On the red carpet at the Oscars, nominees are asked, “What are you wearing?” At the State of the Union address, it seemed the question was, “Who are you bringing?” While the invitees may have felt vindicated or honored, in reality their hosts were reducing their invited guests to little more than sartorial political accessories. Republican Senator Dave McCormick’s added trapping was Jason Zugai, vice president of United Steelworkers Local 2227. Republican representative Brian Fitzpatrick's extra raiment included Council Rock South Senior Sheryl Klein. And Trump’s last minute accoutrement was the men’s US Olympic gold medal ice hockey team, thus completing their fall from joyful Olympic champions classily honoring the Gaudreau family and bringing Johnny Gaudreau’s children on to the ice, to nothing more than manipulated political tools, misogynist props, a gilded Olympic accessory to allow a desperate Trump to bask in borrowed glory. McCormick and Fitzpatrick are no better. Their invited guests were useful political plumage, the better to drape their hosts in second hand accomplishments; all to distract from the notion that Trump, in his longwindedness, has absolutely nothing new to offer. There is no way to dress up 56% (economist.com) and 60% (cnn.com) disapproval ratings. For the many Americans who are hurting in this country the deleterious effects of this administration are wearing increasingly thin.