It’s the opening night of the Rodeo in Houston, Texas – an event that typically draws a large crowd in the city.
However, a group of young Republicans has gathered at an Irish pub in the suburbs, eager not to miss President Donald Trump’s prime-time address to Congress.
Around a dozen party members have filled the back room of the pub, while Fox News reverberates from the TV screens around them.
Attendees donned red, white, and blue, accessorizing with flag pins and scarves.
Before the speech commenced, club members expressed their enthusiasm for Trump’s policy proposals.
If they were to assign him a grade for his first 44 days in office, the consensus was a solid “A+”.
“He’s already exceeded all expectations,” one attendee remarked.
As the President approached the podium, the lively chatter subsided, replaced by cheers and laughter.
Wearing a Trump-Vance baseball cap, 26-year-old Evan Howard raised his glass each time he agreed with the President’s statements, which was quite frequent.
“He’s going to crack down on crime and be tough on cartels. He’ll prevent a lot of American bloodshed,” he stated.
However, Evan acknowledged that, 44 days in, he hasn’t yet felt the impact of President Trump’s return to office. At least not immediately, and he’s willing to be patient.
“Honestly, I’m not much better off yet, but I appreciate his approach,” Evan shared. “I see the efforts being made, and I recognize that some of the changes he’s implementing will take time to produce results.”
Sitting across from Evan was Brittany, who was considerably quieter than the rest of the group. A 31-year-old black woman, she is new to the Republican Party.
“I thought he did well. It was a very unifying message,” she commented. “He highlighted a number of issues that the Democrats, whom I once felt a connection to, have overlooked.”
“[Democrats] often advocate for concerns that don’t resonate with the broader American public. Americans are facing struggles. There are issues with crime, housing insecurity, and homelessness. Meanwhile, the left wants to focus on pronouns.”
References to pronouns, gender issues, and “wokeness” drew loud applause and cheers from the crowd that night.
Conversely, boos erupted every time the cameras captured Nancy Pelosi, Democrats holding signs, or any lawmakers appearing drowsy in the audience.
In her serious rebuttal to Congress, Democratic senator Elissa Slotkin cautioned that US democracy is “at risk.”
“It’s at risk when the president decides to selectively follow rules, when he disregards court orders and the constitution itself, or when elected officials remain passive while it happens,” she asserted.
She also took aim at Elon Musk, the world’s richest man, accusing him of rummaging through Americans’ private data with a “group of 20-year-olds” from his White House team affectionately dubbed Doge.
Yet, Slotkin’s comments seemed to leave little impression on the Republicans at the Texas bar.
The only suggestion for President Trump from the audience? Perhaps discuss Joe Biden a little less.
Aside from that, the overall sentiment from this group was one of: promises made and promises fulfilled.
