President Trump just showed NC Republicans how to respond to critics | Opinion
Before there were pink hats, hashtags, and “the resistance,” there were Moral Mondays. Protesters crowded the halls of North Carolina’s General Assembly, staging sit-ins in legislative leaders’ offices and demanding to be arrested. Their target? The new Republican majority and its sweeping conservative agenda.
Former Gov. Pat McCrory never figured out how to respond effectively. Remember him meekly bringing cookies to a group outside the governor’s mansion? It was a perfect symbol of a party that — despite winning again and again — acted like it was unsure of itself. In the decade since, North Carolina Republicans have largely closed ranks, avoiding engagement and rushing through legislation as if hoping nobody would notice.
But it doesn’t have to be this way. President Donald Trump just showed Republicans in North Carolina — and nationwide — how to handle their critics.
A new playbook
In his address to a joint session of Congress on Tuesday, Trump didn’t try to placate his critics or soft-pedal his policies — he leaned into them. When U.S. Rep. Al Green of Texas heckled him until being ejected from the floor, Trump didn’t ignore it or try to smooth things over. Instead, he pointed to the Democratic side of the aisle and said something few politicians ever admit openly.
“Once again, I look at the Democrats in front of me and I realize there is absolutely nothing I can say to make them happy or to make them stand or smile or applaud,” Trump said. “They won’t do it, no matter what.”
Then, he moved on, unfazed. For the next two hours, Trump laid out a confident, unapologetic case for his agenda. It was a stark contrast to his first term, where bluster and, at times, needless offensiveness often overshadowed substance.
On Tuesday, Trump claimed a mandate from the American people, highlighted broadly popular issues like border security and cutting government waste, and defended his more controversial policies — such as tariffs — with conviction.
You could call it divisive, and maybe it is. Neither Trump’s approach nor his policies are for everyone, and they have certainly alienated plenty of Americans.
Indeed, Trump isn’t the “happy warrior” modeled by Ronald Reagan. But this speech wasn’t angry, bitter, or vindictive as some of his past addresses have been. There was an energy behind it — a confidence that has been sorely lacking in North Carolina Republicans.
“America is back,” Trump declared.
The lesson for NC
Now, imagine a North Carolina Republican with that kind of resolve.
What if the General Assembly actually debated legislation in open committee, rather than pushing major bills through in late-night sessions? What if Republican leaders took the time to sell their policies to the public instead of acting as if media hostility was an excuse to avoid the conversation?
Here’s a thought: Focus on 70/30 issues. Take hostile questions head-on. Act like you believe the people of North Carolina are behind you—because, by and large, they are.
What you didn’t hear from Trump on Tuesday was any talk of legislative trickery. No filibuster-killing, no Supreme Court-packing, no procedural gimmicks to expand power. He made his case the right way — openly and directly.
North Carolina Republicans should do the same. Just as Trump has evolved, so can they. Strength doesn’t mean retreating into defensive tactics — it means engaging, persuading, and leading with confidence.
They’ve spent too long letting Democrats and the media dictate the terms of debate. Instead of taking their case to the people of the state, they’ve used the broad powers granted by the state constitution to assert authority in ways that may be technically sound but pragmatically unwise.
They don’t need to be reckless, but they do need to be bold. Because when you act like you have something to hide, people assume you do.
Trump’s approach offers one possible playbook — one that, at its best, projects confidence rather than retreat. It’s time they put it to work.