Ex-Obama aide David Axelrod says Trump’s SOTU was a success: 'He used the gallery very skillfully'
WASHINGTON, DC: Former Obama adviser David Axelrod offered a notable assessment of President Donald Trump following his State of the Union address, suggesting the speech worked effectively from the administration’s point of view.
Speaking after the address, Axelrod said the president’s approach, particularly his use of invited guests in the gallery, appeared carefully calculated to shape public perception and project empathy.
JUST IN: Former Senior Advisor to Barack Obama, David Axelrod, suggests President Trump's SOTU speech was a success, says he used the gallery "very skillfully."
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) February 25, 2026
"I think he did well from their perspective..."
"He used the gallery very skillfully to kind of simulate… pic.twitter.com/DV7TxihCkW
David Axelrod says Trump speech scored politically
Axelrod framed his remarks through a strategic lens rather than as outright praise, emphasizing how the speech may have resonated with Trump’s supporters. “I think he did well from their perspective…” Axelrod said, signaling that the address likely achieved its intended political goals.
His analysis stood out given his long association with former President Barack Obama, making his measured acknowledgment especially noteworthy in the post-speech commentary.
Gallery moments drew particular attention
According to Axelrod, one of the most impactful elements of the speech was Trump’s use of the House gallery to reinforce emotional themes. “He used the gallery very skillfully to kind of simulate empathy,” Axelrod said.
Moments involving invited guests have long been a feature of presidential addresses, but Axelrod suggested Trump leaned heavily into the tactic to strengthen the emotional tone of the evening.
Trump delivers longest State of the Union address
Beyond the political reactions, the address also made headlines for its sheer length.
Trump not only delivered the longest State of the Union speech on record, but also surpassed his own previous mark for the longest annual address overall. In 2025, the president spoke for just under one hour and 40 minutes before Congress.
Before this year’s address, former President Bill Clinton held the modern record, with his nearly 90-minute State of the Union speech in 2000 standing as the longest since at least 1964. The marathon length became a talking point in its own right, adding another layer to the night’s political theater.
