry at the expense of American industry, subsidized the armies of other countries, while allowing the sad depletion of our own military." I suggest you read about the Marshall Plan and how it saved Europe after WWII. Your ignorance appalls at every phrase.

"We've defended other nations’ borders while refusing to defend our own." Sounds good but is not only false, but nonsensical.

"And spent trillions and trillions of dollars overseas while America’s infrastructure has fallen into disrepair and decay." Trillions and trillions? Gadzillions maybe? More exaggerations. You need to break this habit.

"We have made other countries rich while the wealth, strength and confidence of our country has dissipated over the horizon." I’ll bet you think this is poetry. No, Donald, it is trash.

"One by one, shutters have closed on our factories without even a thought about the millions and millions of those who have been left behind." Repetitious. Yawn.

"But that is the past and now we are looking only to the future." Yours is away from the Oval Office, preferably impeached.

"We assembled here today are issuing a new decree to be heard in every city, in every foreign capital, in every hall of power—from this day on a new vision will govern our land—from this day onwards it is only going to be America first—America first!" That’s what Charles Lindbergh and his Nazi sympathizers said. For shame. It is time to read your first real book in half a century.

"Every decision on trade, on taxes, on immigration, on foreign affairs will be made to benefit American workers and American families." In what century?

"Protection will lead to great prosperity and strength. I will fight for you with every bone in my body and I will never ever let you down." You’ve let the entire country, the entire world down already, and we are all dreading your every Tweet.

"America will start winning again. America will start winning like never before. Loose lips sink ships.” (This was a WWII slogan, and we’re not in a shooting war now.) “We will bring back our jobs, we will bring back our borders, we will bring back our wealth, we will bring back our dreams." We will bring back a president we can respect and trust—most decidedly not you.

"We will bring new roads and high roads” (high roads?) “and bridges and tunnels and railways all across our wonderful nation." Maybe you plan to use more Chinese steel?

"We will get our people off welfare and back to work—rebuilding our country with American hands and American labor." Check the statistics on welfare; those people tend to be disabled or single parents with young children.

"We will follow two simple rules—buy American and hire American." You don’t.

"We seek good will with the nations of the world but we do so with the understanding that it is the right of all nations to put their nations first." That way lies eternal conflict. Nations that stand together are stronger and more secure.

"We will shine for everyone to follow." Little Miss Sunshine?

"We will reinforce old alliances and form new ones" (with Russia?) "and unite the world against radical Islamic terrorism which we will eradicate from the face of the earth." You need to stop exaggerating; you can’t possibly ensure such an outcome.

"At the bed rock of our politics will be an allegiance to the United States." Lousy metaphor (one word, not two). We are already in allegiance to our country.

"And we will discover new allegiance to each other. There is no room for prejudice." You mean misogyny, racism, hatred of immigrants, the disabled, and the LGBT community, the cornerstones of your permanent campaign of hate?

"We will bring back our jobs, we will bring back our borders, we will bring back our wealth, we will bring back our dreams." We will bring back a better editor or speechwriter to keep you from running off at the mouth.

"We will bring new roads and high roads and bridges and tunnels and railways all across our wonderful nation." You said this already, sigh.

"We will get our people off welfare and back to work—rebuilding our country with American hands and American labor." See above.

"We will follow two simple rules—buy American and hire American." See above.

"We see good will with the nations of the world but we do so with the understanding that it is the right of all nations to put their nations first." Repetitious.

"We will shine for everyone to follow." This little light of mine . . .

"We will reinforce old alliances and form new ones, and untie the world against radical Islamic terrorism which we will eradicate from the face of the earth." Stop repeating yourself. Plus you don't know the difference between Shias and Sunnis.

"At the bed rock of our politics will be an allegiance to the United States." You already said this.

"And we will discover new allegiance to each other." There is no room for prejudice. Yawn.

"Chief Justice Roberts, President Carter, President Clinton, President Bush, fellow Americans and people of the world—thank you." Enough already; your audience is asleep.

"We the citizens of America have now joined a great national effort to rebuild our county and restore its promise for all our people." More word salad.

"Together we will determine the course of America for many, many years to come." Not if we can help it.

"Together we will face challenges. We will confront hardships. But we will get the job done." By filing bankruptcy?

"Every four years we gather on these steps to carry out the orderly and peaceful transfer of power." We hope to get rid of you a lot sooner.

"And we are grateful to President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama for their gracious aid throughout this transition. They have been magnificent, thank you." You already said this. At least once before. You’re not in the same class as Barack Obama, a prince among men.

"Today’s ceremony, however, has very special meaning because today we are not merely transferring power from one administration to another—but transferring it from Washington DC and giving it back to you the people." Boring.

"For too long a small group in our nation’s capital has reaped the rewards of government while the people have borne the cost." Repetitious.

"Washington flourished but the people did not share in its wealth. Politicians prospered but the jobs left and the factories closed." You already said this.

"The establishment protected itself but not the citizens of our country." Right: you protected yourself.

"Their victories have not been your victories. Their triumphs have not been your triumphs. While they have celebrated there has been little to celebrate for struggling families all across our land." You know NOTHING.

"That all changes starting right here and right now because this moment is your moment. It belongs to you. It belongs to everyone gathered here today and everyone watching all across America today." You consider this to be oratory? Yuck!

"This is your day." Yawn.

"This is your celebration." Cough.

"And this—the United States of America—is your country." Sneeze.

"What truly matters is not what party controls our government but that this government is controlled by the people." Repetitious.

"Today, January 20, 2017, will be remembered as the day the people became the rulers of this nation again." The Big Lie.

"The forgotten men and women of our country will be forgotten no longer. Everyone is listening to you now." Repetitious.

"You came by the tens of millions to become part of a historic movement—the likes of which the world has never seen before." Gross exaggeration; read your history.

"At the center of this movement is a crucial conviction—that a nation exists to serve its citizens." But you don’t believe this.

"Americans want great schools for their children, safe neighborhoods for their families and good jobs for themselves." Repetitious.

"These are just and reasonable demands." (I fell asleep.)

"Mothers and children trapped in poverty in our inner cities, rusted out factories scattered like tombstones across the landscape of our nation." You already said this. So many tombstones; are we in Dodge City?

"An education system flushed with cash, but which leaves our young and beautiful students deprived of all knowledge. And the crime and the gangs and the drugs which deprive people of so much unrealized potential." Again the purple prose.

"We are one nation, and their pain is our pain, their dreams are our dreams, we share one nation, one home and one glorious destiny." Yuck!

"Today I take an oath of allegiance to all Americans. For many decades, we’ve enriched foreign industry at the expense of American industry, subsidized the armies of other countries, while allowing the sad depletion of our own military." This is gobbledygook.

"We've defended other nations’ borders while refusing to defend our own." False.

"And spent trillions and trillions of dollars overseas while America’s infrastructure has fallen into disrepair and decay." This canard again?

"We have made other countries rich while the wealth, strength and confidence of our country has dissipated over the horizon." More word salad.

"One by one, shutters have closed on our factories without even a thought about the millions and millions of those who have been left behind." Shutters don’t have thoughts!

"But that is the past and now we are looking only to the future." We hope your future is not in the Oval Office.

"We assembled here today are issuing a new decree to be heard in every city, in every foreign capital, in every hall of power—from this day on a new vision will govern our land—from this day onwards it is only going to be America first—America first!" You want to bet on it?

"Every decision on trade, on taxes, on immigration, on foreign affairs will be made to benefit American workers and American families." Puleeze.

"Protection will lead to great prosperity and strength. I will fight for you with every bone in my body and I will never ever let you down." Every bone?

"America will start winning again. America will start winning like never before." Like the students at Trump University?

"We will bring back our jobs, we will bring back our borders, we will bring back our wealth, we will bring back our dreams." We will bring back a competent president.

"We will bring new roads and high roads and bridges and tunnels and railways all across our wonderful nation." Repetitious.

"We will get our people off welfare and back to work—rebuilding our country with American hands and American labor." Like the H-2B workers you hire for Mar-a-Lago?

"We will follow two simple rules—buy American and hire American." Like Trump Tower constructed with the help of 200 undocumented Polish workers and Trump International Hotel near the White House just constructed with the help of 15 undocumented Mexican laborers?

"We see good will with the nations of the world but we do so with the understanding that it is the right of all nations to put their nations first." That way lies fascism.

"We will shine for everyone to follow." This little light of mine.

"We will reinforce old alliances and form new ones, and untie the world against radical Islamic terrorism which we will eradicate from the face of the earth." This again?

"At the bed rock of our politics will be an allegiance to the United States." I pledge allegiance. 

"And we will discover new allegiance to each other. There is no room for prejudice." Then why are you wallowing in prejudice of all kinds?

"The bible tells us how good and pleasant it is when god’s people live together in unity." Since when have you been reading the Bible?

"When America is united, America is totally unstoppable." Except by a nuclear warhead from Russia or North Korea.

"There is no fear, we are protected and will always be protected by the great men and women of our military and most importantly we will be protected by god." When did you find religion, Mr. Draft Dodger?

"Finally, we must think big and dream even bigger. As Americans, we know we live as a nation only when it is striving." Huh?

"We will no longer accept politicians who are always complaining but never doing anything about it." Lock Him Up!

"The time for empty talk is over, now arrives the hour of action." Run-on sentence.

"Do not allow anyone to tell you it cannot be done. No challenge can match the heart and fight and spirit of America. We will not fail, our country will thrive and prosper again." You appear to be plagiarizing. And you keep using run-on sentences.

"We stand at the birth of a new millennium, ready to unlock the mysteries of space, to free the earth from the miseries of disease, to harvest the energies, industries and technologies of tomorrow." Duh, the New Millennium began 17 years ago. So tell me, Mr. Trump, what’s your take on climate change and evolution?

"A new national pride will stir ourselves, lift our sights and heal our divisions. It’s time to remember that old wisdom our soldiers will never forget, that whether we are black or brown or white, we all bleed the same red blood of patriots." A new national pride will stir us, not ourselves. You’ll never bleed the blood of patriots (I doubt you have any blood).

"We all enjoy the same glorious freedoms and we all salute the same great American flag and whether a child is born in the urban sprawl of Detroit or the windswept plains of Nebraska, they look at the same night sky, and dream the same dreams, and they are infused with the breath by the same almighty creator." Constant Reader frows up.

"So to all Americans in every city near and far, small and large, from mountain to mountain, from ocean to ocean—hear these words—you will never be ignored again." Is this verbiage a bad joke?

"Your voice, your hopes and dreams will define your American destiny." We fervently pray that your destiny is to vacate the Oval Office pronto.

"Your courage, goodness and love will forever guide us along the way." What bad prayer book are you cribbing from now?

"Together we will make America strong again, we will make America wealthy again, we will make America safe again and yes—together we will make America great again." The country is only as great as its leaders, and you, Mr. Trump, are no more than a doppelgänger, a pustule on the American backside, a dirty joke.

"Thank you.

"God bless you.

"And god bless America."

Dear Donald: This speech is full of plagiarized language, lame truisms, repetition, and trite images. It has also not been fact-checked. It is MUCH TOO LONG. You need to enroll in remedial English 101.

Overall grade: D –