24 Feb 2026 Black Conservatives React to State of the Union Address

Washington, D.C. – Following President Trump’s 2026 State of the Union address, ambassadors with the Project 21 black leadership network are responding to the President’s remarks and policy initiatives.

 

Michael Austin, Project 21 Ambassador and Economic Consultant:

Tonight, President Trump spoke to the central concern of our time: whether the American people can once again afford the American Dream.

For too long, inflation — the cruelest and most silent tax — devoured wages, punished thrift and burdened those least able to bear it. Now, with core inflation at its lowest level in five years, we see the first firm steps toward restoring price stability and economic confidence. A nation cannot prosper when its currency falters. Sound money is not merely economic policy; it is moral policy.

Energy, too, tells the story. With gas prices near $2.30, lower than at the close of President Trump’s first term, relief is returning to households and small businesses alike. When energy is abundant and affordable, commerce flourishes, food costs ease and industry advances. Energy independence is not a luxury; it is the backbone of national strength.

The largest tax cuts in American history further affirm a simple but powerful truth: What Americans earn belongs first to them. Lower taxes restore not only purchasing power, but dignity. And as 2.4 million Americans have moved off food stamps, we are reminded that the surest path out of poverty is not government dependency, but opportunity: the opportunity to work, to build and to rise.

Affordability is not an abstract ambition. It is the measure of whether families can fill their tanks, stock their kitchens, pay their mortgages and plan their futures with confidence. If we are to renew the promise of this nation, we must continue policies that reward work, restrain inflation, unleash energy and trust the American people with the fruits of their labor.

The task is not yet finished. But tonight, we are reminded that economic strength, grounded in freedom, remains within our reach.

 

Dr. Linda Lee Tarver, Project 21 Ambassador:

As one who has experienced three tragic murders in my family, I strongly support the public-safety priorities outlined by Donald Trump in his State of the Union address. While many focus on economic concerns, the truth is simple: Without safety and sovereignty, we have no nation.

First, the President’s call to eliminate sanctuary states and cities and end no-cash bail is about protecting American lives. He made it clear that the priority of the U.S. government must be American citizens over illegal aliens. Violent crime—particularly murders in Washington, D.C.—has dropped dramatically under tougher enforcement, yet many leftists remained seated and silent. Even after the President acknowledged that our military has been attacked by terrorists who entered through open borders, there was no response. That silence speaks volumes.

Second, the President urged Congress to pass the SAFE Act to secure our elections through voter ID, proof of citizenship and limits on mail-in ballots. Election integrity protects every lawful voter. Claims that voter ID is discriminatory ring hollow when identification is required for everyday tasks—from boarding planes to shoveling snow in New York City. Black Americans deserve secure elections, not political excuses.

Third, the President called for full funding of the Department of Homeland Security. Leftists have repeatedly shut down DHS services for political sport, despite the fact that DHS responsibilities extend far beyond ICE—impacting border security, counterterrorism, disaster response and cybersecurity. Undermining DHS undermines national safety.

Finally, stopping states from issuing commercial driver’s licenses to illegal immigrants and individuals who cannot speak English is a commonsense, life-saving policy. Operating heavy commercial vehicles requires communication, training and accountability. Once again, leftists chose inaction over public safety.

Public safety is not partisan—it is foundational. I stand with the President and with Project 21 in supporting policies that put law-abiding Americans first, secure our borders, protect our elections and preserve our nation.

 

Horace Cooper, Project 21 Chairman:

The President tonight demonstrated why his tax and immigration enforcement policies are great for America. The numbers don’t lie. We’re becoming more prosperous and our communities increasingly are safer.

America isn’t just a country; it is also an idea. Tonight the President explained why America — the country and the idea — needs a growing economy, affordable health care and a strong national defense, and also how he’s working to make that happen.

I was particularly struck when he declared: “I will never allow the number one sponsor of terrorism to have a nuclear weapon.” Instead of letting this problem — Iran — fester and torment the world like his predecessors did, he’s committed to solving this challenge one way or another.

 

P. Rae Easley, Project 21 Ambassador:

This SOTU was a victory lap for the MAGA movement. As a descendant of a governor of the Virginia colonies and the cotton fields of Mississippi, I am proud to have a president who puts the American people first. His America First policy is rebuilding MY congressional district in the heart of Black Chicago, because when America gets greater, so do our communities.

Tariffs have forced corporations to repatriate and bring back the jobs that took my family from impoverished southern cotton pickers to the midwestern middle class through manufacturing. We have the opportunity to rebuild the blue-collar economy that will free my community from the prison of a socialist economy controlled by grants partaged by progressive politicians. Capitalism gives citizens the ability to work and make free political decisions.

 

Dr. Tino Smith, Project 21 Ambassador:

Among the policy initiatives outlined in tonight’s State of the Union, the emphases on tax policy, fraud prevention and economic growth particularly resonated with me. As a business and community leader, I understand firsthand how tax structure and regulatory clarity directly influence job creation, organizational sustainability and long-term community investment.

The administration’s focus on strengthening fraud oversight is also significant. Protecting taxpayer resources through accountability and enforcement supports fiscal responsibility and public trust. Effective stewardship of public funds is essential for economic stability.

Over the next three years, the measurable impact of these initiatives will be reflected in small business formation, workforce participation, inflation trends, healthcare affordability and deficit management. Responsible leadership requires evaluating policy outcomes through data and long-term results. My focus remains on substance — understanding how these initiatives are implemented and how communities can engage constructively to maximize opportunity and stability.

 

Melanie Collette, Project 21 Ambassador:

From a production standpoint, I love the fact that President Trump brought out the gold-medal Olympic hockey team, which set the tone for a high-energy speech. He covered the big issues Americans are dealing with: crime, illegal immigration, accountability, and honoring the service of many of our nation’s heroes.

The moment that landed hardest for me was his willingness to acknowledge what one young woman endured at the hands of activists in Virginia’s public schools and through the legal system. As a former public school teacher, I’ve been sounding the alarm for years about cultural indoctrination in schools — what I’ve bluntly called a spiritual cesspool — and I appreciated President Trump spotlighting the Virginia case where Sage Blair was socially transitioned without her parents’ knowledge, in direct defiance of the religious upbringing her family was trying to provide. That’s the kind of institutional overreach more parents should be aware of, and it needed to be said plainly on a national stage.

 

Dr. Ronald Gates, Sr., Project 21 Ambassador:

When the President called the chamber to its feet, he was not merely asking for applause; he was summoning a moral conviction that the first responsibility of any nation is to protect its own people. In that solemn moment, the cry was for a government that shields its children from the poison of drugs, its neighborhoods from violence, and its borders from those who exploit them for evil. It was a call to remember the grieving families who have buried sons and daughters lost to overdoses, the communities wounded by crime and the innocent lives scarred by trafficking and abuse.

Standing was not about politics; it was about affirming that compassion begins with securing the safety and dignity of the American citizen. A nation without order cannot extend true mercy, and a people unprotected cannot fulfill their destiny. The appeal echoed the timeless truth that justice for the vulnerable requires courage from those entrusted with power. In that chamber, history pressed the question: Will we defend the promise of America with clarity and conviction? And the silence or the standing became more than a gesture; it became a testimony to what each heart believed the government’s sacred duty must be.

 

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