In what could be described as a bold political reinvention, former President Donald Trump is promising a drastic shift in tone for his upcoming term, vowing to cast himself as a unifier. He recently shared his vision for his inaugural address with NBC News’ Kristen Welker, revealing that the central theme would be "Unity." This declaration has raised eyebrows, given Trump’s controversial history, and many are left wondering how exactly he plans to bring the country together.
Trump, who is set to take the oath of office next month, has famously thrived on division, often appealing to a fragmented electorate with stark, hard-hitting rhetoric. In the 2016 election, he won the presidency by tapping into a divided political landscape, and despite losing the White House four years later, he managed to win it back in 2024 using much of the same combative language. So, when he promises a message of unity, it’s hard not to question whether this is just another campaign slogan or a genuine shift in approach.
The reality is that Trump, now 78, is unlikely to completely overhaul his persona. His hard-line stance on issues like mass deportations and his refusal to back down from controversial positions—such as those surrounding the events of January 6, 2021—have remained constants throughout his political career. He’s also been vocal about his grievances, frequently accusing judges, prosecutors, and the media of wronging him. During his interview with Welker, Trump specifically called out members of Congress who investigated the January 6 attack, even going as far as suggesting that they should be imprisoned. This, of course, seems far from the image of a unifier.
Nonetheless, there are some within Trump’s inner circle who argue that his desire to unify the country is sincere. These advisers believe that Trump is uniquely positioned to bridge the political divide now that he has completed his final campaign. With his eyes set on securing a place in history, he may be more motivated than ever to make a real attempt at bipartisan cooperation.
Something unexpected happened in the November 2024 election that suggests Trump’s appeal may have broadened. For the first time, he made significant gains among groups traditionally aligned with the Democratic Party, such as Hispanic and Black voters. This shift helped him secure the popular vote in a way he never had before. A Pew Research Center survey conducted after the election found that while many Americans remain skeptical of Trump’s ability to heal the nation’s political rift, there was an overall warming toward him compared to the end of the 2016 and 2020 elections.
Some analysts suggest that this shift in public sentiment may give Trump an opening to push for bipartisanship. Dick Morris, a former political adviser to both Bill Clinton and Trump, explained that Trump could see this as a significant opportunity to make breakthroughs. He believes Americans are fatigued by constant political conflict and may be ready for a change in direction, one that Trump could lead. John McLaughlin, a longtime Trump pollster, echoed this sentiment, arguing that dismissing Trump’s call for unity would be a mistake. As a businessman, he doesn’t speak in the usual political doublespeak, and when he says he’s going to unify the country, he means it.
Despite these claims, there is a long history of presidents promising unity without delivering on it. The current state of political division in America is stark. Polls consistently show that Americans are deeply dissatisfied with the direction of the country and with the political system itself. Even President Joe Biden, who spoke of unity in his 2021 inaugural address, has seen his efforts thwarted by partisan gridlock. A recent Monmouth University poll found that two-thirds of Americans believe the country has become more polarized under Biden’s leadership.
For Trump, the real challenge will be defining what he means when he speaks of unity. Does it mean that those who oppose him should fall in line behind his agenda, or is he willing to make concessions and find common ground with Democratic lawmakers? The ambiguity surrounding this question has left many wondering how serious Trump is about following through on his unification pledge. Matt Bennett, a co-founder of the center-left think tank Third Way, has doubts about Trump’s sincerity, remarking that no one has ever gotten rich betting on Trump to do the “right thing.”
Karoline Leavitt, a spokeswoman for the Trump transition, offered a more optimistic view, saying that Trump will serve all Americans, including those who didn’t vote for him. She believes he will unify the country through success, a vague yet optimistic statement that has become a hallmark of Trump’s rhetoric.
When Trump takes the stage at his inauguration, all eyes will be on him, as millions of viewers tune in to see if he will follow through on his promises. Historically, inaugural addresses are opportunities for presidents to set the tone for their administrations. Abraham Lincoln’s speeches during the Civil War, for example, were full of high-minded rhetoric about unity, while Ronald Reagan’s 1981 address famously declared, “In this present crisis, government is not the solution to our problem; government is the problem.”
Trump’s first inaugural address in 2017 was widely remembered for his term “American carnage,” a dark description of the state of the nation. Former President George W. Bush famously commented afterward, “That was some weird s---.” Given Trump’s tendency to shun traditional norms, it’s unclear whether his second inaugural speech will follow in the same vein or offer something more uplifting.
Steve Bannon, a former White House adviser to Trump, has a suggestion for how Trump could make a powerful symbolic gesture of unity during his speech. He proposed that Trump pivot the podium during the address, facing the Washington, D.C., political class behind him, and “read them the riot act.” He could then turn back to the American people and finish the speech, signaling that things are about to change. This approach could resonate with both the left and the right, given the dissatisfaction with the political establishment that has been growing for years.
While an inaugural speech is a key moment in a president’s early days in office, the real test of Trump’s unification efforts will come in the years that follow. As history has shown, political speeches can fade into the background quickly, and the actions taken by the president afterward will be far more consequential. Ted Widmer, a former speechwriter for Bill Clinton, suggested that if Trump’s call for unity is to be more than just words, it must be followed up by actual policies that promote bipartisan cooperation. This could include appointing Democrats to his Cabinet or working with lawmakers across the aisle on legislation. However, given Trump’s track record of polarizing appointments, such as his Cabinet picks in previous administrations, it remains to be seen whether he can truly break the cycle of division.
In the end, Trump’s vision for unification will be put to the test not just by his rhetoric, but by the real-world actions he takes once he’s back in office. The nation’s divisions won’t be healed overnight, but if Trump is serious about his promises, he will have to deliver results that show he is more than just another politician playing the same old game.
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