Earlier this week, Donald Trump took the stage not as a leader but as a showman, delivering a speech filled with lies, hypocrisy, and shameless political spectacle. He claimed his economic policies are bringing prosperity, but the truth is, Trump’s reckless tariffs and fiscal mismanagement hurt working families and businesses—especially here in St. Mary’s County, where our economy is deeply tied to the federal government and national security. The workers at NAS Patuxent River—engineers, contractors, and military personnel—remember the damage of Trump’s shutdowns, hiring freezes, and instability. They remember his attacks on the federal workforce, his efforts to dismantle labor protections, and his disregard for the agencies and institutions that keep our nation strong. And they see through his empty rhetoric.

His lies didn’t stop there. Trump falsely claimed that fentanyl is 'pouring in' from Canada. The reality? More than 99% of fentanyl seizures occur at the southern border, and most traffickers are U.S. citizens smuggling it through legal ports of entry. Blaming Canada is a deliberate distraction from real solutions—solutions that require investments in border security, addiction treatment, and mental health services, all things Trump and his party have refused to fund. Worse, this baseless attack insults one of our greatest allies. Canada is not only our largest trading partner, but their soldiers have fought shoulder-to-shoulder with American troops in every major conflict of the past century. From Normandy to Afghanistan, Canadians have shed blood alongside our own to defend democracy. For Trump to smear a close friend and neighbor with blatant falsehoods is reckless, embarrassing, and unworthy of the office he holds.

Perhaps the most appalling part of the night was Trump’s political theater. He made a child with cancer an honorary Secret Service agent for applause while cutting billions from cancer research—funding that directly impacts the cutting-edge medical research performed by federal scientists at places like NIH. He signed an executive order in the middle of his speech like Congress was his reality TV set. And worst of all, he exploited the tragedy of a murdered young woman—even after her own father begged politicians not to use his daughter’s name as a political weapon. That is not leadership. That is manipulation at its worst.

St. Mary’s County is home to thousands of active-duty military, defense contractors, and federal employees—men and women who serve this nation with honor. They deserve a president who respects them, who values science and national security, and who tells the truth about the challenges we face. Instead, Donald Trump gave us a spectacle designed to distract from his failures. The people of Southern Maryland won’t be fooled. We are committed to standing up for working families, for truth, and for leadership that actually delivers results—not just a made-for-TV performance. America needs real leadership, not a con man selling another show.