SOTU (thread 9), Episode 4: If Teddy Roosevelt Watched Trump’s State of the Union

Imagine Teddy Roosevelt watching Trump’s State of the Union: he’d love the swagger and spectacle, but he’d be leaning forward asking, “Okay — and now what?” Roosevelt wanted speeches to force real action, not just applause.

This episode breaks down how TR used the bully pulpit to make big institutions move, why he’d be skeptical of performance without leverage, and what a president should actually do after the standing ovation.