On March 4, 2025, Dictator Donald Trump delivered a divisive State of the Union address riddled with misinformation, lies, xenophobic rhetoric, and targeted attacks on marginalized communities. This article dissects the falsehoods in his speech, contextualizes their danger within historical patterns of tyranny, and sounds an urgent alarm about the escalating assault on transgender Americans.
Trump set a tone of division almost from his first words, calling his predecessor Joe Biden the worst president in history and chiding Democrats as so stinting in their praise of him they would not even grant him perfunctory applause.
He placed himself alongside the country’s first president, George Washington, when discussing what he said were the flood of early achievements of his second term.
He was speaking to a house divided. Republicans stood and cheered. For Democrats, it was silence, with occasional shouts of protest, with the only applause when he announced that Ukraine wanted to restart peace negotiations.
Trump’s Lies: A Fact-Check
Claim: “The 2020 Election Was Stolen”
Trump repeated his baseless assertion of voter fraud, despite bipartisan election officials and courts confirming the 2020 results as secure. The Washington Post and AP Fact Check noted that audits in swing states showed no irregularities, and Trump’s legal team failed to provide evidence in over 60 dismissed lawsuits.Claim: “The 2024 Election was a Mandate”
He inflated the scale of his victory in November, the margin of which was actually among the smallest in American history. The tenor was more that of a campaign speech than an address to Congress. The election was certainly not a mandate by any stretch of the definition.
Claim: “Immigrants Are Overrunning Our Cities”
Trump exaggerated a “border crisis,” citing inflated numbers of undocumented immigrants. PolitiFact highlighted that border encounters had decreased by 12% under the previous administration, per DHS data, while economists widely agree immigrants bolster the workforce and the economy.Claim: “Transgender Athletes Are Destroying Women’s Sports”
This well-worn myth was debunked by Reuters and The New York Times, which found no evidence of widespread competitive imbalances. Major athletic associations already have inclusive policies balancing fairness and participation. These policies have been effective since the 1960’s.Claim: the soaring price of eggs is because of Biden, not bird flu
The president gave voice to a frustration of many Americans over rising costs of groceries — particularly the skyrocketing cost of eggs, but blamed Biden instead of the bird flu. The main reason egg prices have increased to a record average of $4.95 per dozen this month is that more than 166 million birds have been slaughtered to limit the spread of bird flu that has overwhelmed flocks around the country.
Claim: The looming presence of Elon Musk is a good thing
The president said that Musk has found “hundreds of billions of dollars of fraud,” vastly overstating his team’s accomplishments. For example, many canceled contracts were already fully paid, meaning the government received no savings.
Claim: Tariff’s are good for the economy
The president has long viewed the stock market as a lodestar. But he ignored Wall Street losses that wiped out gains since the November election. The stock market has been tumbling as Trump enacts tariffs on Canada and Mexico, critical trading partners that have been retaliating with their own levies. The dispute threatens to increase costs for American consumers even as the president promises to bring down prices.
Claim: Enticing the wealthy only to immigrate will benefit the common man
For rich foreigners, he talked up his plan to introduce a $5 million “gold card,” giving the wealthy preferred immigration status. The reality is since the 1980’s economists have proven time and time again that the concept of trickle down capitalist economics do not work and only aim to strangle the common man into subjugation.
Tyrants’ Toolkit: Propaganda, Lies, and Hate
History shows that authoritarian leaders like Vladimir Putin and Adolf Hitler rose to power by weaponizing lies, scapegoating minorities, and eroding democratic institutions. Putin silenced dissent by labeling critics “foreign agents,” while Hitler’s Big Lie tactic blamed Jews for Germany’s woes. Trump’s playbook mirrors these strategies:
Undermining Trust: Attacking media as “fake news” to delegitimize truth.
Consolidating Power: Praising dictators, threatening opponents, and flouting checks on executive authority.
Incitement: Using rallies and speeches to stoke fear and violence among supporters.
Like Hitler’s Enabling Act of 1933, which dismantled democracy, Trump’s rhetoric seeks to normalize authoritarianism under the guise of “patriotism.”
Targeting Transgender Americans: A Nazi Parallel
Trump’s speech singled out transgender people as “corrupting children” and “threatening national values,” echoing fascist regimes that scapegoated marginalized groups. This tactic has dire historical precedents:
Dr. Magnus Hirschfeld’s Institute: In 1933, Nazis ransacked Berlin’s Institute for Sexual Science, a hub for LGBTQ+ research, burning its archives. Hirschfeld, a Jewish transgender advocate, fled into exile.
Early Victims of the Holocaust: Transgender and queer people were among the first targeted by Nazis, forced into concentration camps where they were tortured and murdered.
By blaming transgender people for societal ills, Trump fuels a moral panic that dehumanizes the community, paving the way for legal persecution and violence.
The Danger of Demonization
When leaders vilify minorities, it legitimizes brutality. In 1930s Germany, propaganda framed LGBTQ+ people as a “plague”; today, Trump’s allies push bills criminalizing gender-affirming care and public existence. Over 500 anti-trans bills have been introduced in the U.S. since 2023, paralleling the incremental erosion of rights under fascism.
Call to Action: Resilience Against Tyranny
To the transgender community and allies: History teaches that survival requires unyielding resistance. Organize, document abuses, and build networks of mutual aid. Arm yourselves with knowledge, legal resources, and solidarity. Tyrants thrive on fear—refuse to be silenced.
The LGBTQ+ community has outlived Section 28, the Lavender Scare, and Anita Bryant. We will outlive Trump’s regime, too. Authoritarianism is a relic; justice is inevitable.
Conclusion
Trump’s 2025 speech was not merely a collection of lies—it was a blueprint for fascism. By learning from history, resisting propaganda, and protecting the vulnerable, we can dismantle this threat. As poet Audre Lorde wrote, “Your silence will not protect you.” Speak, fight, and remember: Tyrants fall. The marginalized endure.
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