photo from nationalreview.com
On February 6th President Trump gave the State of the Union Address. The speech was originally supposed to be given on January 29th, but according to Business Insider, it was postponed by Nancy Pelosi due to security concerns in light of the government shutdown. This article will provide a brief summary of the important aspects of both President Donald Trump’s State of the Union Address and Democrat Stacey Abrams’ response.
Pres. Trump hit on a plethora of issues and invited a multitude of guests to the event. Nearly 47 million people viewed the address live according to statista.com, and approximately 2 million people have viewed the event on Youtube since. Pres. Trump talked about a broad range of issues and solutions including the American economy, foreign relations, abortion, and more.
Pres. Trump’s guest list included young patriot Preston Sharp, cancer survivor Grace Eline, Holocaust survivor Judah Samet, and the man who placed the American flag on the moon—Buzz Aldrin.
Preston Sharp, an 11-year-old boy, felt a strong sense of sympathy for the the local veterans who were not being honored in his town when he visited his veteran grandfather’s grave in 2015. Today, Preston has organized the donations and placements of over 40,000 American flags and red carnations on soldiers’ graves.
Grace Eline, a 10-year-old girl, survived a brain tumor at the age of 9 thanks to the help of her community. More than 40,000 dollars were raised in her support.
Judah Samet, an 81-year-old Holocaust survivor, also survived the recent deadly Pittsburgh shooting at the Tree of Life Synagogue. Pres. Trump thanked all of these people, and other guests, for their inspiration to the American people.
A large chunk of Pres. Trump’s speech addressed America’s booming economy. Trump boasted about the 5.3 million new jobs created since his presidency, including 100,000 manufacturing jobs. He went on to announce that 5 million Americans have been able to get off of food stamps and that unemployment is at the lowest point in 50 years due to more jobs being occupied than ever before: 157 million. Trump announced that minority and disability workers make up more of the workforce than at any past period in history. He reflected on the tax cuts made by his administration and how it encouraged manufacturers to move back to America. He rounded off his reflection on the strong economic situation to loud applause, “And for the first time in 65 years America is a net exporter of energy.” Pres. Trump went on to boast of his success in cutting more regulations than any administration in the history of the United States.
Pres. Trump is well-known for his dislike of illegal immigration. During the Address he said, “I want people to come into our country in the largest numbers ever. But they need to come legally.”
He went on to talk about how toleration for illegal immigration is actually immoral. He shared his concern that MS13 gang members are constantly entering the country illegally along with sex-traffickers and criminals. Pres. Trump made it clear that one of his top priorities is to stop the inflow of undocumented immigrants from the southern border.
Pres. Trump addressed many other issues but spent far less time discussing them. He talked about his goal of lowering prescription drugs and healthcare prices. He expressed his views on abortion as well by declaring, “All children, born and unborn, are made in the holy image of God.” Trump emphasized the fact that North Korea has gone over 15 months without launching a missile, and American hostages have been returned. He expressed his support of the new government that has been established in Venezuela, and lastly announced that ISIS-held Territory in the Middle East has been almost completely eliminated.
These are the main points that President Trump touched on, and Stacey Abrams had a response. Stacey Abrams is the runner-up of the Georgia gubernatorial race, and would have been the first female governor of the state if elected.
“Our power as Americans,” Abrams said in her response, “lies in our hard work.” She stressed the need to be able to depend on our friends and neighbors to be there for us. Our community should always have our backs. She went on to say that “Our joint ideals,” as separate parties, “are not negotiable.”
Abrams was emphatic that America needs new immigration laws that make the process of entering the country easier. She also said that abortion should not be regulated by the government and the mother should be able to control her reproduction through means of abortion.
The two opposing parties both delivered well-informed speeches. Important issues were addressed, and differing ideals were expressed. Pres. Trump announced that the two parties should unify and work together towards greatness.
“Victory is not winning for our party. Victory is winning for our country,” Pres. Trump declared. “We must reject the politics of revenge, resistance and retribution – and embrace the boundless potential of cooperation, compromise and the common good. We must choose between greatness or gridlock, results or resistance, vision or vengeance, incredible progress or pointless destruction.”