Former US labor secretary Robert Reich has called on Americans to boycott President Donald Trump’s State of the Union address, arguing that the president does not deserve the nation’s attention and that the true state of the union is dire.
In a column for the Guardian, Reich outlined four reasons for not watching the address, scheduled for Tuesday night. He said Trump had abused the presidency, lied repeatedly, governed as president only for his supporters, and that the economy was failing ordinary Americans.
Reich claimed that Trump had usurped congressional powers, used the justice department against enemies, broken treaties, and failed to faithfully execute laws. He described the president as a “fraud and a traitor”.
The former cabinet secretary also argued that Trump’s policies had not delivered on promises. He pointed to rising imports, manufacturing job losses, continued inflation, and overreach on immigration and foreign policy.
Reich encouraged Democrats to skip the address and attend a counter-event called the “People’s State of the Union” on the National Mall, and urged Americans to ask their representatives to boycott as well.
