Eight years after delivering his first inaugural speech, President Donald Trump made his return to the White House with a second address that felt strikingly similar. Once again, he focused heavily on grievances. While MAGA Republicans were cheering on his comeback, many Democrats and even some Republicans who once opposed him dreaded what the next four years might look like.
One of his most vocal critics is George Will, a long-time columnist for The Washington Post. At 83 years old, Will didn’t hold back in his critique, calling Trump’s second inaugural address one of the worst in history.
Will argued that Trump’s speech failed to inspire, focusing more on complaints and self-praise than on the nation as a whole. “Inaugurations should be solemn yet celebratory events for America,” he said, but instead, Trump’s address painted a grim picture of a nation in decay. According to Will, Trump spent too much time highlighting “corrupt” betrayals by others and not enough time uplifting the country. He even suggested that Trump’s focus on his own destiny (“God chose him”) was more about self-glorification than the well-being of America.
Will went on to compare Trump’s speech to the notorious State of the Union addresses—another part of our political culture that many Americans watch with dread. For Will, Trump’s inaugural was a stark reminder of why people often tune in to political speeches: not out of inspiration, but because they feel they have no choice.
In the end, Will’s assessment is clear: Trump’s return to power was marked by a speech that many will remember for its divisiveness and tone, rather than its unity or vision for the future.
