The State of the Union as Spectacle
President Trump delivered an address in which the words were secondary.
Pundits sometimes speak of the State of the Union as if it were a treasured artifact that has been passed unaltered from the Founders to the present. In reality, the event has changed drastically over time.
The Constitution requires that the president “shall from time to time give to the Congress Information of the State of the Union.” George Washington did that by delivering a speech. Thomas Jefferson opted for a written report, and every president followed his model until Woodrow Wilson, who revived the speech. Harry Truman put
