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Seattle mayor Bruce Harrell had one job at last week’s Christmas tree lighting ceremony: lead the countdown, smile, and let families revel in the holiday spirit. Instead, he decided to hijack the event with a meandering political monologue he didn’t fully memorize, transforming what should have been a unifying moment into another reminder of how far left Seattle鈥檚 leadership has veered.

In the middle of what was supposed to be a Christmas tree lighting celebration, Harrell couldn鈥檛 resist slipping in lines about 鈥渞eproductive rights,鈥� fighting 鈥渞acism,鈥� and loving the 鈥淟GBTQ plus community.鈥� These aren鈥檛 controversial sentiments in Seattle, where left-wing politics dominate. But even if most attendees agreed with his positions, was this really the time or place?

For a city already bruised by division and failed left-wing policies, Harrell鈥檚 tone-deaf politicizing was not just unnecessary, it was inappropriate.

At tonight鈥檚 tree lighting ceremony, Seattle mayor Bruce Harrell got unnecessarily political. Here鈥檚 the speech, tree lighting , and fireworks show.

鈥� Jason Rantz on KTTH Radio (@jasonrantz)

How did Bruce Harrell clumsily politicize the Seattle tree lighting ceremony?

The Downtown Seattle Association, which organized the event, strategically placed the stage on the second floor of Westlake Mall this year. This change was clearly in response to last year鈥檚 disruption by antisemitic, terrorist-sympathizing activists who commandeered the event. While this move prevented any hostile takeover of the stage, it came with a drawback: the crowd of over a thousand attendees couldn鈥檛 actually see who was on stage.

Ironically, that might have worked in Mayor Bruce Harrell鈥檚 favor. He clumsily opened his speech with the redundant refrain, 鈥淭his is our home,鈥� repeating it twice. So far away, the audience was spared the sight of his slight eye twitch as he fumbled to remember how to awkwardly tie his opening into his oft-repeated 鈥淥ne Seattle鈥� mantra. The lack of visibility turned out to be an unintentional saving grace for Harrell鈥檚 uninspired delivery.

“You came here to celebrate a tree lighting, but I think it鈥檚 a little more than that,” Harrell explained.

But, no, it wasn鈥檛 supposed to be more than that. People came to enjoy a holiday tradition, not to hear a campaign-style rally about Seattle鈥檚 鈥渓ong game鈥� of proving its progressive credentials to the rest of the country, framing his leadership as on the defense against a non-existent threat from president-elect Donald Trump.

“It is 听very important that we realize that we are rebuilding this great city,” Harrell said, at least being honest that we do, indeed, need to rebuild what Democrats destroyed in Seattle. “And we will, in this state, prove to this country why we believe in reproductive rights, why we love our LGBTQ plus community, why we will fight racism and social justice for all.”

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Us vs. Them in Seattle

It’s not so much that his speech didn’t really make sense. Why are “we” proving anything to the rest of the country? Are there liberal mayors elsewhere wondering if Seattle is really progressive or if we’re just faking it for attention? Of course not.

But therein lies the problem: Harrell鈥檚 comments didn鈥檛 just miss the mark鈥攖hey actively undermined the spirit of an event meant to be apolitical. He talked about building a city of 鈥渓ove鈥� and 鈥渙neness,鈥� yet his speech was made in the context of the divisive rhetoric from progressive activists encouraging people to skip Thanksgiving or Christmas dinners if their relatives voted for Donald Trump.

Harrell essentially dragged that same us-versus-them mentality into a tree-lighting ceremony meant to unite, not divide. And for what? Harrell received a small smattering of boos from the crowd when he was first announced. Those weren’t likely conservatives in the audience, but progressives farther to the Left of Harrell. Perhaps the mayor politicized the Seattle tree lighting ceremony to show he’s one of them — a progressive — so he can get ahead of the inevitable far-left challenger when he announces his re-election campaign.

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Inventing the threat of Donald Trump towards Seattle

Let鈥檚 be clear: there is no credible threat from Trump in Seattle. This city is as solidly blue as they come.

Harrell wasn鈥檛 rallying Seattleites against a tangible enemy鈥攈e was preaching to a choir that already agrees with him, making the moment all the more performative. And for what purpose? To remind everyone just how virtuous Seattle is compared to those backward red states?

It didn鈥檛 stop there. Harrell proclaimed, 鈥淲e will not be a great city until every child is safe, every single child, every person. We will treat those who are sick. We will lead by love.鈥� Noble sentiments, I guess, but where鈥檚 the action? Harrell seems only capable of delivering the same “bold” speech ad nauseum, shoe-horn in the “One Seattle” theme, and then go back to doing nothing but hoping the problem addresses itself.

This is the same city where fentanyl addicts and violent criminals have turned downtown into a dystopian landscape. Perhaps instead of delivering platitudes at a holiday event, Harrell could have taken the opportunity to outline real solutions to make Seattle livable again. But no鈥攁nnouncing concrete plans might force him to admit how badly his administration is struggling to contain the chaos.

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Not even the Seattle tree lighting ceremony could be free of politics

His tree lighting celebration speech also underlines the hypocrisy of Seattle鈥檚 political class.

While Harrell talked about rebuilding a city of safety and hope, he hasn鈥檛 addressed why so many families avoid downtown altogether. He waxed poetic about seeing children walking the streets again, as if this is some groundbreaking achievement. It鈥檚 not. It鈥檚 the bare minimum that any functioning city should provide. Heaven forbid he acknowledge it was far-left policies that destroyed the city Harrell says he wants to rebuild.

Harrell鈥檚 attempt to tie the Christmas tree to some broader social justice agenda came across as forced and self-serving. He said, 鈥淭his tree, this symbolism of this tree, is going to give us all a little warm feeling.鈥� But that warm feeling didn鈥檛 come from his lecture on progressive values鈥攊t came from the holiday itself. The lights, the music, the fake snow, and the tree鈥攖hat鈥檚 what people came for, not a reminder that Seattle politicians believe they鈥檙e morally superior to the rest of the country.

A missed opportunity at the Seattle tree lightning ceremony

The holidays are one of the few times a year when people genuinely seek out unity, setting aside political differences to celebrate together. Harrell had the chance to foster that spirit. Instead, he used the platform to stoke the same old political grievances, making what should have been a feel-good moment into yet another sermon on Seattle鈥檚 woke priorities.

“We know who we are, Seattle,鈥� Harrell bellowed.

Yes, we do. We鈥檙e a city that desperately needs real leadership, not speeches pandering to the base. Harrell should have focused on what we all share: a love for our families, our traditions, and the joy of the season. Instead, he let politics overshadow the simple act of lighting a tree.

That鈥檚 a shame鈥攁nd a missed opportunity to bring Seattle together when we need it most.

Listen to The Jason Rantz Show on weekday afternoons from 3-7 p.m. on KTTH 770 AM (HD Radio 97.3 FM HD-Channel 3). Subscribe to the听podcast here. Follow Jason Rantz on听听,听听and.