OMG, boring. I made it through about 30 minutes and then switched to reruns. Good lord, that man has the energy of a slug while delivering a speech and as I said before, BORING. And he can’t decide if he wants to play nice or be a bully. I don’t know if he has professional speech writers but if he does, he needs to hire new ones. Did I say "BORING".
6
While it is very difficult to tolerate what the Lier in Chief said in his State of the Union address, it is more notable what he did not say.
There was NOT one word on either gun control or climate change or the ballooning national debt or the growing disparity of income and wealth or … fill in the blanks on the long list of critical economic and social issues that need attention and action.
The world is patiently waiting for Robert Muller to release his report(s). This will be the beginning of the end of the Bully in Chief.
5
Mr. Trump’s statements about bi-partisan cooperation were vapid.
The totality of his speech was mendacious and wholly lacking authenticity.
Trump is ignorant about Congress being a co-equal branch of government with oversight authority.
Alternatively, he wishes to render the Constitution meaningless.
When Trump claims Congress is engaged in ridiculous partisan investigations, he maligns patriots who have a desire to get at the heart of Russia’s interference in our democratic process.
Opposing Russian interference is wise, patriotic and beneficial - not ridiculous. Moreover, intelligence officials who have worked for both Democratic and Republican presidents know the Russians interfered. Thus, the oversight cannot be considered partisan. The rational for oversight is more compelling that the Republican investigations during Obama’s presidency.
Trump’s speech is a demand that the American people allow him to do whatever he wants. History tells us this is dangerously absurd.
9
"The president insisted on sharpening some of the lines in the speech and rebuffed aides, who urged him to congratulate Ms. Pelosi on her ascension to the speakership"
So even the most basic form of politeness he preferred to reject?
The only way to get a political agreement (and some concessions) between equal branches of government, is to start by showing respect for your opponents.
Trump systematically does the exact opposite. That undermines all possible collaboration, which cannot happen but through first building common ground and acknowledging that although we may have different ideas about how to design our collective future, we are all human beings and Americans first.
Here you have a president, however, who only talks about putting America first, to then constantly say and do the opposite.
Won't work.
9
“An economic miracle is taking place in the United States,”
Of course not.
First of all, there 's NO Trump dent at all - not in GDP graphs of the last decade, nor in graphs showing the evolution of the unemployment rate.
And secondly, the CBO's analysis of Obama's Recovery Act predicted that it would lay the foundation for a decade-long steady growth (= one of its main goals). So this happened ON PURPOSE. Thanks to politicians that only support science-based policies.
12
Read his comments to the news anchors he invited for lunch today.
What petty piece of work.
(could have chosen another word)
Not a humane bone in his body.
Years from now, when American kids study these years in history class, the chapter on the Trump presidency will be titled "The Great Mistake: Donald Trump and American Regret."
His entire life a sad joke.
I'm not sure why the guy even exists.
13
Trump's speech was chilling. He told the judiciary he wants them to tackle abortion. He wants to make sure women don't have the right to third trimester abortion. Really, how many women do you know seek an abortion in the third trimester? The Republicans want to have women go before 3 judges before they can be allowed an abortion, even if their life is in jeopardy. Moreover, most third trimester abortions are because the fetus is compromised in some medical way. The Republicans want to control what is a woman's right and what is a family's right. It's the excessive intrusion of the government in what is a personal medical matter.
Then there is his foreign policy comments. Chilling. The delusion that we would have been at war with North Korea, were it not for him. This kind of narcissistic boast, is exactly what will get us into war. On the surface he says he's stopping world conflict, when in fact he has eroded agreements to stop the arms race and war machine. Chilling.
BEWARE fake divisions in this country. While racism is insidious, we are united as working people, as people who understand the Republican plot to control the wealth and social agenda of this country. Beware the chilling warning within his seemingly American lies. Doubling down on divisiveness. Digging his heels in for a wall. Warning people about Communism. He will pull this country apart, Republicans and Democrats, the majority who are in the middle. We who aren't crackpots.
8
@Angel
Women who seek abortion during their third term often do so because they hacked crucial information during the first two.
And guess WHO opposes seriously informing young women?
The GOP, of course.
This too is nothing but a crisis of their own making. Once again.
Abortion rates systematically go down when Democrats control DC, and go up once the GOP takes over.
So on this issue just as on immigration reform and border security, it's the GOP that talks the talk, but Democrats who walk the walk.
1
Dems think anything short of open borders and full subsidies for illegals is hard line. NY state officials refuse to deport people even after they commit all sorts of other crimes. They also gift illegals with driver's licenses, in state tuition, free college degrees and all sorts of other perks. The mayor of our largest city has taken it a step further with taxpayer provided health insurance while thousands of Americans file for bankruptcy each year.
Dems have almost nothing to say on this issue beyond give things to people who broke our laws so they'll vote for Dems.
5
The USA needs much stronger immigration control.
The world has seven billion people, going on eight billion.
Hundreds of millions, if not billions, would come here if we let them.
The US already has 330 million people,
plus, every year, for decades, we are granting 1 million more "green cards", the right to legal permanent residence,
plus hundreds of thousands of supposedly "temporary" residence visas in a plethora of categories, most of which somehow end up being extended endlessly.
That is plenty.
We do not need more people.
If you think we do, just take a look at Los Angeles,
with its hugely overcrowded school system and roads.
I challenge Dems to put a limit on the total number of immigrants annually, in all categories combined,
then stick with it, and enforce it.
But the Dems obstinately refuse to acknowledge the need for any limits.
Instead, they keep cooking up more and more ways for more and more immigrants to come, without limit,
whether legally, with all sorts of new categories for immigration,
and all sorts of exceptions for existing categories,
and more and more amnesties for those coming illegally,
and all sorts of anti-enforcement policies.
Most recently, the Dem House proposal for the House-Senate Conference Appropriations Committee (the "bipartisan" committee) strangles funding for detention facilities for so-called asylum seekers pending hearings for their asylum claims -- with the result that they are let loose into the interior, and 90% never show up.
8
You are honest and correct. There is absolutely no need for more people anywhere, especially in the third most populous nation on earth and the greatest per capita co2 producer. The left clearly has a mass immigration agenda that does not serve the planet or this country.
5
Well, he sounded a little more adult last night, but he continues to lie to us, with lies that are easily checked. When are we going to stop accepting an elected official who continually lies to his constituents?
5
Given the considerable breadth of subject matter, new and continuing policy content and genuine requests for cooperation, you'd have thought President Trump might have at least been acknowledged to have made this a thorough SOTU.
What some cannot understand, but they might as we enter his second term in 2021, is that his will is strong, his promises to his electorate are firm, and his ability to withstand hatemongers is stronger than ever. Smug dismissiveness will never beat this President, so have at it if it makes you feel better, as though hate ever will.
1
The closest Trump got to discussing race issues was his choice of "guests". Two people of color, whom he pardoned from prison time. Yes, both were good stories. But the impression left was patronizing: "yeah, they're ex-cons. But look at the good they did while in prison." It rang pretty hollow.
I see Trump as a protest candidate who "hijacked" the Republican Party and won the election against a very poor Democratic opponent. No one should be surprised that he won. The first evidence that this type of candidate had appeal was Ross Perot's candidacy in the early 1990's. Trump has been active on every issue he campaigned on...immigration, trade deals, tax cuts, etc. So far, his presidency has been a success. Like him or not, he will be difficult to defeat in 2020. Sanders, Biden, Hillary are not the answer. Rushing through bizarre abortion legislation that makes you look like a serial killer is not the answer. The Dems are in a terrible state right now, very sad.
Trump is running up huge budget deficits and these are a real problem that need to be solved. Can you win an election based on cutting spending?? I think you can if you make an effort to educate/explain how your plan will work.
1
I don’t know how anyone can listen to this president longer than 30 seconds. It’s easy to tell he struggles with basic English and he isn’t that intelligent.
5
My mind is open.
Tell me, what's the argument in favor of allowing people to illegally sneak into the country?
6
Amazing the commenters on this website vs. Foxnews online. Trump did an excellent job on the SOTU address last evening. I watched the entire event. Democrats came off as self important elitist children. Cortez was a disgrace.
3
Highlights for me-
1. Women in White
2. Women in White clapping for themselves.
3. Pelosi's jawline as Trump spoke
4. Pelosi's sidewise clapping
Otherwise, forgettable.
2
Given the Times' Feb. 2 article by Katie Rogers discussing how "In the Dead of Winter, Trump's Tan Remains a State Secret," I think Ms. Rogers, Peter Baker or Maggie Haberman should write a companion piece about how Mrs. Trump was able to achieve the deeply tan complexion she displayed during the SOTU. In the president's case, the White House attributed what the Times called his "conspicuously sun-kissed glow" to "good genes," rather than to a tanning bed or tanning creams. Perhaps the equally "conspicuously sun-kissed glow" displayed by Mrs. Trump during the SOTU is also the result of "good genes." Or it may be that she and her husband bond by sharing a large stockpile of tanning creams and bronzers stored in what the Times said was the president's "remodeled bathroom." Another possibility is that Mrs. Trump gets her glow by basking in the Florida sun and the maintenance of that glow so important that it outweighed any qualms Mrs. Trump may have had about flying to Mar-a-Lago on taxpayer money during the government shutdown. In any event, it would be interesting and informative if the Times did some sleuthing to investigate how Mrs. Trump, like her husband, is able to have "in the pale of winter" the "conspicuously sun-kissed glow" she displayed last night.
1
Perhaps I am giving him more credit than he deserves as I despise Trump. He mentioned moving the US Embassy to Jerusalem. I wonder if that along with the presence of the Holocaust survivors and the survivor of the synagogue shooting in Pittsburgh were meant to appeal to Jewish Americans as a response to the newly elected Democratic female Muslim representatives who have trumpeted their support for the Divest, Boycott, and Sanctions movement against Israel along with supporting the Palestinians and Hamas. I have no doubt that the GOP will attempt to paint all Dems with this.
So, the Trump supporters state that the Women wearing white at the State of the Union speech are KKK members.
Hey, Trump was wearing a White Shirt and so were most of the Republican House and Senate members attending that same speech.
And we definitely know that they are.
3
"The economy is doing so well that we have record low unemployment."
-Donald Trump
"Illegal immigrants are taking all the jobs away from Americans."
-Donald Trump IN THE SAME SPEECH
How are people so easily fooled by someone this unintelligent?
49
@Randall
On Trump's rosy unemployment figures, Winnie Byanyima, the executive director of Oxfam International, said it best at Davos:
“Don’t tell me about low levels of unemployment. You’re counting the wrong things. You’re not counting dignity of people. You're counting exploited people."
6
Press all you can Donny, but the Democrats are now able to do something in Congress. Think (if you can) about that for the next 713 days that your term mandates you!
4
Great speech, even if it was a bit too long. He doubled down on his demands for a wall. That was awesome. The USA reality show has more worldwide viewers than "Dynasty" in the 1980's. While Pelosi was fake regal like Queen Anne in "The Favorite", Kirsten Nielsen (who looked great) is sending troops to the border to stop the new caravans. Actually it's at the state level where our govt. is a total mess. Calif. is $1 trillion in debt. LAUSD teachers' strike caved after just one week. Huge homeless camps in LA and SF. But it was good show last night. Now I'm waiting for hard Brexit.
4
@Matthew A great speech if you are blind to the truth. Trump lies even when he tells the truth. Yes, our unemployment is at a record low but the credit goes to president Obama, not Trump. Obama was able to work with a Republican congress to achieve a few things. Lets see if Trump can work with Pelosi who has a stronger spine and bigger brain.
6
“In the past four decades, the only times a president headed into a State of the Union address with as little or less support were in 1983 when Ronald Reagan was struggling with a painful recession...”
Perhaps the disastrous Iran-Contra scandal had a little to do with it.
3
Title of the SOTU:
"Fool you once, shame on me. Fool you 8,158 times, shame on you."
No President can match his record for lies. And those are just the ones in office, not the lies about raising taxes on the hedge fund managers, mandating eVerify, and making health insurance less expensive and more comprehensive for all.
9
I didn’t listen but heard/read about enough it.
Funniest is his recognition of more women in Congress.
- Vast majority are Democrats (I think there are less Republican women in Congress
- the women ran and were elected in response to the election of Trump, the misogynist and abuser.
Very Trump-like to take credit, though - just like him taking credit for a good economy he inherited from Obama or the ‘wins’ over Al Qaeda - mostly Obama policies he continued.
8
It's really time to end the State of the Union speech as a public event. I've thought this for a long time. It is not the State of the Union. It's become a tool for re-election and self-aggrandizement. Last night the Chief of Self-Aggrandizement convinced me even more that this has to end. The claim, "in my opinion", that the world would be engulfed in nuclear war if CSA had not prevented such, has to be the most delusional claim ever delivered on reality TV. Please, Madame Speaker Pelosi, do not invite this mirror-mirror-on-the-wall gentleman back next year.
8
“No issue better illustrates the divide between America’s working class and America’s political class than illegal immigration ...Wealthy politicians and donors push for open borders while living their lives behind walls and gates and guards.”
A fundamental bait-and-switch. It is not differing views on immigration between the working class and the "political class" that divide us. In reality it is primarily THE BILLIONAIRE CLASS to which Trump himself belongs (along with most of his cabinet and many of the donors to his campaign, "living their lives behind walls and gates and guards" ] that is robbing ordinary citizens, including the poor, from upward mobility. We need to reduce wealth inequality. We need representatives in the form of statespersons who staunchly proclaim, "The greed stops here."
8
How many children of middle and upper middle class parents send their children to school with English learners?
2
“Here in the United States, we are alarmed by new calls to adopt socialism in our country,” he said, as Republican lawmakers booed. “We are born free and we will stay free. Tonight we renew our resolve that America will never be a socialist country.”
So the government providing benefits to it's own people is a danger of our freedoms? Just like the privatization of educational institutions, insurances and large businesses continue to even out America's economic landscape ...
3
@JB,
Agreed, go to any super market , Costco and see how crowded they are every 1,2,3,4,th of every month .
People on welfare checks
People on food stamps now EBT cards
Social security checks
VA checks
Disability Checks
Pension checks
Stocking up on groceries it’s what makes us great as a country. Of course it’s a form of socialism. So what.
1
I enjoyed trumps annual poke at high drug prices ...When you consider all his administration has done FOR drug companies . maga , baby !
3
One simple question, if Donald had done nothing wrong, then why is he afraid of investigation.
7
Trump's unity means that everyone agrees with him.
5
Trump made himself a perfect target for a rebuttal but the Democrats let that opportunity slide by having a third rate rebuttal. Nor does their recent crop of "wannabes" promise anything more success than a Hillary disaster re-run. Interestingly there was a strong voice to be heard last night on-line after the Dems produced their newest flop. Bernie Sanders, speaking after Ms Abrams, lacerated Trump and the Republican in a point by point rebuttal of every twist and turn of destructive policies and false claims. It was the message that needed to be heard and delivered to the nation that the Democratic is once again unable to rise to delivering. Similarly the mediocre selection of candidates that keep popping up on the nightly news have neither the intellect, the force of personality, oor the political acumen to be meaningful.
If, in fact, it were not for senator Sanders there would be no meaningful opposition to Trump or understanding of the changes in policy this nation must make to survive.
2
The media is going to ignore Bernie again because he would oppose media monopolies
1
Trump's habit of using victims of terrible tragedies as political props is distasteful. I am still mystified about why he used the little girl with cancer to segue into a completely unrelated funding goal: school vouchers. What was his reasoning there?
3
@Kristin
You mean like Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez wearing a brooch to the SOTU with a photo of the seven-year-old Guatemalan girl who died while in custody of Customs and Border Protection? I couldn't agree more that using victims "as political props is distasteful."
5
I wish Trump would work to cool, not inflame, the rhetoric in this country. I found his reference to late term abortions and the exaggeration and fear-mongering and misleading statements that went along with it unsettling. A leader should try to cultivate understanding amongst the people, not incite more hatred, violence, and inflamed passions. This low manipulation is really beneath the dignity of a leader, and leads to unfortunate consequences.
1
I still have a hard time getting my head around donald trump is our president. And I have to admit there is nothing he can say to help me accept his presidency. Maybe if he does something constructive I can begin to change.
4
Alec Baldwin would have been better than the total fake we were subjected to last night.
6
I didn't watch the SOTU speech because I'm tired of listening to this liar. Now that I'm reading the NYTimes and I see the "highlights" of the embarrassing monologue, it is not surprising that it is as toxic as ever.
4
It is rather annoying that The Times continues to litter itself with the phrase ‘New Era of Divided Governnent.’ Throughout the majority of my life, and even the majority of my father’s life, the government has been been divided more often than not. This is nothing new, get past it already and stop trying to create drama to sew discord and sell more papers. Enough.
4
We'll see real Donald Trump next Monday at a MAGAhead rally in El Paso.
2
Dear NYT,
As far as I know, there is one issue that tops all other issues that the US and the world is dealing with, and it is global warming. It has an influence on all parts of society, causes increased natural disasters and will cause coastal cities to flood. Why is this oversight by the president not mentioned in this article and not the headline? NYT, why is this?
The big news is unfortunately the silence and inaction from policymakers. This needs to be reported.
In general the NYT is underreporting on climate change, causes, scientific research, solutions, proposed policies. Climate change needs its own tab, not hidden under Science.
NYT, please provide the readers with news about the most important event that is shaping today and tomorrows society and world.
2
I listened last night, I could tell Trumps acting coaches had been working hard to overcome his droll and vindictive delivery style. The blah, blah, blah speech, was so much better than that dark wet blanket of a speech he delivered after his inauguration. He got a 'C-' from me for effort. But if this was an attempt to reach beyond his base and expand his tentacles into lucid free thinking Americans, his exaggerations and lies nullify and void a passing grade. 1 lie shame on me, 2 lies shame on you, 8000 and STILL, lying (outloud!) to 100,000,000 people??? - get a transfer to a locked, secured, and guarded institution as soon as possible where orange is the new black. Let's get Our country back and please, please reunite those poor children who were seperated from their parents, begin repairing all of the breaches that have wrecked havoc on Our institutions, and begin healing Our land.
1
We have much too much empty space in the gigantic homes of open-border good people. Let's fill up any vacant rooms, ten male "children" (up to 25 years of age) per room, with documented aliens (documents = the driver licenses that states like Califorinia and soon NY give them). Enough of the immoral wall garbage. It's time that white-privilege people share their privilege with brown people from the rest of our hemisphere. We're all in this together, so let's play nicely and share our toys!
2
I have to wonder if the Secret Service took away Nancy's giant gavel so couldn't wack Trump with it.
3
Donald Trump sounds a lot like Richard Nixon when he was running scared of the Watergate investigations, only Nixon didn't threaten the country with not doing any legislation as retaliation.....that would in itself possibly be an impeachable offense.
Oh, one other thing, Trump had some nasty comments about Joe Biden being, Dumb.
I don't think Joe Biden is dumb in the least, if Donald Trump wants to see Dumb, he needs to take a look at himself, along with the fawning Mike Pence looking over his shoulder in the mirror and that's Dumb!
5
The Boy Who Cried "Immigrant"
3
If white people actually looked at their own immigration history, they would find that their ancestors were also immigrants. Poor and dirty immigrants of Europe.
Why are Democrats. liberals and progressives so determined to look the other way as illegal aliens flood into America from Mexico? And why do these same people give illegals a pass on breaking our immigration laws without any punishment? It's a simple couple of questions, so why won't they give those of us on the side of law and order the answers?
7
@Paul people are not in my opinion looking the other way. There are layers of evidence that there is no 'flood' and documentation that people applying for asylum are being turned away and abused, and worse, many deaths while in ICE custody. I was thankful for Micheal Bennett speaking the truth about the shut down, out loud to his fellow senators a couple weeks ago.
https://youtu.be/R2aO_3-RA00
Also American history is replete with laws that have been enacted to pursue cruel and inhuman policies to oppress ethnic groups and people's. There HAS to be compassionate, fair and just policies. Not 'zero tolerance,' --- children snatched from parents and then Our public officials smirking and placing blame on distressed families fleeing terror, and the added gall of their negligence, refusal to reunite! --- humanitarian water stations being destroyed in the dessert, --- the increasing reporting of ICE abusing people, detention center(prisons) with multi-million contracts given to Trump cabinet members and cronies --- immigration advocates being arrested for helping hurting people, on and on and on. It's not a cut and dried issue.
But the foundation of compassionate fair and just intervention MUST be upheld and embraced as true north or we are lost.
2
"Trump asks for Unity.." "...but Presses Hard Line on Immigration"
Right from the title, the NYT headlines its bias by conflating illegal immigration with immigration. President Trump actually seemed to encourage legal immigration (hardly a 'hard line').
What would a NYT 'fact checker' say about the title of the newspaper's own article?
"True but misleading"
5
Near the end of the speech, Trump dismissed socialism by saying that the people of the United States will always be free. Is that why the Republicans want to make access to contraceptives and abortion harder or even impossible to get, because we are so free?
5
@Linda
You misunderstand - we are all free - to be Republicans and obey the evangelical Christians and learn evolution and practice celibacy or else be treated as disposable incubators.
We are free to be handmaidens.
3
This speech presented no solutions to world or country problems, from climate change to disparity in income and wealth. A total waste of anyone's time to watch this; more distraction.
One large example: did he speak of this 2017 survey (article in Forbes) which said this: Nearly 80% of workers live paycheck to paycheck. Nearly one in 10 workers making $100,000+ live paycheck to paycheck More than 1 in 4 workers do not set aside any savings each month Nearly 3 in 4 workers say they are in debt - and more than half think they always will be More than half of minimum wage workers say they have to work more than one job to make ends meet 28% of workers making $50,000-$99,999 usually or always live paycheck to paycheck, and 70% are in debt.
No he did not. He spoke nonsense, lies, and wasted incredible time with false patriotism and nonsense.
11
“An economic miracle is taking place in the United States,” he said, “and the only thing that can stop it are foolish wars, politics or ridiculous partisan investigations.”
Okay, the three big dangers: war, politics, or Trump getting investigated.
Is the President of the United States even allowed to use the State of the Union address to beg his way out of being investigated, and perhaps fined or jailed like his many criminal cohorts?
Stop with the tweety tweets, big guy, and man up.
10
Your headline states that the President "asks for unity," but there was no mention in his speech of the issue on which the entire world is pretty much unified (except for Trump and his rich buddies in the fossil Fuel Empire): the need for immediate action on climate change. This man has no interest in the common good and never did. Every single thing he has ever done in his life has been with his eye on pocketbooks, his own and those of his rich buddies.
9
“Legal Immigration” is a hardline policy? So the tax law of the US government is applied without fear or favor but an exception is made for immigration law? Isn’t that a violation of the 14th Amendment “equal protection under the law” clause?
11
He talks about rejecting revenge and resistant politics, but didn't he do just that when he shut down the government and may do so again in the next week and a half? Not to mention he keeps speaking falsehoods about immigration to still push his wall, even though it is not scientifically sound.
He pushes for unity but seems to be appealing to his hardcore base more than The American People, who voted many Democrats and Women into The House to enact Checks and Balances, as we got to see what happens when there is none with these first two years. Keep in mind he didn't win the popular vote either. So is it wiser to commit to your base, even if they're not the majority? His rates took a massive blow after the shutdown, so perhaps his base isn't as big anymore? This will only make it tougher on him to appeal to the masses, ultimately
Even though our immigration numbers are rising, our crime rate is falling. The # of immigrants caught crossing illegally is also falling, and this didn't start happening after Trump became President.
I'm not repeating news-lines here because I bothered to find the statistics on Government websites, as well as websites that are built to create graphs showing said knowledge. It doesn't take a professional journalist to find these things.
Trump doesn't want bipartisanship. He wants his agenda to be pushed with no resistance otherwise, he wouldn't go out of his way to be passive-aggressive towards The Democrats and paint them as villains.
5
Peter Baker skipped over the expertly constructed phrase in the State of the Union speech: "peace and legislation or war and investigation." It is actually highly significant because it is a threat to close down the investigations by waging a war on legislation, if there are investigations of Trump or his administration or campaign. Trump is does not want to deal with congress. The shutdown might only be the beginning.
3
It is not "hard line immigration policies" which have polarized the Capitol and the nation. It is the abject failure of Congress to act to enforce the borders AND enact legislation effecting rational immigration policies: relatively simple entry for those who wish to assimilate and contribute; far more stringent for those who would burden taxpayers and pose criminal or social harm to innocents here.
Trump advances a plan to limit uncontrolled entry. Why Democrats want uncontrolled entry is a policy yet to be explained rationally to those negatively impacted: their constituents.
7
Who says democrats want uncomtrolled entry? Fox? Talk about Fake News!
No, what the democrats and the majority of US citizens want is to not spend over $5B on an ineffective Wall.
5
@OldEngineer
Democrats don't want uncontrolled entry. In point of fact, they've given border patrol more money than they even are managing to spend. And they are proposing even more, for border security.
It's a republican lie. You say you're an old engineer. Would you really believe stats on a component that came ONLY from the marketing department of that company - when that company has a history of lying?
Do your research. The President and the Republican party - and their PR wing, Fox News - they are quite simply lying.
3
@OldEngineer,
Democrats have never once advocated for uncontrolled entry into our country so stop spewing falsehoods. Democrats have stated that the Trump administration should adhere to asylum laws as delineated in our Constitution.
Immigrants should be processed according to the laws of our country. If Trump and GOP disagree, then they should propose amending our Constitution. Let's see how many votes they can garner to get it done.
4
Trump's state of the union address was nothing more than another antisocial statement. Down in approval ratings, he is asking the question: how much more can I get away with? To the antisocial personality, this is the titillating risk. Its daring provides them with perverse excitement. The daring is in the question of how many times can I fool you and abuse you and still have you come back to me? It's a psychological dynamic familiar to people who study domestic violence.
Fool me once, shame on you, as the old saying goes. Fool me twice, three times, four times, and by now hundreds of times, speaks not only to foolishness; it marks a diehard Trump supporter as an enabler or fellow grifter. To put it in lay terms, he gets off on this. That is his pathology.
What hopefully is full of portent is his statement that Mueller and the House should stop its "ridiculous" investigations. Nixon said as much a year before we saved democracy from his pathology.
Impeachment seems out of the question; it might backfire and result in his re-election. Mueller should seek an indictment before a grand jury. Let the quasi-legal arguments begin in the body-politic that includes the partisan Supreme Court as to whether a president can be indicted. At least the people will have spoken. If their judgment is denied by the Trump-McConnell Supreme Court, then we will know that the Republicans succeeded in their conspiracy begun just before the Reagan years to bring about one-party minority rule.
7
I’d bet that Trump spent his “executive time” this morning watching a replay of himself.
9
I thought Trump was much better but did not like Pelosi making faces like Ex speaker Ryan so unprofessional. What do these new bunch of women think take over the USA.
1
So he'll cooperate with a co-equal branch of government if they don't do their constitutional duty in oversight. More obstruction in plain sight.
4
The Wall has become a symbol and I accept that. This is not the time. I also have no doubt that one day, it will be built.
Whilst the mostly Hispanic immigrants and refugees looking at the US integrate much easier compared to what the EU is dealing with (parallel mysoginistic cultures), climate change and unstable regimes will cause a non-stop flow North. Walls can be climbed and undertunneled, but they also send a clear deterring message.
That said, we need to ramp up our efforts to provide relief in other countries (hurricanes, droughts, ...) and boycot autocratic regimes. We contributed greatly to global warming and oil trade based misery, we should take responsibility for it too.
4
It was a campaign rally speech. Congressional Republicans chanted “USA, USA!!”, proving themselves to be on par with Trump’s mindless minions.
5
If the Democrats make an extremely good case, President Trump can be voted out in exactly 21 months. Don’t forget that some of his supporters will be there, myself included. All I saw last night from the Democrats was petulant posturing from Speaker Pelosi and surly behavior from s large number of the people dressed in white. What are the Democratic policies on immigration? Is it really “Abolish ICE” and “Open Borders”? If so I will be voting for President Trump.
However, if it is “Secure Borders” and “No Restrictions on Legal Immigration” then I could be persuaded to vote for the Democratic candidate. I think that Beto O’Rourke, Kamala Harris, Joseph Biden, Cory Booker, Michael Bloomfield and Elizabeth Warren could make good presidents.
5
@John Murray,
Where ever did you hear that Democrats want open borders? Let me guess...Faux News.
Not one Democrat has advocated for open borders. A few fringe Democrats have introduced abolishing ICE, but 98% of elected Democrats are against that idea.
We need ICE but we don't need a boondoggle wall.
2
@John Murray
Democrats have never been for open borders. It's a Republican lie. And - abolish ICE is because it is a new organization that has a very bad track record - it is not saying to abolish the border patrol, nor are we against correctly managing illegal immigrants. President Obama did a great job working on deporting illegal immigrants, with proper prioritization to going after workplaces that hire illegals, and illegals with criminal records. He deported more than most Presidents do.
Read what people are actually for in their voting record - not in the PR from the opposition, nor in their own PR. That's where you find the truth.
2
@Letty Roerig
I hope you are right. But why do democrats allow illegal immigrants to enter through the southern border? They should be stopped.
4
Total loss of one and a half hours of my time last night. Sitting on hands so I didn't throw something at the television. Starting off, swaggering down the aisle in the beginning of the massive non-speech, his necktie was askew as if he had just been thrown out of the inner chamber to face the lions in the Colosseum. And the lions were all the ladies in white in front of him. His speech was a farce and everyone knows it. Thank God it only happens once a year, and perhaps next year, we will be spared. On the other hand, maybe next year we will only get Mr. Puddle-glum (Pence) as speaker. At that point, who needs Valium?
3
“Unity” does not equal “unitary.”
1
Again, the NYtimes presents left leaning editorial in their headline. The headline could instead have been "Trump presents a reasonable and logical line toward enforcing illegal entry." There is nothing new to his opinion toward blocking illegal immigration. Previous presidents basically took the same approach, and the main stream news media then generally did not have an agenda to dispute. For example, look up articles in the WaPO or NYtimes published around 2006 on tall fences -border walls in eastern San Diego county - there was an absence of negative spin and these articles confirmed that the tall fences effectively impeded illegal entry
8
Like Trump himself, his SOTU address was dark, evil and full of lies.
5
you didnt mention he also had 2 other guests...african Americans whose drug deal sentences he commuted thus freeing them from prison. this was a very slanted article. I can see why he would be upset..come on times, be fair and balanced
5
It must have been so satisfying to hand Nancy Pelosi a copy of his State of the Union address.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=39ASAfmtjxc&t=1825s
1
I deliberately didn't watch but unfortunately caught the end of this travesty because it ran so long. Just in time for his ridiculous anti-choice rant where he invoked the name of God. This, from a bigot who separates already-born children from their mothers and puts them in cages. I have zero use for this charlatan. The spectacle of the sea of white men who rose to their feet to cheer Trump was revolting but gives us a real view as to who continues to support this cretin. At what point is America going to stand up for itself against these people, these MEN, whose only concern is lining their own pockets and having their way rammed down our throats? I am sick of paying the salaries of these people who do not care about the good of the country. America is not only a laughing stock but now is in real danger. Trump needs to end.
4
What an embarrassment with the Republicans jumping to their feet on every accented syllable. What is this some sort of banana republic with a cultist following for the leader. These Republicans are knowingly boosting a con man who is likely also a traitor. Remember their actions in 2020!
4
But this of course was perfectly fine: http://nymag.com/intelligencer/2013/02/state-of-the-union-applause-fest.html?gtm=top>m=bottom
2
the polarized nation got him elected. author got it backwards.
1
If we’re not careful and wake up, it’s the immigration issue that will get him re-elected.
Just last night I had the opportunity to encounter a mature, clean-cut group of University of Washington students in the U-District of Seattle. They seemed to be having a conversation on the State of the Union Speech.
I clearly overheard one young man (white male) say, “I’m socially liberal, but politically conservative.”
The “U”, King County, Seattle; one of the bluest areas in the United States.... Wake up people!!! Never say, “Never again......!”
5
Where is your coverage of Bernie Sanders speech last night? It was so much better than all the other SOTU speeches. It had substance and detail. It deserves to have front page coverage.
2
I love that little smirk playing on Nancy 's face through the speech.
It amazes me that there was no laughing out loud at that pretentious fraud.
5
Trump completely supports Putin. Obviously the Orange doesn’t understand socialism e.g. social security, Medicare and Medicaid, unemployment and goes on and on.
Investigate Trump top to bottom as it’s the Constitution’s function
2
This speech deserves Oscar. (Says sarcastically)
2
Trump’s scripted statements on cooperation and bipartisanship can “be best” translated by Republican Richard Mourdock of Indiana, during his failed run for Senate in 2012.....”I have the mindset that says bipartisanship ought to consist of Democrats coming to the Republican point of view.”
That SOTU was a good example of fake news.
2
Pelosi made a colossal blunder inviting a disgusting racist who has separated immigrant parents and children and caged them; who is responsible for killing innocent people -- https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/middle-east-civilian-deaths-have-soared-under-trump-and-the-media-mostly-shrug/2018/03/16/fc344968-2932-11e8-874b-d517e912f125_story.html?noredirect=on&utm_term=.1cf213c0607d -- she knows the difference between right and wrong, but lacks the needed moral courage.
To attend such a speech shows moral depravity, but to also shake his hand and applaud him is beyond the pale -- this is evil.
We should always beware which side government officials are on -- the rich. Their above average income and wealth shows they aren't representative of the Average Americans.
The rich Congress -- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_current_members_of_the_United_States_Congress_by_wealth
The rich cabinet -- https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-cabinet-members-net-worth-2019-1
This spectacle illuminates the enormity of Rich Democracy.
3
Wonder if it ever occurred to either the president or first lady to consider just why Joshua Trump is being bullied now? Was he being bullied in 3rd or 4th grade?
What's changed? Perhaps this would be a suitable topic for discussion when the "Be Best" foundation, or whatever it is, meets. For the first time.
3
The most disgusting comment made by Trump during his speech was his call to reducing assault towards women. I laughed out loud in anger. What hypocrisy! He admits to his own love of abuse on women and cheers on his base when talking of stripping us of our rights. Ugh! I almost threw up to the GOP cheers of ending late-term abortion. Just waiting for the day he is finally put in jail.
2
Peter, here’s my ‘alt-title’ / ‘alt-truth’ for all the “Times” articles, Op-Ed’s, and opinion pieces about the SOTU (State of the Union) which I started referring to at least as far back as Clinton’s:
They are all actually SOTE (State of the Empire) presentations with respect to this Disguised Global Capitalist EMPIRE, which is only nominally HQed in, and merely ‘posing’ as, our formerly promising and sometimes progressive country (PKA) America — and which Prof. Robinson has so accurately diagnosed in his recent book:
“The U.S. state is a key point of condensation for pressures from dominant groups around the world to resolve problems of global capitalism and to secure the legitimacy of the system overall. In this regard, “U.S.” imperialism refers to the use by transnational elites of the U.S. state apparatus to continue to attempt to expand, defend, and stabilize the global capitalist system. We are witness less to a “U.S.” imperialism per se than to a global capitalist imperialism. We face an EMPIRE OF GLOBAL CAPITAL, headquartered, for evident historical reasons, in Washington.” [Caps added]
Global Capitalism and the Crisis of Humanity, 2014 Robinson, William
Cambridge University Press.
1
Kumbaya,my lord, Build My Wall.
(repeat)
2
We do well to remember that Trump did not get a majority of Americans votes, and so all his promises a mean nothing to most of us. Indeed, we hope he cannot succeed on his promises to his minority voter base because that would mean the degradation of the US for normal Americans. We are working hard to keep him from succeeding in his quest to do stupid things.
3
Mr. Trump wants us to forget the past two long years, when his doting party had full control of Congress but still the country got nothing constructive, just Obama-tear-downs and a giant tax cut for the wealthy. The planned second meeting with Mr. Kim? Merely another “I walked on the moon” moment - a chance to be documented doing something he imagines others will envy him for. Much like his rendezvous with a porn star and a pinup model. A meeting is a means, not an end…except for him. And of course he takes credit for a lumbering economy that now happens to be on an upward swing whose beginning preceded him. Then he has the gall to draw a line between that economy and the investigations that have uncovered a thick ring of criminality! "'An economic miracle is taking place in the United States,' he said, 'and the only thing that can stop it are...ridiculous partisan investigations.’” It’s transparently nonsensical and desperate.
"Do as I say" is not "unity." By now it’s fatiguingly clear why Mr. Trump’s business career was such a roller coaster and why his occupation of the presidency is a zero. He has a few brand-promotion strategies - doubling down on divisiveness, putting on a big show, lying - that he relies on incessantly. He's a salesman but not a manager. He closed on casinos, an airline, mail-order steaks, online real estate lessons, etc., then walked away as they crumbled and his stakeholders were left with the rubble. Same with the sale he closed on 11-8-16.
1
Trump isn't interested in unity. His call for unity really means that he wants House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to give him his wall & to quash any investigations of him.
2
I believe the NYT should publish a list of every person cheering his remarks indicating he is going to attempt to over turn Roe vs Wade. I also believe you should publish those cheering his remarks about militarizing the border and ending the investigation into allegations of his criminal conduct.
Nothing DJT does has surprised me. What has surprised me is the complicity in the Republican congress and senate to cover up his crimes and promote anti democratic unconstitutional agenda.
2
76% of the listeners approved. Yet more than 90% of comments here are negative. You don't have to be a genius to see this liberal echo chamber.
6
The headline is incorrect. It should read,
Hard Line On Illegal Immigration.
You get wrong every time, which is a big pat of the problem.
3
To put Trump's obsession with the border wall in perspective one might look at his bipartisan, but un-reviewed, promise to eliminate HIV/AIDS in the US with an investment of the pittance of $500M over 10 years. He wants $5.7B allocated to the wall, and not technology, this year.
That is 100 times less money to solve the HIV crisis!
So for 1.2M Americans infected with HIV, he wants to allocate $50M per year to completely wipe out the disease in 10 years. That is for a disease that is stupendously expensive to control both with very expensive medications and continuous medical care.
The amount $50M per year is a pittance in comparison to the job of finding a complete cure for HIV. Medical research is very, very expensive. One simple R&D lab with a couple of PhD's and a handful of technicians can easily cost $2M/yr and cutting edge research is not always successful. Escalate to animal trials and then human trials and larger scale human trials and then human safety trials and the costs escalate geometrically. And that is particularly if you demand, as the President guaranteed, a 100% obliteration of the disease in 10 years.
Medical researchers in the US, while appreciative of any financial support that they can get, must be alternating between crying and uncontrolled laughter at our idiot President who, without expert advice, can declare that he alone can solve HIV/AIDS by throwing a pittance at it.
3
Due to multiple false statements expressed during the sotu address a GoFundMe page was set up to help defer the cost of repairing FactChecker. Com that was overwhelmed trying to expose the mistruths spewed out last night. Please... Give what you can. T y
1
Summarily unimpressive.
1
So trump-o-philes, I guess that trump hired undocumented immigrants to work at his clubs for those cheap wages and then fired them when it was convenient provides no cognitive dissonance for you?
He knew. His kids knew. His staff knew and helped facilitate the hiring of cheap undocumented laborers. All trump and his daughter's products were made overseas.
He wanted cheap labor, like most employers who hire the undocumented. WHY? You want cheap products. You want cheap hotels.You want cheap food. You want cheap clothing.
You want it cheap, but in doing so employers cannot pay Americans fair wages (which you also argue against) so they hire the undocumented for less.
You've already made your choice you want everything on the cheap--why we hire the undocumented and why we make our products overseas. And exactly why the trump organization used undocumented laborers and outsourced their goods overseas. You can't have it both ways.
What say you? Why do you idealize a liar and hypocrite so much?
3
Where was Joe "You Lie!" Wilson when we really needed him?
1
That was a fantastic performance. First one of these I've ever listened to the whole way through, not for want of trying. Great Stuff!
5
Only reason to listen to his speech was to watch Nancy Pelosi.
She kept her cool as Trump spouted whoppers.
SOTU speech is political theater " a tale told by an idiot, signifying nothing." Supreme Court Justice and Generals should be excused from attending-they never react to the speech.
4
What I found most striking was just how non partisan the speech was. The contrast between Trump's non partisan approach compared with Stacey Abrams’ totally partisan speech was also striking.
3
@jacoTrump's speech was written by speech writers; Trump has made his positions clear in his tweets. Most hateful; spiteful; greedy president ever. Ray Sipe
2
Non of this would be up for discussion if Dodd Frank were in place. Campaign Finance reform is the underlying toxicity.
1
A country that was instrumental in fighting/winning two world wars, has eliminated several diseases, built an extensive interstate highway, put men on the moon, explored the universe to near its edge, and more; certainly can mitigate any national crisis or state of emergency without building a medieval wall.
The wall is not being pushed to keep immigrants out, it is being pushed to keep Republicans in.
4
Why did Mr Trump cut off the Speaker, and jump in and start to talk, before the Speaker ever introduced him and welcomed him to her Chamber. The "People's House?" He spoke of bipartisanship, and tried to cut her dead in the US Congress itself?
Is this deliberate rudeness, just nerves, or because on his campaign speeches he speaks without introductions, and mostly gives little attention to the candidate's he supposedly is speaking on behalf of? It seems hard to believe he was not deliberately trying to rub Congress' face in it as a negotiations game.
But this makes no sense. What is going on here?
5
Had the President offered a spirit of compromise on our border problems, had he suggested that the bipartisan solution offered might be accepted, his speech would have helped bring the country together.
Had the President offered a plan to alleviate the opiode problem, or a plan to mitigate the cost of prescription drugs or to de-escalate increasing health care costs, it would have helped to bring the people together.
Had the President made good on his earlier statements regarding infrastructure repair; had he indicated that he might, after all, listen to advice from experts in any field - science, intelligence, international affairs - perhaps some of us would have applauded. He did none of these things.
Would that the President had been presidential. Alas, he was not.
3
This speech presented no solutions to world or country problems, from climate change to disparity in income and wealth. A total waste of anyone's time to watch this; more distraction.
One large example: did he speak of this 2017 survey (article in Forbes) which said this:
Nearly one in 10 workers making $100,000+ live paycheck to paycheck
More than 1 in 4 workers do not set aside any savings each month
Nearly 3 in 4 workers say they are in debt - and more than half think they always will be
More than half of minimum wage workers say they have to work more than one job to make ends meet
28% of workers making $50,000-$99,999 usually or always live paycheck to paycheck, and 70% are in debt
No he did not. He spoke nonsense, lies, iand wasted incredible time with false patriotism and nonsense.
1
@Frank
You make many good points. In regard to the economic holes that many hard-working Americans find themselves in nowadays, I believe not enough credit is given to the Great Bush Recession, which began a little over ten years ago. Ten years isn't a long time when you're trying to dig yourself out of a financial hole.
Add to this the provable fact that wages are and have been stagnant and that jobs with a livable wage are increasingly hard to find, and you have another disaster on your hands.
Vote the Democratic party for economic reform and recovery!
Wall began being built in 2009.
El Paso year by year crime rate was trending down in a big way already.
http://www.city-data.com/city/El-Paso-Texas.html
Scroll to the blue table labeled "Crime rates in El Paso by Year"
1
How about a time limit on SOTU? One hour of blathering by any president, even the Fake one, is more than enough. Last night's pep rally for USA and introduction of vets and others could be held in WH for a private ceremony. Good to see more ladies in the House, maybe they can help. God knows middle aged white men posing as elected officials are for the most part losers. Too bad Trump is fixated on his wall. Even he could ride low unemployment/strong economy to re-election, despite evil investigations of which the results many/most won't care about.
Shall we start the countdown for when the apparent sedatives wear off the "president" from his SOTU speech ?
Trump's handlers kept him on the teleprompter for the entire speech -
We know all too well how Trump after his Charlottesville debacle:
"There were good people on both sides"
This his walking-back this as designed by his handlers -
And then "Whammo" - the prez went off the hook.
Apparently, when calmer minds instruct and direct Trump, he appears to behave for a short amount of time.
Then in complete revolt when he recognizes that someone maybe "controlling him" -
He always reverts to his racist & narcissistic roots.
Of course there was gross neglect in the content of his speech:
Nothing on Climate Change
Nothing on the 35 Day Shutdown
Nothing on Gun Control
. . . Please, fill in as many other "missed opportunities" you like.
There was plenty of meat in regards to claiming himself a victim of the on-going Mueller investigation and the soon to be avalanche of Congressional Investigations on "Everything Trump".
It is safe to say that the only people who bought into Trump's notion of Bi-Partisanship are the die-hard, Kool-Aid drinking, Fox-Trumpian base.
I think that it is reasonable to expect an explosion from Trump shortly, especially as that rumored new indictment is declared.
4
What can be said about the speech. It's over!! Now he can revert to form. No more phony comity.
2
It was a speech written by a speech writer and read by a third grader.
7
@Karen Sterling Gee, how can you say that when he has already assured us he is "like a very smart man."
1
Let me get this straight:
The GOP who had the House, the Senate and the Executive branch for 2 years did not pass funding for "the wall". But once the Democrats get into the House, Trump demands funds for "the wall" by shutting down the government for 35 days. And now they ALL support the wall?
This week Lindsay Graham threatened his entire party: "If you don't support this president (the wall), then WE WON'T SUPPORT YOU".
So here we are at the SOTU, and Trump yells "the wall saves lives" and just like lemmings, the entire GOP get on their feet and cheer, when they KNOW that "the wall" is ridiculous.
And this massive support for Trump comes even after he had just hours before berated McCain: "By the way ... he wrote a book and the book bombed."
Graham was a friend of McCains. It's unbelievable that Graham and the GOP now support a man who would demean a war hero, their colleague, and great statesman after his death, and they all support Trump NOW on "the wall" which they all know is a pathetic campaign symbol that was used for fear mongering tactics.
Be ashamed Republicans!
7
@DHG
You have to wonder what happened to wind sock Lindsey since Trump became president. I used to have respect for this man. Not anymore. Perhaps Trump or others have compromising dirt on Lindsey?
3
The Congressional Democratic women wearing white looked like angels. They were poised, well spoken, and the epitome of grace. This was in stark contrast to Donald Trump with his scripted, empty words which drew applause only from of his Republican co-conspirators. He comes across as an ignorant old man stuck in a rut. With his lies and threats he appears incapable of fully understanding what the job of president actually is.
4
@D. Healy Not quite. He certainly understands the job of President. He's just busy with other things.
If Trump cares so much about "the beautiful image of a mother holding her infant child", perhaps he should put some effort into reuniting the hundreds of children ripped from the arms of their parents by immigration officials. According to numerous reports, the administration is even going to try to reunite them. Many lives have been ruined. This is blatant hypocrisy.
5
The miracle economy he so proudly takes credit for supposedly cannot survive an investigation. This despite the fact that the investigation has been going on since day one of his administration.
1
A horrid spectacle.
Lies, exaggerations, patriotic platitudes, using people for political reasons, discussed no solutions to any of the massive problems of the world or country. Really pathetic.
I see no discussion of the response by Bernie Sanders; who had a real discussion of solutions for world/country problems. problems. The official democratic party response had none.
Fascism has arrived in America.
“When fascism comes to America, it will be wrapped in the flag and carrying a cross.” Sinclair Lewis
2
“All things foul would wear the brows of grace yet grace must still look so.”
Shakespeare from Macbeth.
And this man Trump is our tyrant masquerading as a defender of our nation and a champion of the common good.
Are we blind? What devil is that has hoodwinked you America?
4
What a tear-jerker of a speech. Not because of what he said, but because of the possibility that Trump might complete his entire first term without being impeached. That is bad for the country and the world, especially America's allies.
2
Regardless of target audience, Trump's speeches all have a common thread. They are all heartless, soulless, deceptive chameleon speeches, designed to improve Trump's chances for victory - any victory.
Speaking to a group of bigots? No problem. Those Mexicans are rapists, and make sure to punch a liberal in the face. Speaking to the nation? Trump's a feminist, and give those women a round of applause. Good for Trump if he pulls it off, but good for the nation? Absolutely not. Politics of division 101.
70% of the country thinks we're on the wrong track. His act is wearing thin on everyone, but his 30% who don't believe that government is necessary, yet demand their Social Security checks.
It's really time to move on to a President who knows what they're doing. Send the toddler in chief packing back to his golden throne.
2
He's against illegal immigration.
He's for legal immigration.
Why is that so hard to understand?
4
“No issue better illustrates the divide between America’s working class and America’s political class than" the exporting of highly paid, unionized jobs to countries with dubiuos records on human rights and unenforced labor protection laws, my mind rushed to complete the president's line only to find my thought replaced by the lie we've been told so many times, we should have started to believe it ( according to his "manual")
As Trump tries to remake his image with this grandiose speech, we should always beware which side government officials are on -- the rich. Their above average income and wealth shows they aren't representative of the Average Americans.
The rich cabinet --
https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-cabinet-members-net-worth-2019-1#acting-chief-of-staff-mick-mulvaney-26-million-10
The rich Congress --
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_current_members_of_the_United_States_Congress_by_wealth
Their spectacle illuminates the enormity of Rich Democracy.
5
“We are born free and we will stay free. Tonight we renew our resolve that America will never be a socialist country.” The United States has further fallen down the list of most democratic countries and climbed up the list of most corrupt countries. Your sense of national indentity, I find, somewhat delusional. You are not the most free just because you are America. There are plenty of democracies around the world who are somewhat socialist, such as Canada, who rate well above the US in the aforementioned lists, and have much better health care systems as well. (socialist?)
3
The NYT likes to claim that the most liberal wing of the Democratic Party isn’t really being that liberal because the US is more conservative than Europe. If that’s the measuring stick, Trump’s immigration policies aren’t “hardline.” No other major western nation has the same broad chain migration policy and these other countries prioritize merit based immigration and take the public charge rule seriously. Nor do they allow de facto open borders with 10 million plus illegal immigrants allowed to permanently flaunt their laws.
Trump’s immigration policy is frankly mainstream. It’s the Democrat’s priorities of abolishing ICE and allowing migrant caravans to simply walk into the country that are extreme.
3
“Wealthy politicians and donors push for open borders while living their lives behind walls and gates and guards.”
Says the man who's golf courses have for years hired and hid illegals to work on the cheap.
The man who refuses to speak in public unless the crowd has been extremely vetted to ensure the only people there are ardent, make that rabid, supporters.
The man who has lived his entire life in gilded luxury ensconced behind walls or in towering buildings surrounded by guards to protect him from the little people.
2
Trump is a great president. Build that wall.
MAGA
2
Did not watch the Trump Pep Rally at the Capitol. Had laundry to do and KP duty. In 10 days the US Gov't will be shutdowned again and no one will remember a word of what Trump said, but everyone will remember the little "air kiss" that Pelosi directed to Don with her hands clasped in prayer that it would reach her target: his shriveled up little heart.
2
I know the guy's president, but why should any serious person believe anything Trump has to say? He a serial liar - a fantasist who brags constantly about how he uses lies to get what he wants. He's betrayed and back stabbed his way through his entire life and gotten away with it. Frankly, only someone who is incredibly gullible would expect him to honor any agreement he makes. Everyone not asleep for the last 40 years knows this, so why give credence to anything the man says?
1
Because address was recycled garbage, I contemplated the congressional audience. The white affluent men feel they own government. The democrats were of course awesome in their diversity and the new female demo is phenomenal. But we can do more--maybe our millennial children will see a government that looks like America by the time they are elderly.
No one is fooled. For the bully unity = surrender.
I expected as much from Trump, but I am appalled that the Democratic response from Abram's made absolutely no mention of the environment or climate change (she mentioned the word "climate" just once). Wake up politicians! Start addressing the critical problem facing this country and the world!! The hoards of bloodthirsty caravaners storming our borders with pitchforks and torches hellbent on stealing our jobs, women, and children is not the priority issue.
Oops! Did he forget to talk about shutting down the government....
Well, I guess it was just about a show nothing else....
What a waste of rhetoric and TV time. Who really listens to the same old tired talk about bipartisan unity, great leadership and THE WALL by someone who is bored at briefings, doesn't read, and speaks untruths. Who really pays much attention to the acts and meaningless words of a bigot who has lost the trust of the people.
1
The main impression I took away was that Trump must have led the D-Day Invasion.
Trump exploits his base and they love him for it!
1
The most offensive part of his speech, and there was plenty that was offensive, was using World War II veterans as props. Those men actually served their country. Trump used his father's connections with a podiatrist and a diagnosis of bone spurs to avoid the draft. He said his "personal Vietnam" was avoiding sexually transmitted diseases, has insulted Gold Star families and veterans, and mocked John McCain's experience as a prisoner of war. My father was a veteran of vicious fighting in the Pacific during WW II, and is turning over in his grave at this self-absorbed nincompoop who is now commander-in-chief.
3
When Trump said he supports "legal immigration" that was terrible optics for Pelosi and the Democrats to remain sitting.
No matter what your opinion is on immigration or Trump, supporting immigration, as long as it's done legally, is something everyone is behind. The fact that Pelosi and the Democrats just sat on their hands when he made that statement looked as if they support "illegal immigration". One would have thought they learned their lesson from 2016. I guess not.
10
@Glenn S.
Perhaps to you. Seemed to me they refused to buy into the “optics” because they are well aware that they fall short of the truth.
3
It is because his words ring hollow. He and the Republican Party conflate legal and illegal immigration if it is coming across our southern border. A caravan of asylum seekers are not illegal immigrants but, through their policies - separating them from their kids, a painfully slow process just to cross the border at legal points of entry - and their words - stoking fear in their base that they are violent hoards intent on doing harm to us - he makes it clear that people from the south are not welcome.
I wouldn’t stand and applause words that are clearly hollow.
3
@Glenn S. Trump lies every day; frequently. I do not believe anything this White House says. Trump has forfeited America's trust; he has to earn it back. Ray Sipe
2
The speech is meaningless without the follow through by Trump. Way to early to say if it was "bipartisan".
And when 70% of the people think the country is on the wrong track, it's hard to believe this speech did anything to change the country's thoughts about Trump, or the country's direction. The only way that happens is if Trump changes, and what are the chances of that?
Healthcare, environment, economic inequality, attacking the press, tax cuts masquerading as tax reform, and talk of national emergencies. Same problems plus new one's of his own doing, since he took office. To date he's proven himself incapable of leading, except when he's fighting and insulting his enemies. That's his forte, and we'll be on to his next round of insulting speeches and tweets before you can count to 10.
The country has had enough. This speech changes nothing.
7
Wow...only in Left America is an immigration "hard line" defined by tens of millions of Right America demanding barriers to prevent illegal entry into the country. For that matter, proof of citizenship before you vote; a legal work permit to work; and even proof of insurance before you can legality drive.
6
@Scott L Robertson Just not for when you fill out a bunch of fake ballots and mail them in, North Carolina GOP style.
2
@Scott L Robertson I have yet to see a single convincing argument that building a wall will solve any of the problems that Trump claims it will, and that there are not cheaper, better alternatives for those places it would have any effect at all. Perhaps you could tell us why you are so convinced that a wall would work and not just be another costly 'white elephant'?
2
It was the first time I saw a State of the Union speech. As a Mexican, I am very used to the annual presidential address, and very accustomed to hear lies, falsehoods, and cheap demagogy; but yesterday, as I heard Mr Trump's words, he seemed to be a personification of all those negatives and rejecting attitudes of a politician in a poor village in Mexico.
And the worst, countless interrumptions from almost all the members of the chamber, democrats or republicans. As one of the readers put it: clapping from seals.
9
When he says unity, he means unity with DJT.
1
When one party sees no virtue in a 90 minute address that was as much a pep rally as you can get in our socially neurotic society, somethings you like (women empowerment), somethings you don't (walls work), it is beyond pathetic that people focus on their hate for an individual over an actual policy discussion. I was no fan of Obama and had my share of meaningless comments about the man, but more than balanced that with an actual articulated difference with the policies he enacted while president. Hate, hate, hate. Yeah, most Americans love talking about hate. Right? Not right!!!! I wish the Dems could just take a breath and realize, they will not recover from this period in history unless they drag down every decent and good thing this country ever stood for. I don't believe that will happen and for all the apocalyptic predictions for our current PRESIDENT, it's going to be a self-fulfilling prophecy of the Democratic party as they completely lose their mooring to reality and decent values.
3
@FM Totally not working. Dems only won 40+ seats and several governorships and state legislatures. The only ones losing "decent values" are the ones crying because most Americans won't worship someone under a dozen investigations who admitted to sexual harassment and makes racist comments regularly.
1
At least we know that Donald Trump is consistent. He is a consistent liar , he is a consistent exaggerator and he always equates himself and the nation as one and the same. He thinks that an investigation on his possible criminality is "an attack on the nation".
If we don't do something about this by attempting to remove this man from office, by any legal means possible, we will never forgive ourselves.
7
I didn't think anything could be so boring as the Sunday Super Bowl....but Trump's SotU speech topped it. Same old bipartisan boilerplate superseded by the exact opposite when it comes to specific agenda. Who wrote this for him? He certainly didn't have much to do with it.
4
He gave this speech as if he were on the campaign trail. It was bluster and blather with no policy. Again, it was all about him. It was too long and boring. Couldn't he see people yawning when he continuously introduced people? All potatoes and no meat.
3
Unity --- as long as everyone agrees with him!
8
Why did this SOTU feel of a piece with the Super Bowl? Both were massively deflationary and say something truly saddening about this country's present malaise.
1
So interesting that prior to the speech the administration stressed the word comity to describe the tone of state of the union. Comity of course means courtesy and civility in communication. To attribute that to this President is an affront to all who have witnessed his unceasing attack on people, norms and the stature of the office he holds. We are paying attention and a similar sounding word might have been more appropriate...comedy.
7
The "hard-line immigration policies" previously supported by Republicans and Democrats which including the construction of barriers at the southern border.
4
Trump nailed it. Greater than 70% of those watched approved.
6
@jaco And who watched besides his sycophants?
1
Trump only wants cooperation as long as it benefits him. In the beginning a few people, like Senator Collins, took him at his word and made concessions. We know how that turned out. Only a fool would believe any negotiations with Trump. He stiffed workers who built his casinos, and he has no reason to change his tactics now. You are either ethical and a man (or woman) of your word or you are Donald Trump.
3
President Trump was brilliant last night. President Trump will win a second term. Remember the Reagan-Mondale election—prepare for a repeat.
3
“We must reject the politics of revenge, resistance and retribution, and embrace the boundless potential of cooperation, compromise and the common good,” the president said. Now that we lost Congress, he should have added.
3
What a lot of wind. Trump, never an elegant speaker, sounds like a nervous high school student grudgingly delivering a presentation to an indifferent audience. It's as if he cribbed the night before by skimming "Speech making for Dummies", and then made a point of including as many platitudes and alliterations as possible. Sprinkle in the usual self-congratulatory inanities, blatant lies, and exaggerated threat assessments and there you have it, the most dismal SOTU address in decades.
For a guy who is "like, really smart . . . [and] went to the best schools", and who "has the best words", it's odd that he can never actually demonstrate any of these alleged aptitudes (alliteration!).
Note that when he isn't reading from a prepared text, Trump is clearly incapable of elaborating on an idea, or of fielding or proffering a logically connected follow-up question or comment as a reply. Instead, he typically just repeats himself (as if that deepens the point) or throws in another 3rd grade adjective from his short list: good, sad, great, etc.
He demonstrates his incompetence and imbecility every time he opens his mouth, and yet 37% of my neighbors approve.
Astonishing times. May they end soon.
10
Trump keeps coming back to immigration because it is the issue that put him in the White House. He will get re-elected if the American people believe that the Democrats are for an immigration policy that embraces open borders and amnesty. The Democrats right now have a golden opportunity to cut a deal with the President on immigration, and partially put this issue aside, and start making the President the center and front issue. Without all the anger and hysteria surrounding immigration, the President cannot win re-election.
2
"...America will never be a socialist country".
But I am going to vote for a socialist in 2020, one who supports a federal single-payer health-care plan, Mr Trump. You got a problem with that?
5
When Mr. Trump noted this breakthrough, the women leapt to their feet, cheering, dancing and high-fiving each other. “That’s really great,” he said. “Congratulations.”
Might the President "choose greatness" by dealing with the real force changing history?
No, this president and this current crop of white male dominators are going-out the same way they came-in --- OBSTINATE. They'll still be clutching guns -- pointed at immigrants and at pregnant women of color -- in their cold, dead hands.
After 2 more years of Trump's non-stop circus, WHAT WILL make America great again? Women leading a nation unified for express purpose: To remove The My-Wall-Or-The-Nothing-At-All Party from positions of leadership.
2
There’re only about two ways I can explain how anybody could watch that speech and listen to Trump’s comments (let alone the right-wing recitations here) and think that any of it has a blessed thing to do with unifying the country.
Either they’ve got some sort of pretty ugly fantasy about shoving everybody into ranks and issuing orders, or they think that “unifying the country,” means—just like Trump’s idea of “bargaining,” means—that you bellow and lie and bully until the other side bursts into tears and surrenders.
Good luck on any of that. Oh, and the “foolish partisan investigations,” ain’t going anywhere, except maybe 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.
3
So, not only Trump threatens Government Shutdown if he does not get his Southern Border Wall, but he gives the Democrats a threat to Shutdown legislation if he is Investigated by them.
Did we elect a President or Emperor Nero??
Never has an American President made Ultimatums such as these to the American people.
6
I didn't watch as it's a waste of time to give an ear to Person #1's litany of lies and blathering to attempt to feed his "base". Person #1 has very little power left at this stage, he knows that, and he knows that he and his cronies/co-conspitators are going to be investigated and prosecuted until the cows come home and that he has zero chance of winning the 2020 election. The press should ignore Person #1 - he is the most irrelevant, uninteresting person around, but persists in thinking somehow he and his "thoughts" are of some significance, which they aren't.
1
The hard line is not on immigration. Its on illegal immigration.
The failure of the media to distinguish immigration within the law, through ports of entry, versus illegal immigration by sneaking across borders, or overstaying temporary visas, causes confusion in communication and distorts the truth.
Would we lump in shoplifting and shoplifters when talking about retail commerce and consumers? Of course not. People who enter into, or remain in the country, without proper credentials, are not "immigrants". They are criminals.
11
@RM
There isn't anything illegal about claiming asylum at border crossings.
What is illegal is denying the applications both under US and International law.
That, specifically, is what this administration is doing....
1
Mr. Trump boasted, actually trumpeted, that we are the largest producer of oil and gas in the world and are now a net exporter.
I wish we could boast instead about being the largest most committed country investing in and adopting Green Technology in the world. That would be something to take pride in. There are some terrific technology leaders working on it here and they deserve the highest praise and government support.
8
"Dems face backlash for not applauding low unemployment, veterans during SOTU"
6
USA is a guarantor of the Belfast Good Friday Agreement now under threat, but not one word on Brexit. The absence of statesmanship and diplomacy instructs us that the TV celebrity has no capacity for unity or for advancing a national agenda.
4
It's the State of the Union not the state of the UK. The entire address focuses on the affairs of the US.
1
President Donald J. Trump has mentioned his landmark achievements in state of union address. His performance is backed by historical indicators. In such scenario, either gallop survey is wrong or influence of self interest media upon the mind of people is too poisonous. He has adopted the path of courage, dignity, prosperity, peace, resilience, discipline, faith, reforms, hard work, innovation and beneficence for majority of citizens.
7
If you want him, just offer enough money and he’s yours.
2
@Dr. Amjad Burq "His performance is backed by historical indicators." I'm not sure where you are getting your "historical indicators", but not exactly. His performance to date has been mostly self serving exaggeration and posturing (as was last night's speech). He often takes credit where it is not due, or when it is due someone else. He has shown astounding incompetence for the job at hand (he shows no aptitude whatsoever for the mechanisms of actually governing), and spends almost no time learning what is needed to improve. The only place he seems to demonstrate any serious interest is in the area of self promotion.
3
@Dr. Amjad Burq - Please cite these "historical indicators."
"Dignity" is demonstrably not the path that Trump is on. See: ongoing torrent of racist and misogynist comments, for starters.
"Hard work" ? He's a trust fund baby.
"Discipline" ? He spends most of his time watching TV and calling FOX news commentators for his daily adulation. He doesn't read, and can barely speak coherently.
"Prosperity" ? For whom, exactly? Certainly not "the majority of citizens", many of whom are toiling in the cul-de-sac of the "gig economy", which offers nothing but the dismal stasis of living paycheck-to-paycheck.
There is indeed "poison" working on the "mind of the people" -- but it isn't coming from where you say it is.
His "landmark achievement" is being the only president not to achieve a majority approval rating for even one day in his first two years in office.
3
Interesting that this address is called the “State of the Union”. One might have expected some reasonably objective narrative on the topic of the state of the union.
3
Fantastic speech and of course he wants the wall. Democrats would like things also. Cooperate or you don't get what you want.
2
I can summarize Trump's message as, "We must all come together if we are to get anything done, by which I mean we must do only what I want done. Now let's recognize another brave person in the audience." It was a wasted 82 minutes that I can never get back.
26
Cooperation as long as the GOP gets what it wants... right, from the same bunch that went so far as to publicly declare "The single most important thing we want to achieve is for President Obama to be a one-term president."
I must be Santa Claus.
16
Last night Trump beat us over the head with such divisive issues as late-term abortion, demonizing immigrants, and building a border wall. My head still aches with it. It doesn't make us "great" to make women die in childbirth. It doesn't make us "great" to call undocumented immigrants criminals who work in his own golf clubs and who take care of our elderly in nursing homes. It doesn't make us "great" to withdraw from treaties and build walls to shut out the rest of the world, and he cannot expect bi-partisanship on such issues. It doesn't make us "great" when most jobs are dead-end jobs and most Americans have less than $500 in the bank. When Trump got to details he focused on red-meat issues for ethnic nationalists and anti-abortion extremists. If Trump had really wanted bipartisanship he would have offered a solid plan for improving the quality of jobs for workers, building infrastructure, and investing in energy technology. Instead, his speech was just lip service to greatness couched in empty rhetoric.
11
Does anyone really believe that the speech was anything other than rhetoric written by a professional writer. It has nothing to do with politics, past, present or future.
15
What struck me about the speech, once it was over, is that Trump is through. He looked every bit the one-term President. He's exhausted. Just hanging on. He has no pitches left. He threw again everything he had to little effect: the same fear-mongering, the same lying statistical exaggerations, the same empty braying about his accomplishments. The latter half of the speech was reduced to little more than introductions of unobjectionable guests to wring universal applause from the chamber. There was nothing new. No new agenda, no surprise changeup to meet the fresh Democratic lineup of women in white, including, most tellingly, Speaker Pelois. There was no hint of freshman disunity or restlessness in the after-interviews. Most visibly there was only infectious joy and energy in unity. Pelosi has them in hand. She is their acknowledged captain now and more powerful than ever.
182
@RRI It looks like someone is getting excited about baseball season.
1
@RRI
Yeah- but let's not get overconfident, shall we? I mean, nobody thought he'd win- and there he is.
9
Chris Hayes made an interesting comment on MSN C prior to the speech. In a word he said that Trump lacks the ability to persuade. That's why his base will never expand, only continue to shrink.
14
Ben from NYC says, in a most favored comment, "$1.5 trillion in defense spending in 2 years. This sentence says all you need to know about how utterly backwards our country is. And it shows exactly where our priorities are."
Not OUR priorities, Ben. The Con Don and his Intentional Mafia brethren's priorities.
WE THE PEOPLE can/MUST stop them now.
Once we purge them all from OUR governments we must DEMAND that the "defense" budget - every single dime of it - be made public. It is THE source of corruption and theft in OUR government taxpayer treasure.
Time to put "defense" back into it's place. Time for diplomacy to solve problems and rebuild OUR world with peace-loving allies who are ready, willing and able to fight together against the war-mongers if necessary. It has worked for almost 75 years and it is the only way to relative peace and prosperity in OUR world.
14
“We must reject the politics of revenge, resistance and retribution, and embrace the boundless potential of cooperation, compromise and the common good,” the president said. “Together, we can break decades of political stalemate. We can bridge old divisions, heal old wounds, build new coalitions, forge new solutions and unlock the extraordinary promise of America’s future."
At least President Reagan, a former actor, could read his lines while giving a speech. Trump is so un-presidential, it's shameful and embarrassing. And you could tell that he practiced and really tried. He simply can't emote sincerity while reading a speech. He's more comfortable ranting.
The only emotions Trump feels are self-righteous anger and bitter resentment. His words, or at least the words he awkwardly read, mean nothing to him. It's a concession he makes because he's the president now and must, at times like this, say some things he doesn't believe.
And his little threat about "war and investigations" just proves that he has so many felonies to hide. Putin found a patsy and got him elected president of the United States.
(Pan to the old, white men on the right as they stand in ovation to their leader, compromised themselves with so much dirty, Russian-NRA-money.)
Republicans are complicit in treason, selling-out our democracy to conserve their white privilege and economic dominance.
The State of Our Union is Crumbling.
15
Interesting that this article follows one on global warming from NASA. Yet the left and the dems continue to push for ever higher immigration numbers. Significant as Americans are the highest per capita co2 producers on earth and adding to our numbers makes GW much worse especially for the future as all the kids and relatives add even moreS the follow the original immigrants. I guess politics trumps numbers on the left as well.
This has to be one of the most twisted pieces of logic I have ever seen in these comments. So, we need to bar immigrants because they will add to global warming? First of all, this comment begins with the lie that Democrats want more immigrants and that this is motivated by a political desire for more supporters. False on both counts. Democrats just want sane, compassionate immigration policies that don’t tear young children away from parents. As for global warming, your same logic could be used against anything that causes population growth. How about evangelicals with large families? All those new Americans are also increasing global warming in your view.
1
I thought Trump pressed his point on illegal immigration.
But in an interesting twist he said he wanted more legal immigration "in the largest numbers ever". I don't recall ever hearing that from him and it doesn't seem to be mentioned in this article.
But then again, this article doesn't seem to distinguish between illegal immigration and legal immigration.
Legal immigrants don't wander through deserts and dig tunnels under walls, of course.
9
No, but if you push for amnesty and a pathway to citizenship they and their anchor kids might vote democratic. And that’s what counts
@Mmm
Perhaps it’s not mentioned in this article because it was a lie. Read up a little and find out how trump is attempting to put serious constraints on even legal immigration.
1
The Gallup poll at 37% is the outlier.
All other polls put trump at around 43%
1
Yeah, not true. Weighted 538 average is 39%.
4
@JQGALT - None of the polls show DJT achieving a majority approval rating for even one day of his first two years. He's the only president so distinguished. Don't bury the lede.
@Robert
The guys who gave us “no path to 270.”
2
For all of the politicians who are vehemently opposed to a border wall or fence, seeing a tally as to how many of those same politicians have walls or fences around their own homes/properties would determine if they were sincerely opposed to walls/fences or if they were hypocrites. Their "do as I say, not as I do" philosophy would either be proven or discounted.
9
Most do not live in neighborhoods where the schools, ERs and public services are straining under the weight of high immigration. The companies who own the politicians and don’t pay for all that stuff love it though.
3
@MarathonRunner
That would include Trump as well .
"Tonight we renew our resolve that America will never be a socialist country.”
Loved that part. Too many of our democrats look at Venezuela and see an economic model that should be applied to the US.
5
@jaco- I don't know anyone, Democrat or Republican, who see Venezuela as an economic model to emulate. Only those with narrow visions and minds and limited abilities think that anyone would see that.
3
That “we’re never gonna be a socialist country” line had to strike terror in the hearts of so many rural white Trump supporters, who beg the “president” and the Republicans for handouts and giveaways rather than improving their own economic situation by retraining or moving to where the jobs are.
3
@jaco
Where is your evidence for that assertion? And by the way, do you like medicare and social security? Those are socialist programs brought to you by democrats. Moreover, the government bailout to farmers who are losing money due to Trump's tariff war is also a socialist program.
If you are willing to forfeit medicare and social security, and government bailouts to farmer, then I will give your claim some credence.
1
President Trump made the point that his administration welcomes legal immigrants. I am a legal immigrant. It took me two and a half years of worry, filing the necessary forms, paying the required fees and waiting before I received a green card. Why are the Democrats so taken with law-breaking illegal immigrants? I wonder what happens to illegal aliens who cross into China? I’ll bet they are not welcomed and then released.
9
It is terrifying to watch the leader of the free world stand so confidently and redolently, in the presence of his friends and enemies, and speak words that will be almost certainly betrayed by his subsequent actions. His speech demonstrates the value of Trump’s base towards whom that giant fib was addressed. Its members might whoop and clap, just like members of Congress amid chants of “USA!” for whom dignity of government is not a major concern, and they might believe the mendacity of their figurehead as being truth enough to facilitate their own prejudices. In reality, however, the only value to Trump that this base has is to vote for him at the prescribed moment.
Trump has appointed a rogue’s gallery to his administration, most of whom are dispensed with only to be replaced by another rogue. Can the base not see the deception? These investigations that he laments as partisan and divisive are the only hope of scouring the stain of dire corruption from the fabric of America’s constitutional promise to itself. Even then, America has to avoid the same delusion that allowed for Trump’s election in the first place. It must be a land of fairness where gaps are closed between health, wealth, and race. There is no point in having the most potent armed forces in the world if they only defend a tyranny and tyrannise others.
In this current America, ICE agents dress in Trump’s uniform of dark suit, white shirt, and ridiculous red tie.
3
While it is impossible to tell when Trump is sincere, though it's wise to assume he is not, and when he's reading something he's never seen before off the teleprompter, I do believe his message quoted here: “If there is going to be peace and legislation, there cannot be war and investigation.” In other words, 'Agree with my policies, do not resist, do not question me or my behaviors, and we, the wealthy ruling class, will continue to thrive.'
4
Trump can talk "nice" but everyone is aware that he is the king of revenge politics. Witness the harsh remarks about the late Senator John McCain. Sure, he says he wants to work with the Democrats but we know that's just for show. He governs for his 33 % base and for no one else and when Americans find a way to rid themselves of this bully-in-chief (either through an election or removal from office), the country will have suffered through damage (environmental, diplomatic, behavioral, linguistic, judicial, etc.) it will take generations to recover from. Historians will talk of "the Trump scarring of the nation."
3
"NASA reported that 2018 was the fourth-hottest year on record, warning of an unmistakable warming trend caused by greenhouse gases." Today's news alert.
This is our national crisis that was remarkably omitted from his speech last night. This is America's shame that we ignore. This is what we should be worried about. Not some poor people looking to enter our country to better their lives and become part of the American dream. This should be our number one priority. Why isn't it?
6
To the readers pointing out that 72% agreed with the President on immigration and that 76% tuning in liked his address I don’t disagree. Though remind yourself of who was actually tuning in and agreeing with or “liking” the Presidents address. I for one
turn the channel every time he speaks, it’s pointless to listen to a man that spews lies, insults & disinformation with every breath. That’s not my opinion that’s documented fact. So I’m sure the crowd that tuned in loved his address!
7
I have the believe that Moscow is behind of all the immigration hardline treats of Mr. T. I have the believe that the majority of his tweets original are made in Russia. The immigration is one of the major factors for a growing economy everybody knows. Even the not legal immigration. Next we will see " legal" immigration debate plus the common treats. All in all : If immigration will be eliminated the economy will suffer major long lasting problems. This is the Russian goal and the reason for their meddlings.
3
Could someone save me time and list what policy initiatives Mr. Trump proposed?
thanks.
1
The only people who liked Trump's speech are the Republicans who have been working to destroy this country since 1980. They're happy as clams, sitting on their piles of wealth and applauding their own cleverness at conning the American people. The rest of us want our country back.
9
Trump and republicans in general are so hysterical about non-white immigration that they simply fall back on insisting on NO immigration. Don't be fooled by their talk about "legal" immigration. Already they are going after naturalized citizens who might have had a brush with the law. In fact they want to eliminate ALL immigration.
In doing that they are totally ignorant about what made this country great and what it needs to stay great. That is immigrants. Many, many more than we have now. The fact is that immigrants are the life blood of American. They provide the ambitious young people who want to work and make a good life for themselves. Cutting off that flow will destroy America. Indeed, we already see that companies cannot grow because they cannot find enough workers. The working age group in the US is shrinking. Their are only three ways to alleviate that: 1) more births (and a long wait), 2) later retirement and 3) immigration. Guess which one is the only practical and realistic route. Yes, immigration.
So, Our workforce is shrinking. Native born trumpers would rather do drugs and whine about no jobs in their area than move to where the jobs are. Immigrants have no such limitations. They go where the jobs are. They work hard, often at many jobs. They get the work done. They build America. If we wait for the trumpers to get to work, nothing will ever happen.
I'll any immigrant over any trumper any day.
3
I’m a Trump hater, yet I thought he gave us a good show.
However I couldn’t stop thinking that this is the same House where impeachment proceedings will commence.
Trump sounded Presidential, last night. He spoke about unity and dialed back from his usual themes of being the greatest man in history, and spoke of how great everything happens to be in terms of everybody being off. That is being Presidential. It’s not necessarily more honest nor fair minded but it’s less boorish than his usual blather.
He pleased the Republicans and he like will see better poll numbers. However, the country is not doing as wonderfully as he and Republicans are asserting. Worse, they actually think that the beginning of 2019 represents improvements which only occurred since Trump was sworn at the beginning of 2017. The economy was good by then due to the usual decade long process of recovery from a deep recession where vast amounts of capital disappeared while the huge indebtedness persisted for many years.
Trump is a liar but the Republicans are spinners, they have misrepresented the truth since Carter was President to avoid facing reality honestly. The era of great growth ended in the nineteen seventies when oil prices soared and foreign competition in markets appeared with better and cheaper goods. Private enterprise proved to be self serving and uninterested in how it’s effects upon society affected everybody. Basically, they squeezed every dollar out of industries and let them run into obsolescence instead of maintain them. It was a preventable had our government bothered to address what was happening in the 1960’s.
3
The danger in Stephen Miller's State of the Union is his repetition (either consciously or unconsciously) of Richard Nixon's "one year of Watergate is enough" STOU speech. Does history repeat itself? You betcha!
1
Donald Trump’s speech had a second side
Sounding at times like Jekyll and Hyde
His entreaty for peace
A plain case of caprice
Was paired with hate that he amplified
3
Congratulations, Mr. President! you never disappoint me! You definitely have my vote in 2020!
2
Imagine… the hypocrisies of it all; watching the sad antics of our tolerant lawmakers, during the State of The Union address. You could almost hear the hooting and hollowing of vigilantes celebrating another lynching party gone the way of hatred. Reminds me of the old film, ‘The Ox-Bow Incident’
Imagine… legislators sitting on their hands following President Trump’s words ‘we will never be a socialist country’ or his call for unity and allegiance to democracy or addressing the grim realities and atrocities of trimester abortions. Talk about a socialist vigilante committee gone the way of wild-eyed zealots in search of their souls.
3
It hardly mattered what Trump mouthed in his SOU message. What loomed largest was our awareness now of who this messenger is, as he has shown himself to be as candidate and president.
Against the reality of what he has said and eone, he came across as con-man insincere and crudely calculated, attempting to fool with patriotic scarf-waving. For him to pretend down he cares anything for our country and our democratic values makes my gorge rise.
Baldly attempting to associate himself with World War II heroism while ignoring his trashing of alliances and Nato...
Claiming abortion is "ripping a baby from its mother's arms" while staying silent about children at the border taken away from their mothers....
Cloaking himself in concern for people with health problems while leading the charge for damaging Obamacare....
Actions speak louder.
3
Trump threatened the US Congress not to exercise its constitutional responsibility! Putin is no doubt smiling today.
4
I did not watch Trump's performance last night, because I am simply weary and disgusted by all his and the GOP's hoopla, incessant lies, intentional cruelty, and falsehoods. I swept the basement during the speech, which I had been putting off for 2 years.
But I am happy to hear about all those Democratic women wearing white to the speech, because a century ago my aunt marched in a suffragette parade down Pennsylvania Avenue for women's right to vote.
She was 19 years old, and her grandmother bought her a beautiful white dress to march in the parade. She recounted that about 10-15 minutes into her marching, she and the other women in the march were suddenly pelted with rotten vegetables, eggs, and dirt by jeering men standing along the parade route.
It was a certain kind of a man that would do that to women, and today that kind of a man is very likely to be a Trump supporter, a rabid Republican, or Trump himself.
I wish my aunt could have seen all those Democratic women in white last night--like twinkling stars in a dark, storm-cloud sky.
215
@PB A symbolic gesture achieving nothing.
It calls attention to an important/unfair issue it's the rhetorical nonsense often cited. What was the issue again?
@F1Driver - The actual lived experience of her aunt is the exact opposite of "rhetorical nonsense".
And since you asked, the issue is misogyny.
The rhetorical nonsense was coming from the lectern, not from the audience--however it was attired.
16
@Scottb The issue is to grandstand while using other women's sad and tragic experiences.
There used to be a time when women were strong. When any unwanted advance was forcefully rebutted with statements questioning a man's mother "virtues" and followed their threats with actions to back it up. There were real consequences.
A time when prominent women like Meryl Streep and Hillary Clinton did no excuse nor condone a man's misogyny because they shared common political leanings and offered handsome political contributions.
"Dems face backlash for not applauding low unemployment, veterans during SOTU"
3
@R. R., some of us dems did not watch the SOTU..
Trump has the KKK immigration policy. Trump who was badly damaged by the gov't shutdown seems determined to undermine his presidency with the wall boondoggle. He has been offered several times realistic border security measures that actually are workable. But he insists on the medieval notion of a wall. Trump's efforts to allow polluters free reign in their quest for profits will continue. The Ds would be smart to end this Russia stole the election non sense. It appears the anti Russia hysteria will continue unabated until Trump is out of office.
2
Democrats accuse the President of being divisive but he has called for bipartisan measures to rebuild America’s crumbling infrastructure, curb the cost of prescription drugs and approve paid parental leave.
Surely these are areas where Democrats can come together with Republicans to pass legislation that would accomplish these goals.
Why don't they?
If the Dems can't work with this President on areas where they ostensibly agree, then it's apparent they are just paying lip service to bi-partisanship and playing politics. In that case, the President would deserve a second term.
7
The administration has not proposed anything on infrastructure and has blown up at least 2 bipartisan proposals on immigration. His idea of bipartisanship and cooperation seems to be him making demands and expecting everyone to just fall in line. Talks the talk, but doesn't walk the walk.
5
@PeterW So why didn't the Republican controlled House pass an infrastructure plan over the last two years? What actual infrastructure plan has Trump proposed? Tweeting out that you're in favor of infrastructure is quite easy and, absent an actual proposal, quite meaningless.
How long will you continue to be fooled by empty rhetoric?
6
Oh please. And you really believe this habitual liar?
For all the "winning" the USA (USA!, USA!) is enjoying right now, the question is whether this will be at the expense of global stability. Trust and cooperation have been thrown out the window replaced by suspicion and self-interest. Trump's rejection of a global order of things because he feels the US has been used in the past is creating an every country for itself approach now. We are in a zero-sum game that yes, we are winning for the moment.
Maybe this works (USA!, USA!) but this suspicion reminds me of the husband who is always accusing his wife of having an affair. At some point, the wife says, "I might as well have one since I'm being accused of it anyway."
6
"Trump Asks for Unity, but Presses Hard Line on Immigration"
"President Trump asked for unity, but signaled that he would continue to wage war for the hard-line immigration policies that have polarized the nation."
AND:
"Mr. Trump presented himself as a leader who could work across party lines even as he pressed lawmakers to build a wall along the nation’s southwestern border that leaders of the newly empowered congressional Democrats have adamantly rejected."
But notice that with Trump, it's all HIS way that he wants. Has he done anything to "make a deal with the Democrats"?
Nope, not one inch. He kept Our Government shutdown for 35 days and achieved nothing but hardship and stress on over 800,000 federal employees. Where was Trump's "a leader who could work across party lines" then and where is it now?
And now Trump throws the various Federal Investigations against him into the mix of his made up border crisis that is only in his mind so he can get a wall to claim a victory for himself.
8
If immigrants just stayed home they wouldn't be immigrants and then we wouldn't be having this whole problem here with the debate over immigration. But why should stop that anyone from boarding the boat? Running away from problems is no way to fix them. In retrospect I maybe wish my grandmother from Norway hadn't left in exchange for some free land in wilderness North Dakota years ago. Now going full cycle it does seem to be true that nothing really is for free.
2
Nothing on climate change, nor (that I remember) on gun violence. I think the good news might be that he played strictly to his base and probably gained no new support.
Personally, I felt watching was a bit like stopping at the scene of an accident.
15
When I see flashing lights ahead, I take a different route if I can.
1
Maybe I'm missing something, but how is Trump asking for unity have anything to do with securing our borders and being tough on illegal immigration? There is no connection, and I have noticed that Peter Baker does that a lot.
3
"Unity", "cooperation, compromise and the common good"
Trump shouldn't use big words he doesn't understand.
14
Trump speaks to the lowest common denominator, and they respond. Unfortunately, that group is expanding. USA indeed.
5
If by socialism, the president means Americans reject supporting the less fortunate among us, and addressing the needs of our communities, it is the sort of malapropism I have come to expect from someone whose view of what our society is all about is antithetical to my understanding.
More propagandizing and grandstanding, while issues of tremendous significance (think absurd levels of poverty in one of the wealthiest nations in the world) are not even touched on.
9
What I also found interesting: President Trump's side glance and nod at Speaker Pelosi in the end, and her (motherly?) energetic applaud and approving nod/half smile. What are those two up to? If there is any/enough mutual respect shown, we might get somewhere.
14
@PS "If there is any/enough mutual respect shown, we might get somewhere." Right, there is already a meme about that. Look it up for a good laugh.
5
@PS Agree, that was interesting. I actually think these two have a connection of sorts, in spite of some of the mudslinging. Let's hope it reaps reward for the American people. I found it encouraging.
5
@PS Respect is earned. Nancy Pelosi has been working in government since 1961. Trump has been "working" in government since 2017. Trump's greatest accomplishment in life is being the recipient of his dad's fortune.
13
Regardless what Mr. Trump says, in the State of the Union or otherwise, it does not change the facts. In the totality of all things, immigration via the southern border of the U.S. is a minor concern and should be treated accordingly.
18
The one line that defined Trump's speech was a thinly veiled threat: "If there is going to be peace and legislation, there cannot be war and investigation.”
Peter Baker doesn't report it.
14
Let's go for the war and the investigation
1
Because that would jeopardize The Times's "access." Can't have that. Tut tut.
Is it a hard line when you want everyone to follow the same rules? Orderly Immigration over Anarchy Immigration.
11
Do you happen to know just how Rhode Island was founded? Hee’s a hint: it wasn’t by allowing people to tell you what to think.
Despite his usual diatribes and venom, Trump evidently meant this speech to be reassuring. I have a problem feeling reassured by a lunatic.
26
Queue up the haters who would blame TRUMP for raising health insurance rates if he cured cancer.
7
@Duane Mathias Right, since he's done such a great job with health care. That new plan of his is just terrific, covering everybody for a fraction of the cost of the dread Obamacare. What a success! I can see why you love him so.
2
@Duane Mathias - He can cure at least one cancer by resigning.
I watched Spielberg's "The Post." Really glad I did.
5
Nancy Pelosi hardly "maintained a polite" response. Her petty nature was on display with the deliberate fiddling with her papers, standing when everyone else had re-seated, and attempting to engage the VP with talk all while the President spoke to the nation.
Trying to draw attention to herself, trying to distract, is hardly a mature "polite" response. Clearly her respect for the office of the presidency is dependent upon who was elected. She is a small person.
12
@Len
Her petty nature? How about the fact that he didn't let her introduce him and that he didn't congratulate her on re-gaining the gavel. A historical first.
2
@Len What president? You mean the it put in office by Putin? You mean the it put in office by massive gerrymandering and voter fraud. Perhaps you're referring to the criminals in the bogus cabinet.
Did anybody stand up and shout "you lie !!!"... like a Republican did for Obama ???
40
@David Martin I, too, was hoping a Dem would rise up and call out 45* for the serial liar that he is.
I'm sure he had to practice his speech many times since they were not his own words. How can anyone buy his call for unity when just yesterday afternoon he bad mouthed other political leaders with insults and name calling? He is a fake predident.
29
CBS News: "72% agreed with the president's comments on immigration"
NY Times: "Divisive! Polarizing!"
You guys try so hard, and its getting sillier and sillier. Trump is a crazy guy, not likable, but his presidency is just not so bad. At some point you have to settle down and accept it.
15
“Not so bad?” You have got to be kidding. His track record on the environment is the worst in memory. They are rolling back environmental protections by the day which will affect the health of future generations-maybe your own kids. Climate change, one of the most important (if not The most important) issues of our time didn’t get a mention. Instead, he places climate skeptics and fossil fuel industry figures in key positions in the EPA. And a joke of an energy commissioner.
Pulling out of Nuclear treaty with Russia- Yeah starting another Cold War is just what ee all need to feel safer. Maybe time start building bomb shelters in the back yard again? Well, it gives you something to do on those long weekends...
Immigration as crisis- Let’s see, around 10 years ago 1.3 million illegals tried to enter our country. Since then the numbers have decreased down to a around 300k a year. Still a large number, and most democrats want smart, multi-pronged immigration reform. A $5 billion wall is not a smart use of funds. Why focus on 6000 year old technology when we have new tech that is far more effective? Bolstering existing walls in key places but also we need to streamline our entire immigration system. No one wants “open borders.” Thats a simplistic and incorrect view. America has never been an entirely closed border nation. We need to be intelligent about the use of funds. How best to protect our borders, while streamlining the vetting of immigrants and our courts system?
2
What’s actually sillier is to take viewer polls seriously, and to keep trying the bit about how anybody who disagrees with you is a weeping girl.
Government workers do not have to compete for jobs with illegals. Nor does most professional jobs. The people in this country that has to compete is our uneducated poor. Why do tthe democrats go out of their way to let illegals in. It hurts our poor.
8
@Jim
Why did all of trump's clubs regularly hire the undocumented, until he conveniently fired them. a few weeks ago ? Please don't insult our intelligence by saying trump didn't know. He knew. He wanted cheap labor like so much of America wants.
Poor people looking to better their lives by being part of the American dream does not endanger us. Leaders that regularly lie, threaten our stability in the world, disregard real threats such as climate change, and our deficit do actually cause us real damage.
2
@Jim
When did Democrats decide to let illegal immigrants in?
The Democrats would like a path to citizenship for the "Dreamers" folk who were brought here by parents that are illegal immigrants and grew up here.
Democrats have always supported legal immigration not illegal immigration.
Among the many critiques of the SOU address, by far the MOST important one is:
76% of American people tuning in LIKED it
7
I dunno where you got a poll saying 76% of the people that watched it liked it. But, even granting that was the case, I refuse to watch that man speak because he lies virtually every time he opens his mouth and any positions he outlines are subject to change at any moment in time thereafter.
In case you haven't heard, there are/were many other people who refuse to watch him speak for the same or similar reasons I listed above. I am of the opinion that the overwhelming majority of the watchers were, in fact, his base. He could say that he has personally figured out how to fix all the World's problems in 15 minutes and they would believe him.
2
@OldTimer
Yes, but what percentage of the American public watched it? My take away is that the majority of Americans are sick and tired of hearing his lies and fear-mongering and instead opted out.
@OldTimer
"Liked it"?
Is that your measure of the Constitutional requirement that the President shall from "time to time" report to the Congress on the state of the union?
If so, be of good cheer. If he isn't in jail or living in Ecuador in 2020, maybe you'll be able to pull the lever for the idiotic cretin now occasionally occupying the White House... again.
"...by far the MOST important one is:
76% of American people tuning in LIKED it."
It's come to this. Remarkable.
"Speaker Nancy Pelosi, sitting behind Mr. Trump for the first time, and other Democrats largely remained in their seats without applauding and expressed only tepid enthusiasm even for his mention of goals intended to appeal to them..."
I'm not sure if we were watching the same event, Peter, or I'm taking your use of the word "largely" with too much offense, but I saw Democrats, including Speaker Pelosi, applauding and rising to their feet many times.
President Trump said a lot of things Dems can agree with, even if they don't believe he is sincere, and when he did, they at least applauded and often stood. When he lied, or promoted things they oppose, they frowned, were impassive, or shook their heads. Of course. But Trump's writers put a lot of things in that speech that could be addressed in true bipartisan fashion. Easily, if the 10-or-so percent of Americans who are far right (the ones who rose up and caused that historical government shutdown) would chill a bit. Those few can get Trump's back up; then the rest of the Republican base support Trump, even though they may not agree with that fringe wholeheartedly, and it's tiny tail wagging huge dog.
Not only is Trump governing for a base that's about 33% of the country, but he's being led by the far right of that base, an even smaller percentage. Republicans squawk about Democrats being led by their far left base (e.g. the interminable whining about AOC), but they're way more guilty of that with their far right.
105
Unless I missed it, I’m surprised Peter Baker made no mention of the fact that Trump jumped right into his speech without allowing an introduction from Speaker Pelosi. An oversight perhaps, but it bucked tradition and could be read as a slight against the Speaker. It read as petty and mean spirited.
Trump’s mention of partisan investigations effecting the economy was a veiled threat at best.
No mention of the shutdown either.
So much for unity.
21
@Jonathan
They "scowled" because it was an outright lie. He has never done anything to increase the amounts of legal immigrants. In fact he has been trying to curb immigration since he got into office. NYT fact check confirms this.
Why would they clap for a lie?
5
Judging from their responses, the Democrats are in favor of illegal immigration, late term abortions and socialism. That's one hell of a party platform.
15
@dgbu
True, and none on those positions are American values.
1
@dgbu well, capitalism is a failed experiment. Time to further implement socialist policies.
Don't pull punches. Don't wimp out. Speak the hate you feel. Your President does. In fact, his tweets can barely keep up.
1
All those complaining about Trump and the speech are are the margins of extremism. 75% approved the speech. Of course the hard core haters will never approve of Trump. Really wish the dems offered more than hatred and pinched faces. dressing in white was bad optics since it reminded many of the dem's uncomfortable history
14
@John Diamond - I know! It was a bit like the Republicans' slightly more recent history when Reagan dog-whistled to the KKK in Philadelphia MS, or when Trump voiced his appreciation for the neo-nazis (including a now-convicted murderer) in Charlottesville, or when Steve King shared his befuddlement at anybody taking offense to phrases like "white supremacist". Uncomfortable indeed!
Also, Trump's detractors are consistently 60-63% of respondents -- hardly at the "margins of extremism".
Let’s be clear. Trump’s call for bipartisanship is a one-way Street. He doesn’t know the meaning of the word compromise....
17
Why do people allow Republicans to put words in the mouths of Democrats? What Democrat has pressed an agenda of "Open Borders"? Name one, please. This is a Trump character attack on the opposing party. Why must people ape these talking points?
215
@Mark Rindner
As a NYT 'fact checker' might say "True, but misleading".
While no major Democrat has pressed an agenda of "Open Borders", most push for sanctuary cities/states, reduction/elimination of law enforcement (ICE), amnesty for illegal aliens, expansion of asylum definitions as well as 'catch and release' policies (if the illegal alien has a child in tow). Democrats also oppose physical barriers ,claiming "walls don't work".
The cumulative effect of the Democrat position encourages and enables illegal immigration and thus not unreasonably is characterized as 'Open Borders' in its effects.
3
@Mark Rindner Repubs know that if they lie often enough the dumbest among us, ie, other republicans, will believe the lie. That is their basic strategy since they do not have any real policies to put forth.
3
@Ami
Sanctuary cities is a term coined for municipalities that have decided not to use their own local police forces to enforce immigration law (because that's the job of federal law enforcement). It has nothing to do with the border being "open".
I heard a lot of talk about how democrats had supported barriers/walls in the past from the right during the shutdown and that was somehow hypocritical they wouldn't support Trumps wall. Now you're telling me they support open borders. Which is it? They supported wall funding in the past or they support open borders?
6
The best part of SOTU address was .........
that Hillary didn't give it.
7
Me thinks the NYT has amnesia mixed with enmity....it’s the same security policies pushed by previous liberal administrations...it wasn’t “immoral” then nor is it now.
Certainly it’s no more immoral than a lock on a door or any entrance to a grocery store or a bank or a prison or at Pelosi’s home.
8
@Charlie....Wake up call. Why did Trump repeatedly say "Obama was born in Kenya"? It had nothing to do with where Obama was born, but was intended as code words for a racial slur. In the same way "Build a Wall" is intended as code words for a racial slur. Trump can have money for border security. He can have money to repair existing structures, extend barriers, or put up fence, but he cannot have money to "Build a Wall". We will not build a monument to xenophobia and racism because that IS immoral.
23
@Charlie
It's "methinks". One word.
He is such a self sacrificing man that if the Dems asked for his tax returns in exchange for the wall I am sure he would gladly produce them.
8
I'm proud of my governor, Michelle Lujan-Grisham , for pulling New Mexico's national guard troops from the border, except for 10 who remain for humanitarian reasons.
16
I for one, would not shake this man's hand - out of revulsion.
18
What part do drug USERS play in all these diatribes against Mexicans?
Why is all the blame on those who cross the border?
It's high time ( no pun intended) that ANYONE who takes Federal or state benefits to live on, be drug tested on a random basis. If you're caught using drugs, good bye benefits.
And WHY, if drugs are so evil, are the states falling over each other to legalize.....wait for it.....drugs ?!?!?) Marijuana is a drug, a gateway drug, and who wants to think about drugged up people driving cars or doing safety sensitive jobs just because marijuana is now legal?
It doesn't make sense. All this railing against illegals( who yes, should NOT be crossing illegally and should use the legal system to enter our country).
"Illegals" are expected to follow the rules and regulations to enter the USA, but our own residents who USE the drugs that are allegedly streaming in have no responsibility.
They don't have to "follow rules" because WE the taxpayerswill bail them out with freebies, benefits, Disability for life when they becomes so addled they will NEVER be more than they are today.
And, most of the drug users/abusers CHOOSE to use drugs.
Time to stop making excuses for the end users. Time to man up and stop blaming illegal women and children for OUR drug problem.
Think of an abuser you know. Honestly, in most cases, they will never be a productive citizen. Why should they be?
Easier to blame "the other" and light up another bowl.
1
"No socialism in America!" "America will remain a free country!" "Down with socialism!"
Right. Ah these applause lines! Republicans springing to their feet to cheer lustily--or express their disapproval with loud boos.
Not long ago, I went on YouTube and listened to a classic Rodgers & Hammerstein song (from "South Pacific")--"You've got to be taught! You've got to be carefully taught."
The musical came out--when? In the 1940's? The song itself--deals with racism. "People whose eyes are oddly shaped." Pretty frank talk for an American hit musical in the 1940's!
And need I say?--
--our friends and fellow citizens in the south were not so keen on that song. Not back then they weren't.
Need I say?--
--that the cry back then was (ta da!)--SOCIALISM. These were SOCIALISTIC sentiments worming their way into the good old USA.
Not only that!--
--but chances were good (they said) that a directive requiring such a song--
--came directly from the Kremlin.
My!
My point is: whenever you don't like your opponent's point of view, you run offstage--fetch a brimming bucket of tar--and slather him with that tar.
The tar here is SOCIALISM.
But no, you vociferous members of the GOP caucus. Looking out for people--caring about people--providing for the common good--is NOT "socialism."
It's leadership.
It's being a good citizen.
It's being what so many of you guys--
--(and I'm sorry to say it--i really am)--
--AREN'T.
7
"Don't investigate all my crimes and treason to the United States. But let's build a wall to keep the brown people out."
There, I just saved your time listening to the speech or reading the article.
311
@David
Excellent summary! Got me laughing in my chair.
12
Touché.
6
Disgusting leader of a dishonest political party. Big surprise that they both lie 24/7
12
Nice try!!! He is a fraud , a liar, a crook and an ignoramus.
His speech was gilded like his buildings he said nothing , He has to go.
19
Can anyone imagine what the men who are Holocaust survivors and soldiers who fought the Nazis must have been thinking during much of Trumps speech? What do they think about ripping families apart, caging children like they are animals? Demonizing decent people trying to escape violence and poverty to begin a new life here? My guess is that these fine men would not for a minute support the racist, xenophobic policies of Trump.
14
I’d love to know if part of 45*’s “Executive Time” involves practicing looking like a mob boss in the mirror.
12
Far-right white supremacist nationalist hate crime is what is actually - as in, when it comes to reality - on the rise; which is why the bellowing birther of a so-called "president" is just beyond idiotically nonsensical.
6
Dems you are out of step with the American people, 70 percent of the American people want a wall, get the wall done and move on, you are only defeating yourself.
8
@Lonnie....Just as "Obama was born in Kenya" are code words for a racial slur, "Build a Wall" are code words for a racial slur. You can repair existing structures, extend barriers, or put up fence. But "Build a Wall" is xenophobic racism.
8
@Lonnie: I live ninety minutes away from the border and never heard anyone here say that they want a wall. Most Texans roll their eyes when they hear folks in New Jersey or Oklahoma rant about a wall. Come on down here and see for yourself. There is no "crisis" on the Mexican border, apart from the one the Republican party manufactured when it started seizing children and separating them from their parents.
3
Could you show us a poll saying that, please? Thanks.
1
The SOTU was a total farce, with the exception of congratulaing the new faces in our House of Representatives. Nothing about climate change, nothing about separation of families seeking asylum with our country, nothing about the hundreds of murders here in America done by white Americans, nothing about how the economy was great when President Obama left, nothing about him not paying his fair share of taxes, nothing about better gun laws and control.
It is about a wall, that he probably wants his name on.
Democrats, stick to your guns, we have 655 days left...
9
I just don't understand: who are all you people that are sitting there watching and listening to this guy. The STU has over the last decades become even more stupefying and vulgar than even the Miss America pageant.
According to the reports he introduced parents of a murder victim; a boy who had been bullied? Holocaust survivors actually sullying themselves by being hosted by a man following in their family's destroyer's goosesteps?
When I was just five and accidently watched an episode of Queen for Day that my grandmother had on, I was barfing within minutes at the people who were humiliating themselves for the chance of a free refrigerator. Now the entire nation sits through these parodies of of the great leadership gatherings of our past that have warped into these bizarre conglomerations, part America's Got Talent (the congress women " leapt to their feet,, cheering, dancing, and high-fiving each other"--really? really?), and part Nuremberg Rally.
I've that in the fairly recent past, hangings, decapitations and such were popular entertainment and people came from miles around to eat popcorn and enjoy the festivities. But still, again I am just utterly bewildered: who are you people that are sitting there watching all this?
3
Trump's speech was stultifying banality delivered in the most ineloquent, fatuous manner.
4
Trump compromise, it’s my way or no way.
“When you dance with the devil, the devil doesn’t change, the devil changes you.”
“Nice people made the best Nazis. My mom grew up next to them. They got along, refused to make waves, looked the other way when things got ugly and focused on happier things than “politics.” They were lovely people who turned their heads as their neighbors were dragged away. You know who weren’t nice people? Resisters.”.......Naomi Shulman
3
Teleprompter Trump’s State of the Union speech reached a new height of hypocrisy, merged with the fantasy reality show in which he has surrounded himself. How dare he to mention the sacrifices of our parents and grandparents in WWII, when he glossed over death in Charlottesville by calling the Nazi’s (White Nationalists) “very fine people,” and when he embraces that racist and nationalist theology in everything he does and with whom, in the person of Steven Miller, he chooses to trust and follow.
The record is beyond sad, of lies, of guilty pleas and convictions, of the revolving door of mostly corrupt and inept selections—“the best people,” who represent graft, self-interest, Trump’s executive failure, and his intent to subvert the laws he has sworn to uphold and which the agencies he poisons are directed to administer and enforce, and all of it swirling around in Trump’s disassociated orbit, where in his mind and words there is nothing but personal success and glorification, fake news and witch hunts.
He has been cursed and laughed at the world over, and only praised by those beholding to him, blinded by him, and those who, especially Republican leaders in Congress, use and enable him for their own selfish ends.
In the end, though, it was a fitting pair-up to the ho-hum, no-production Super Bowl LIII, except the ugly, naked truth of Trump’s mid-term show isn’t hidden with layers to be stripped away, and soon, it will be documented in prosecutorial ink.
4
more nothing from commander zero.
2
For The New York Times and their excellent coverage, their team spirit and ongoing hard work to find truth; for All Americans under the sun; for the President who once was a child, a youth in a cage of barbed wire, sings an eternal reminder of what is right and wrong in these adverse times, so unsteady and uncertain where the nightingales remain silent:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yyf059psVew
1
"Mr. Trump ended his address with an uncharacteristic effort at poetry, an ode to America and its common purpose."
I suppose the best that can be said for Trump here is the old (appropriately) misogynist quote from Samuel Johnson: "Sir, a woman's preaching is like a dog's walking on his hind legs. It is not done well; but you are surprised to find it done at all."
33
Were was Trump when Republicans investigated the Benghazi attack for two years and every single Republican committee chairman sought something to chew on. What has he been screaming for for two years if nothing but investigations on the Clinton Foundation, on the DNC and anything else that caught his eye. Trump now thinks investigations are unnecessary and divisive But it is not Democrats who lied to Congressional committees about their labyrinth of deals, frauds, liesand conflict of interest. Moreover, that's what Congress is there for: to keep an eye on the Executive and to ferret out malfeasance and corruption. Welcome to Democracy, Mr. Trump.
9
Trump's true feelings and fears in his speech are best encapsulated when he spoke the following:
"If there is going to be peace and legislation, there cannot be war and investigation."
There is only one way to interpret this.
5
Immigration is a big issue. 8 BILLION people. Too many for the Earth to bear easily. Many would like to leave poverty, depressed circumstances, bad govt, limited hope and resources. But the demographic explosion of the last century has not stopped, but has slowed a bit.
The USA and EU cannot the the demographic overflow bin of cultures, countries, etc that don't live within the means of the carrying capacity of the land. Nature and Reality are stronger than fertility rates. Compassion is good, we need to do much more to help people in their own countries address their local issues and change their demographic excesses.
BILLIONS would emigrate if they thought they could. They are desperate.
When a lifeboat fills and bobs low in the water, taking on a lot more swimmers means the lifeboat sinks and all drown.
There are no easy, simple happy solutions. An excess of compassion without reality leads to the galloping visit of the Four Horsemen. Yemen is a big current example. The population quadrupled over the last 70 years. The solution to many problems goes beyond peacekeepers. Cultures have to change, with US support, not concrete walls.
4
I have lost all interest in hearing what this person has to say or reading about it. Really a sad statement regarding the President of the United States. But we've all wasted far too much of our lives on this guy already.
11
Why was anyone surprised? What did anyone expect? Trump once again proved his total unfitness for the job.
Stacey Abrams, though, was right, chose not to analyze anything he said- which would have been a waste of time- and just zeroed in with the truth and forward-looking points. She gave us something to walk away with, which this “President” completely failed to do.
5
I have never been a fan of the USA USA USA chant but I found it to be really out of place at the state of the union.
If they have to chant, it should at least be LOCK HIM UP LOCK HIM UP LOCK HIM UP.
12
The address was boring, the delivery phony, even tho Trump wanted to come across as sincere.I tolerated this spectacle for a few minutes and then enjoyed two hours of Shark Tank reruns.
2
Who will reap the rewards for constructing the fences and walls? I'll bet it will be Donald Trump.
2
Don't presidents in their opening remarks also include a nod to the Justices of the Supreme Court? By skipping from his acknowledgement of MOCs to the First Lady, Trump ignored the Judiciary -- either that or he is ignorant of the status and role of the 3rd branch of our government.
1
Trump persists on his border wall fantasy and neglects to address the Russian threat to democracy, but female democrats were satisfied because of a shout-out to women’s suffrage. I guess that’s all it takes to bamboozle Congress and push on with a radical agenda.
1
Listening to Trump talk about unity and comity is like listening to the anti-vaxers talk about the need to fight measles outbreaks.
6
I didn't watch Trump. There was a much better episode of "The Twilight Zone" on cable. I watched that instead.
3
@susan
But but but it was like the Twilight Zone.
2
If Archbishop Pelosi is so certain that a wall or a fence ANYWHERE along the southern border is immoral, and her party agrees with her, then where is the House vote to REMOVE the existing fences and walls, 650 miles of them? Please, dear Moralist in Chief, please sponsor such legislation in the House immediately. And, by the way, do send flowers to my friend whose son died from opioids. We just stopped enough Chinese-produced fentanyl in Nogales to kill millions.
7
Save some wrath for the Sacklers and Purdue Pharma.
Style aside, President Trump spoke for more than an hour, and admit it, he had a lot of topics and much that he intended to tackle. Yes, he discussed illegal immigration but not until the second half. And why is anyone surprised? Trump made getting tough on illegal immigration a major part of his campaign and he hasn't backed down. Most people want border security and vetted immigration. The change in attitude toward illegal immigration is on the part of the Democrats, who used to oppose it. Now, though, the times focuses on such things as perceptions of Speaker Pelosi's facial expressions and one of a dozen things Trump mentions. The effort to reach across the aisle is a good thing, not bad.
20
@gmt
"The effort to reach across the aisle is a good thing, not bad."
But if the effort is insincere, i.e. only rhetorical?
14
@gmt
I did not get that. I understood the content of the speech was to say "I am the only person to solve these problems you need to shut up and just support anything thing I decide needs to happen".
The Republicans were happy to endorse that I was disappointed when some Democrats seemed to agree.
I do not see how Mr Trump is making things better for the greatest number of us. I have repeatedly stated this.
11
@Angus Cunningham
I think the words you are looking for are "lip service".
13
maybe i have missed it, but it seems to me that neither political party has pushed to make the e-verify system MANDATORY. why not? could it be that many employers in our country like to hire cheaper, hard workers? only recently, have some of the Trump companies decided to use the e-verify system and fired some long time apparently good workers. to me, this is sad. why fire good hard workers who show up every day and work hard? something is wrong. maybe our politicians in congress realize that most or many employers want the "illegals" to work for them despite the talk about how bad the immigrants are and that we need more WALLS.
8
It's impossible to have any respect for the evil climate crisis denying liar. He and his kind are the threat to our national security. They are traitors to all of mankind and a war on our children.
11
trump and pence won't be around come the 2020 elections. trump has been complete waste of our nation's time.
9
@D.E.R.
And in 2016 it was stated that Mr Trump would never be elected POTUS. I had a different view and was told I was wrong. To be clear I liked neither candidate but I thought Mrs Clinton had a better platform and had the goal of improving the lives of most folk.
When Mr Trump won I had hoped things would get better I now no longer have that hope. The Republicans had posed themselves as fiscally responsible but look at what's been done including fear mongering. I used to support those I thought would be best for the country...Now I am supporting the Democrats even though I disagree with some of the things they do.
Frequently it comes down to who will do the least harm and do the most good for the greatest amount of us.
1
Somewhere in the deep recesses of what is left of his mind, trump knows he has to pull people together to accomplish anything.
Yet when the time comes he can't help sticking his thumb in the nearest eye. His lack of self control is pathetic.
9
Just watch what Trump actually does, not what he says. His words are worthless.
15
everyone knows that I'm a crook and traitor. so stop the investigations and everyone support my agenda as I let you know what it is on an hourly basis, said trump
11
@Howard64
"I respect our Great Law Enforcement people.....but they need to stay in the office and do the crossword instead of doing any criminal investigations....especially of ME and my family".
Donald J. Trump SOTU 2019.
2
so asking that immigrants come into the country is now a "hardliner" position? and killing a baby a day before birth is just "choice"WOW, today's dems are not the party I grew up respecting a and believing was the Good side.......SMH in sadness
4
@John Diamond
Where did you get that?
It's not what this stuff is. Doctors cannot kill a viable baby late term abortions are about the fetus' viability and the mother's health not about someone changing their mind.
The Democrats support legal immigration but don't support building a wall when there are many other options and illegal immigration numbers have been at least halved.
The illegal immigration numbers dropped when Mr Obama was POTUS and boosted border security.
1
The NYT's hard left ideology is as plain as day when you read articles like this. Every President before Trump, including President Obama and Clinton promised better border security and they all maintained and built border barriers. The alt-left media doesn't report about the human trafficking and the lifeless illegal immigrant migrant children found on ranches and in the desert. That's no way to come to America.
8
@P McGrath
So building a wall will save illegal immigrant children's lives? Truly I think not.
I wasn't going to watch the SOTU address but it is history and I am interested in that but it was incredibly predictable, yes, the economy and unemployment is doing well but it is not just Trump's victory but also the continuation of Obama's agenda when he saved the country from being flushed down the toilet.
What really stuck out for me was no mention of climate change which I think is the most important thing in the world, for our planet is in peril and the leader of the free world, Trump, had nothing at all to say about it, irresponsible don't you think? And nothing about gun reform laws, yes, we hear about an illegal alien who killed someone but what about ALL the killings, so many, that were done by American citizens, right wing nationalist, bigots, nazi minded, nothing said and that reads volumes.
The highlight was the women in white, flushed with excitement with their new jobs, now THAT was progress.
5
@David King
I agree!
No man looking for "unity" brings up the issue of abortion just to satisfy his base, evangelical crazy Christians. The crumbs off this table are far too little to throw out and expect anything of substance in return. He is the same sleazeball he has always been. He has probably left a string of aborted pregnancies behind along with his payments to all his paramours. 70 year old people do no change. Never forget that fact.
10
I find the "USA" chanting to be so creepy. It reminds me of nothing so much as Hitler and the crowds at Nazi rallies in the 30s. I know we're not supposed to compare Trump to Hitler, but I can't help it--it just springs to mind when I see this stuff. The Republicans have built this cult of personality around Trump, and they use these chants and their obsessive devotion to intimidate others. I hate this excessive demonstration of what is supposed to pass for patriotism. It's not. It's cultish, mob mentality and it's frightening to be outside it. To see this kind of behavior in the Congress of the United States is very concerning.
15
It’s no accident that Trump and his Republican Party attract the support of neo-Nazis and Nazi sympathizers. They even hire them to work in the administration (Bannon, Gorka, Miller).
3
But when we shouted “USA” during the administrations of Presidents Obama or Clinton, was it creepy or patriotic? How about after 9/11?
3
@Ms. Pea Thanks for writing that. In 2001, when the Twin Towers were destroyed, and President Bush called for national unity, I wore an American flag pin in my lapel. My neighbor refused to do so, and said that that pin represented right-wing fanatics. That was before Trump. But, there is such a thing as healthy patriotism. In fact, we are a country of diverse people, of all kinds of races, religions, and so on. What makes us ONE people is our Constitution and our sense that we are ALL Americans. Thus, in contrast to Hitler, whose nationalism was EXCLUSIVE, our patriotism is INCLUSIVE. By wearing a flag, by saying USA, USA, we are expressing the fact that OUR country is a diverse one, e pluribus unum - out of many, ONE. It is that which unites us, not something which divides us. My neighbor had it wrong. You are VERY right to ask.
2
Pay more attention to what he does and less to what he says.
11
It made me cringe to watch Trump waive his tiny hands around for over an hour. Maybe he should try to keep them in his pockets, or wear gloves.
3
“Wealthy politicians and donors push for open borders while living their lives behind walls and gates and guards.”
Indeed, this quote should be inducted into America's history books next to Washington's and Lincoln's.
6
@David
Uh huh!!!
"'An economic miracle is taking place in the United States,” [Trump] said, 'and the only thing that can stop it are foolish wars, politics or ridiculous partisan investigations.'"
Speechwriters briefly discussed how Mueller's investigation could conceivably injure the economy - but quickly realized, 'Not a prob', our side will lap up any swill we throw in front of it.'
7
Trump was using fear once again. His message was that if he is removed as a result of the Russia investigation then that will end the good run of the economy. Only his dumb base will buy that one.
Who is this "we" that the President kept mentioning?
3
@P. Brown--It's the royal "we," or majestic plural, used by kings, queens and Donald Trump. Usually, when he says "we", Trump means "me."
2
President Trump's call for cooperation, unity, and breaking the cycle of divisiveness in government is, of course, a Trump head fake. he means: get over this fighting, shut up, and give me what I demand so we can end this standoff. I will be as inflexible as ever, although possibly slightly altering the vocabulary I use. Trump has a dictator's attitude and a con man's take on exploiting the country. he did. he mention declaring a fake national emergency, as Mitch McConnell scowled from the bleachers, but Trump did mention the investigations that are clearly so much on his mind.
4
All of GOP lot and Trump, are all hyper partisan, liar and divisive as it comes..
You can't use word like Bipartisanship and GOP or Trump in one line.
3
That there was not a mention of our changing climate and the havoc it is creating in our communities was a disgrace.
This is the foremost emergency that we face as a Nation. We and our children shall pay a steep and costly price for this neglect by trump and every person that calls themselves a republican, at this point. Just disgraceful,
We've always been rather mindless as to long term solutions as a Nation. Today, with what we now know, it is completely inexcusable.
3
Are you kidding me? Of course, I haven’t watched it. Why would I waste my time watching trump’s always out of touch speech.
5
What Trump did was to feed people's fears about the unknown by saying the worst possible things about immigrants. What he neglected to mention was that most immigrants, legal or otherwise, are more law abiding than native born citizens. Should we start to deport those descended from immigrants on the grounds that they might be criminals if they have parents who entered illegally or were criminals themselves?
The only person Trump cares about is himself. We ought to be asking about his wife's family and the chain migration he claims to despise. What about her immigration status when she first came here? If he's willing to attack other people and their families his wife's status here is ripe for questioning. Did she marry him to get her green card? Did she and he have to go through the same process the average American marrying an immigrant goes through for his/her spouse to obtain a green card?
I never thought I'd feel this way about a president but I can't wait to see the back of him as he walks out of the White House for the last time. I hope he is relegated to the obscurity he deserves.
8
I tried to watch the SOTU and was faced with a fidgeting, teeth grinding, lip smacking, smug faced, paper shuffling, constantly moving about Pelosi. Good God woman, don't you have enough class and decency to just sit down and listen? Do you really need to put on a show? The saddest part was watching how some of the crowd wasn't sure whether to stand and clap or not during a rise in the room, all looking at one another 'do we do this?' Am I watching leaders or a bad episode of the Simpsons?
7
@Will
Actually, it was more like an episode of the Simpsons - as is reflective of Trump’s White House and cabinet.
@Will
Of course, it’s ok when a sitting Congressman shouts “you lie!”
The idea that Trump would deliver a believable speech about Unity is laughable. The state of the Union speech was just a collection of half truth and lies, and insults.
The best part of the whole night was obviously Speaker Pelosi’s extended arms clap and facial expression. Priceless.
8
You talked about unifying the country and working for a common good. Well, Mr. President , common good is when you talk about climate change, gun control, equal pay for equal work, healthcare and education. Building a wall is divisive. This was not a SOTU, this was talking to the base and jump starting 2022.
5
Point of fact on foreign threats:
1) There has never, never ever been a chance that Kim Jong un would choose to give up his kingdom by starting a war.
And the ONLY fear of potential war with NK that I can recall was when Trump was provoking Kim in 2017.
2) ISIS was on its way out when Trump took office, and all he did was speed up Obama's strategy by no longer worrying about collateral damage when striking militants.
Notice Trump said we've liberated "territory" and not the people, because there aren't many left -- Trump has killed more civilians than he has ISIS fighters.
3) Nobody believes The Boy Who Cried Caravan at this point. His obsession with demonizing Latinos is a sick joke.
4) Still no willingness to combat the most glaring, active threat to our nation -- Russia.
Doing what Putin wants is the opposite of being tough on Russia.
5
I simply can't listen to Trump anymore. His voice gets on my nerves and he's either constantly lying or congratulating himself as the greatest thing since hotdogs. The only news I want to here is that somehow mercifully he will be out of office before 2020. The Democrats need to hold the line with Trump while the GOP knowingly sits on its hands and does nothing but praise this guy fully aware that he is an empty suit.
7
The only new thing at the State of the Union was that Ivanka
parted her hair on the side.
3
No mention of climate change, no details on his propmise of "cheaper and better" health care, no apology to the federal workers victimized by his government shutdown and the usual litany of lies about immigrants, "his" economic achievements, the billions of dollars China is paying us in tariffs, how he will never allow socialism and his brilliant foreign policy. The biggest lie of all was his claim that if he hadn't become president we would now be in a nuclear war with North Korea. Teleprompter Trump is a cardboard cutout. The real Trump is the Tweeter-in-Chief.
6
"Trump Asks for Unity, ...."
Yes, Mr. Trump asked for unity but on his own terms. He made it clear that he wants everyone to unit under his banner and follow his lead. Is there any other kind of unifying message that one could expect from an egotistical narcissist?
6
Mischaracterizations, tall tales, dubious wins (top oil producers via what - fracking?) and outright lies.
However, the reason this hustler will win a second term is because the democrats snark and smirks shows they are no better than the guy either.
All of them across the entire elected federal government need a good lesson in leadership and civics - but especially ethics.
Justice Roberts, please do something. Please.
1
@John Harrington
You’re confusing a lack of politeness with incompetence, arrogance, narcissism and dishonesty and hate-mongering.
These politicians really don’t care anymore.
2
The same old Trump. At first I thought he was just boring, as he ticked off Obama’s accomplishments and claimed them as his own. But as Trump droned on in his inimitable monotone, he began his divisive rhetoric again. When he blurted out that Mexico was rounding up immigrants and sending them by bus loads to our border, I actually felt relieved. The other shoe dropped so to speak. If we don’t remove Trump, America is headed for a very dark place.
6
Perhaps I'm the only one who feels this way but I have some concern about all those Democratic women sitting together.
I know it's a great image but I wonder if it gives the message that the reason they got elected was primarily because of their sex.
I didn't see all black members of Congress sitting together, or all Jewish or all Catholic members doing a similar thing.
4
The thing that stuck out most to me was when DJT floated extortion, paraphrased as: "you better stop the investigation or I'll tank the economy and nothing will get done in Washington"
- Commander in Thief
5
He said a lot more than that. It was an excellent speech that covered a lot of ground, but of course the liberal NYT goes negative in the headline.
5
Excellent speech? What do you know now you did not know before the speech? SOTU should be abolished - no value
1
One moment has not been mentioned in any of the press coverage or cable chatter I've seen.
In an odd sentence, Trump said "To help support working parents, the time has come to pass school choice for America's children." No context. No elaboration.
Betsy DeVos smiled. No one else seemed to notice.
The conservative/oligarch assault on public education is among the greatest threats to our democratic republic. We must pay attention.
10
Yes. Not to mention that school choice does nothing to help working parents.
Support for working parents would be an increased minimum wage, subsidized daycare, guaranteed paid time off to care for a child, and NOT blowing up a $1.5 Trillion increase in the deficit that these very same working parents will end up paying for.
3
I was glad to hear from Trump himself - not a perspective, opinion or slant from the media. He mentioned things his administration has done in which I had NO IDEA about because most of the accomplishments were never covered in the media. What we read has little to do with what he is actually doing at president....the investigation, his trips to Florida, his personal finances.. and on and on. This will backfire, folks, and people like me just saw right through it. He has my vote in 2020
7
Regarding the first part of that last sentence spoken by Mr. Trump last night: Mr. Trump, we have begun to choose greatness; we turned toward the dream in November, and will hold the torch of hope high for coming generations.
2
The GOP has definitely gone all-in on the “socialism” meme. It is being drummed from all sides and all people and will continue though the next two years of campaigning. Mnuchin immediately jumped on the issue today. It will be the prominent fear mongering from the GOP—driven by their propaganda wing.
But you won’t hear the republicans trying to repeal farm subsidies, fossil fuel subsidies or corporate tax breaks…because they are all good socialism. (And Trump will not give back his 800 million dollars in tax subsidies.)
9
He never mentioned Japan, France, Germany, UK, Australia and Canada only briefly in the context of his sham re-negotiation of NAFTA. I imagine they are recalibrating their geopolitical positions without us. Russia was a not mentioned but Congress was treated if it continues the "ridiculous partisan investigations". All is not lost however as he kind words for Xi and Kim.
My father won the Bronze Star in WW2. He is the son of European immigrants I am thankful he did not have to hear last night's State of the Union.
3
@JL
He also forgot to mention that Mexico was going to pay for the wall. That would've been newsworthy, but he wants everyone to forget that promise.
2
Watching paint dry is much more intellectually stimulating that listening to and watching Donald Trump giving a speech. At least the paint has a purpose.
5
If Donald Trump has nothing to hide, he'd be encouraging the completion of Robert Mueller's investigation, which would clear him of any wrongdoing. Instead, he insists upon calling it a "witch hunt" and, in effect, obstructs the process. H must be removed from office and sent to prison.
3
Calls for unity. Attempts to sound "presidential".
All meaningless as today is a new day of toxic tweets and insults.
2
No one supports illegal immigration, Republicans, Democrats and independents alike. The whole discussion is what type of tools would be more effective. Trump asking the tax payers to pay for the wall so that he can get re-elected. Now, Trump is using face saving semantics such as see through wall or physical barriers placed at appropriate locations. Democrats already funding for physical barriers and at some locations already exists. The reason democrats doesn’t want call it a wall in the budget, because the administration can easily interpret it as concrete wall and go ahead build a concrete wall. So, it is not just semantics. No wall. Period. Last night, Trump’s characterization of illegal immigrants as murderers, rapists, etc., is a very cruel characterization, citing an unproven example. The rest of the speech is either self promotion or outright false statements.
Trump painted immigrants with a wide brush as all being criminals. Living in California, with a huge immigrant population, I can attest that the vast majority are very hard-working who follow the laws. They come from traditions that respect family and God. I have friends with businesses that say they would much rather hire immigrants because they show up on time, never call in sick and work every moment because they are grateful for the work. California once was part of Mexico and many of the most prominent and wealthy families are descended from the owners of huge Mexican land grants. In between, there are thousands of descendants of immigrants who studied and succeeded in becoming doctors, lawyers, politicians, business owners and pillars of the community. We have more to fear from the mass shooters (mostly young white males) who kill Americans in schools, theaters, shopping malls and churches.
9
Trump's definition of compromise is about the same as Pelosi's. It means the other side coming over to your way of thinking. Of course there is not going to be a new reality of unity in Washington. It's all about party strength and vote getting at the expense of governing.
17
@Charlie Actually Pelosi would be happy if they could get back to 2013 on immigration reform. Both branches and both sides of the aisle in both houses wanted S.744, Boehner spiked it.
13
@Charlie
Democratic policies are reasonable, Republican policies are not.
17
@Charlie
Do not compare or equate Speaker Pelosi to that ....person.
Speaker Pelosi and Democrats do govern. Have there ever been any government shut downs when the Democrats control Government? Ever?
No. They know how to govern and they do govern.
The Republicans and this particular ....person don't want to govern and if they did they don't know how.
15
The speech was so poorly written, trite expressions of freedom and patriotism, bad grammar and syntax, it lacked any lyricism that makes for historical speeches, and then there were the policies. The gross irony that Trump’s anecdotes where all linking to either minorities and WW2/holocaust survivors was really rich considering what the presidency has done for white nationalism.
181
@Will B...not to mention his total lack of any historical context regarding WW2, the holocaust, or the Nazis. His ignorance is embarrassing, but not to him!
27
@Will B "The speech was so poorly written,"" about what we expect from Stephen Miller, Trumps would-be "brain" (if Miller himself had a brain to offer). Trump himself probably had to practice saying most of those words since they were obviously unfamiliar to him. Trump can't be "lyrical" because he barely knows how to talk at all.
16
@Will B
76% of Americans liked it!
Trump's golf courses in both New Jersey and New York have extensive fences and walls and they didn't stop those golf courses from being overrun with undocumented workers.
24
He's a blond version of Nixon.
Except that he stands there wearing a tie he had manufactured in China while claiming that he somehow caused the unemployment rate to go down.
The baby boomers who have retired are now wondering if he's planning to make them sign non-disclosure agreements in case they bring up the fact that they've retired.
What on earth does a con artist who is buying trademarks from China and getting his suits manufactured there - on a piecemeal basis (very exploitative) instead of a decent wage - have to do with job growth.
Also, if Trump and the rest of the GOP were actually against abortions, then (a) there would be a lot more paternity lawsuits filed against them; and (b) Trump wouldn't be the kind of president who gets sued by a porn star.
6
In the audience there were people whose family members were murdered by illegal aliens. But the NYT calls protecting US citizens from illegal alien murderers, rapists, drug lords, and gang members "hard line."
6
Typical - Every time Trump acts slightly presidential in the least both his supporters and many members of the shell shocked press give this guy so much latitude forgetting his support for:
Racists in Charlottesville
Putin above most members of American political establishment
and US law enforcement and intelligence.
Tax policy that increased the deficit significantly and gave the richest 1% even more of our nation's money.
Republicans who wish to strip people of their healthcare (what happened to "I'll give you the best healthcare system, ever?!"
This list could be nearly endless. His supporters look for any hole to gain a toehold into showing he's a good president and not the pathetic human he actually is.
8
It won't save him from Mueller.
8
@George Kamburoff Adam Schiff was interviewed before the hypocritical speech (time will prove that) and vowed he'd get the results of the Mueller investigation (despite Barr's appt.).
We all know the line, "It's not what T says, it's what it does." The doing is already in progress getting estimates for a border wall few people actually want. The doing is ignoring not having fund for it and doing it anyway.
I had trouble listening to GWB who caused the "Great Recession." I held my hand in front of the tube when that nut (for whom I know long) was shown. Last night, I had to keep my hand up as his slew of oligarchs, sexual assaulter Kav and Gorsuch were shown. I had a tired arm.
The thing got his time and attention. Thank goodness Mueller knows how to turn things over out of his purview. When his family is indicted, pardons won't save them.
2
Its ironic that we have a President who spent a great deal of his speech praising our courageous military while he himself had a deferment purchased by his rich daddy. It was as if he was trying to share in this glory through osmosis as opposed to participating.
8
@Rob Wagner The screenshots of military generals in the audience were definitely grim. Maybe that is how they are for all of the SotU speeches, don't know.
@lyn sieffert They did seem grimmer than usual however they try to maintain an air of impartiality at State of the Unions so they do not applaud or make faces in general when politics is involved
Still reeling after reading the transcript of Mr, Trump’s speech and then watching a vid clip of Mrs. Pelosi’s “clap heard ‘round the world” in response to Mr. Trump’s approval seeking gaze,
I’m reminded of the criminal suspect who after submitting to a polygraph test turns to the interrogating officers and the polygraph operator and asks “How’d I do?”
6
I wasn't going to watch the liar and ego-centric xxxxx and foreign adversary but I watched enough and skipped to Abrams' polar opposite speech. Did he read the teleprompter better? Yes and so what.
1. It talked about the great # of women employed. The House
newcomers hesitated with this and slowly got up and congratulated themselves. They also connoted a thank you to it because he's the reason the country turned into a blue wave midterm.
2. Border wall bunk again and mentioning El Paso. The Sheriff put out a statement about the low crime rate they've had but the puppet AGAIN lied about its safety.
3. Unite but only if you drop the investigations or nothing will get done. It might've well said, "No collusion!" Bash the democrats for its failing again.
4. North Korea lies again. Reality: Now Jong is moving the continuing nuclear missiles so "we" can't get to them.
.
.
.
There were upbeat tones from a hypocrite who loves an audience even with the majority likely wanting to throw
arrows at it.
It was, as expected, a play to the base.
5
Why would I want unity with republican creeps? Their policies are abhorrent, their values disgusting, and their hatred unbounded. I am not a republican and am disgusted by their objectives.
7
The man is a liar. Why would you believe him?
If your brother-in-law lied as frequently as Trump, that is, when he wasn't engaging in near-comical puffery, would you suddenly believe him? On anything? So why act as though anything Trump said last night matters. He's a liar. He has well and truly forfeited any and all presumption of truthfulness. Believe him only when what he says is independently verified to be true.
He not get his border wall money and he'll declare a national emergency which will get struck down in the courts for the simple reason that he has no facts to support his theory that there is an emergency. Judges and Justices operate on facts. Not puffery, exaggeration and lies.
My only question is why this man would run again. He's clearly not having any fun. And for him, worst of all, he's not making any money, money, money. His god. He will not run again.
2
A reader who read this report, saw the photo of Trump shaking his nemesis, Nancy Pelosi's hand, without watching the speech last night, could be forgiven for thinking that this was a normal SOTUS. It was anything but normal. It was akin to a Trump campaign rally, filled with self-praise based on hyped-up and falsified economic stats and with plenty of red meat about MS13 murders, caravans, "executions" of new borns, to stir up racial and religious hysteria. This was the most aggressive and far- right SOTUS I can recall-- and I am old enough to remember Nixon and Reagan. How could the NYT omit from their lead story that Trump is sending 3750 troops to the border or that he red-baited the Democrats? Or that he threatened no "legislation" while there is "investigation." Not only was the speech not conciliatory, it was often delusional. Mr Baker, is it not worth reporting that the president declared, “If I had not been elected president of the US, we would right now . . . be in a major war with North Korea with potentially millions of people killed"?
5
I was impressed by Nancy Pelosi and a seated coterie of her Democratic women supporters, all in virginal white. They looked much more serious that the mixed crowd of the militant and whining feminists in Hillary Clinton's entourage during the 1916 Presidential campaign.
1
Could we pass a regulation where presidents are no longer allowed to trot out victims for gratuitous applause? I know all presidents do this, but it is smarmy in the extreme and why people allow themselves to be used in such a manner is beyond me. From a pediatric brain cancer victim to a family who lost a loved one because of an illegal immigrant, it's just classless and has nothing to do with the "state of the Union."
17
@Karen K Those persons that presidents "trot out" are willing participants to be used as stage props.
I agree, it is in bad taste.
1
@Karen K. I wholeheartedly agree. But apparently we are supposed to just add this to the ever-growing list of grotesque government displays. The list appears to be endless.
1
When I first started to watch television last night I thought I was on the SYFY channel, but soon realized it was trump giving the SOTUS speech. I found it to be scarier than "Aliens", and kept thinking something was about to shoot out trumps mouth and kill everyone in the room. we all knew trump was dangerous, and we know he is scary. it didn't take me long to find a show I had already recorded and moved on.
6
The Constitution’s “Take Care Clause” tasks presidents to “take care that the laws be faithfully executed.” The Immigration and Naturalization Act calls for the arrest, detention and prosecution of illegal border crossers and the removal or deportation of illegal aliens residing in the United States. If Congress thinks illegal border crossers and illegal aliens should not be inconvenienced, it should change the law. Meanwhile, the president should not be portrayed as divisive or racist for enforcing the law.
8
@William Case Sir, does that law, immigration, allow for the separation of children? Does that law allow for the dumping of immigrants at bus depots?
Lastly, provide a basis of fact that states illegal aliens are "inconvenienced".
4
@Dan
In 2015, Judge Dolly Gee off the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California ruled that accompanied children apprehended along with their parents at the border must be treated the same as unaccompanied children apprehended at the border, They cannot be held in custody with their parents, but must be released to centers operated by the Department of Health and Human Resources. The “child separation policy” is not a Trump administration policy; it is Judge Gee’s policy. Her ruling is the reason—the only reason—migrant children are separated from their parents.
The law does not require ICE to provide transportation for illegal immigrates released with notifications to appear at future court hearings. ICE drops them off at bus stations as a courtesy. It is where most want to go. Do you think they should be made to walk or take a bus or cab at their own expense?
4
I used to wonder if republicans in Congress had no shame for supporting a demagogue like trump.
After seeing their mindless chanting of "USA, USA" yesterday during the SOTU, I realized that they dont.
Welcome to the banana republic of america.
14
“ ...Barriers where needed....”, presumably as indicated by experts, will play a lot better than “.’..a wall...”. The Dems need to be careful because Trump does not sound nuts when he says the former.
If Thd Dems oppose all barriers , then they start to sound a little “...Open borderish...”. That would hurt.
Having said that, the rest of Trump’s speech was incendiary, punctuated by Mussolini-like poses. As far as ther call for Unity went= it was more like Tony Soprano haven’t a sit-down with somebody. “ ....We can have peace and legis;action or war and investigation. It’s up to you....”
2
@Lefthalfbach,
Those "barriers" didn't keep undocumented workers from getting into trump's golf courses so how're they gonna' work down south in the 1800's.
1
@Victorious Yankee
Of course he's a hypocrite but we need to decide what level of Immigration we want. We actually do get to decide that, you know-historical wrongs concerning our own presence here, notwithstanding.
Put it this way- if the Apache still ruled the Southwest- do you think they would let Central Americans come in and settle the land? Not very likely.
@Victorious Yankee BY the way- I love your name and locale. Fully agree. Bill Sherman was a great man. So was Grant.
Xenophobic, racist rhetoric delivered by Trump. Groundhog day. He is not getting a penny for his bigoted vanity project, and his fear mongering is starting to become old news to most Americans, a majority of who probably yawned with disbelief and boredom at the speaking spectacle last night.
6
@Tony Cochran There are 6 billion people in the world. Are you saying they all have the "human right" to move into your neighborhood, without any scrutiny?
2
@David First of all, many people don't want - or desire - to move to the US. Most can't come to the US. From China to India, the middle-class is growing, and Europeans are certainly not running to the US (except for Melania's family). As for the immigration from El Salvador, Honduras and Guatemala, this is long and complex issue arising - largely - out of the decades long US interventions there, including the recognition of a coup-initiated regime in Honduras, in 2017, by the Trump administration. Trump, Bolton and Pence are now eyeing "regime change" as Reagan and Bush I did in the 1980s - early 90s, for other Latin American countries - from Cuba to Venezuela. So US foreign policy is largely to blame for immigration to the southern border. Also border crossings are at an all time low. Also a wall would do little to stop border crossings (tunnels, ladders, etc). So your question is based on specious reasoning at best.
If the president is serious about security, he will take 5.7B now for improved fencing, border patrols and immigration judges. If the border becomes more secure with those, fine. If it doesn't reach a certain milestone, he gets some money for a "wall". He does not seek those things, and he therefore does not truly care about border security. It's just a campaign theme to him.
5
Much like Nixon did in his state of the union speech eight months before his resignation, Trump also called for his investigations to cease. But the question remains, which of the dozens of investigations does he wish to end?
12
The country is facing an opioid crisis, with people dying every day, and a health care crisis, with people dying every day, and a gun crime crisis, with people dying every day,our infrastructure is crumbling, there are parts of the country that still have not recovered from the natural disasters they suffered, but Trump is oblivious to all of it. He is stuck on one issue and one issue only: immigration. A wall will not cure what's wrong in this country. Trump has blinders on and doesn't care what else is affecting Americans. He is a one-issue president in a one-term presidency.
11
if you said Trump's concerns were all poll-driven, I bet you'd be right. his "concerns" are what he knows will play with his base. anything else- who cares? USA! USA! USA!
It's impossible to find anything new and uplifting about Trump's State of the Disunion address because this is an individual who's absolutely incapable of growth. There's nothing presidential about this president and there's no reason to expect him to become so. He offers the same lies and distortions that he promulgated when he ran for office and his dispiriting, automaton-like calls for national unity amidst his overall divisive rhetoric would be considered a joke were the consequences not so dire.
7
Not one word about the environment or climate change. Not a single word! Perhaps, when the world comes to its senses, we will see Mr.Trump and members of his administration put on trial at the Hague, for crimes against Nature. Meanwhile precious time is being wasted.
6
I didn't watch it. I think I'm happier for withdrawing from American politics to the extent that I can remain informed without beating my head against a wall, which is metaphorically exactly what listening to Donald Trump sounds like.
4
How can the President talk about children when his policies tore thousands from their parents and they still are not reunited? Not an inch of wall until the families are all together.
6
Trump would have had his wall if he had only been willing to compromise. Instead. the Great Negotiator shut down the government and lost everything.
The sad thing is that Pelosi's claim that the wall is "immoral" is absurd. It may not be the best use of funds, but there is nothing immoral about a border barrier. Such barriers are widely used around the world and they are effective; certainly, there is nothing wrong with them.
On issues of identity politics, the Democrats have become increasingly extreme. The two parties are starting to look like Israelis and Palestinians, never coming together for the obvious compromise.
2
President Trump did a very fine job last night. The best ever. It really comes down to individual freedom or government control and I believe most Americans would choose freedom over the tyranny and chaos caused by Dems open borders. I had to laugh when I saw Bernie’s face. Socialism will never happen in the USA. There are too many patriots that would fight to to the death to stop it. It is not the American dream or way. I don’t see anyone else capable of leading America. Trump has my vote for 2020!
14
@Sven Gall Do you use public roads? Do your kids go to public school? Do you value police? Fire Department? Social security? How about snow plowing? Garbage pick up? You're surrounded by socialism and use it everyday. Hate to break it to you.
13
@Sven Gall
So you're suggesting we get rid of all of our public schools, libraries, post office, public transit, army, navy, marines, coast guard, etc.
What else do you plan to do - burn an effigy of Winston Churchill?
10
You saw a different speech than the one made last night. As usual, Trump lied as usual to support highly unpopular policies. Moreover, you imply Democrats support open borders. That’s the biggest Trump GOP lie of them all.
10
What did you expect?
5
Democrats continue to be tricked, manipulated and fooled.
If the Dems were smart they would let Trump build his wall and get it over with, but by continuing to fight it they put themselves on the side of illegal immigration. News flash: most hard working Americans don't like illegal immigration, they like immigration done legally, and these people paying taxes. They simply hate illegal immigrants who live off social welfare, bringing in whole families that take every handout and give nothing in return, most people simply hate this, yet somehow the democratic party has painted itself as the party of illegal immigration. When one illegal immigrant, just one rapes, steal or kills an American citizen democrats now take complete blame for it, when in reality it's the act of one bad person, one bad person who can ruin it for 10 million illegal immigrants who do nothing wrong. So keep it up Dems, keep up the good work , you are Donald Trumps best selling point for a second term. Because democratic liberalism may work in the big cities, but everywhere else people simply hate you.
15
@Lonnie
Donald sure liked using undocumented workers at his properties though, until he had to carry out a purge so he could pretend to make reality match his rhetoric.
2
@Lonnie
Lonnie, you are in the minority, as revealed by poll after poll after poll. Thank goodness.
2
Once again, Trump revealed he is full of hate and is essentially an ignoramus! Trump is a nightmare for America!
15
@Ken McBride - You must have been listening to a speech different from the one the president gace last night.
6
The wall is going to bury him.
6
Actually, the "Wall" is going to get constructed and help him get reelected.......but don't believe me......
3
Nothing about Islamophobia which is much more pervasive than antisemitism. Nothing for poor Palestinian kids being shot in the head. Sad !
2
During the 2016 Presidential campaign it was alleged that Third Lady First Mannequin Melania Knavs Trump illegally worked as a model including posing in the nude while in America on a tourist visa. Then she was naturalized by fraudulently concealing this.
Trump promised to provide the facts behind this matter. But that has not happened. And Melania brought her communist atheist parents into America to be naturalized based upon her fake citizenship.
Trump called out his foreign born third wife at the beginning of the SOTU. ICE should have arrested and locked her up and began deportation proceedings.
We know that Ivana Trump illegally entered and worked in America and was also fraudulently naturalized. Lock her up! Deport her!
8
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi tweeted after Trump's State of the Union address last night: "It will take days to fact-check all the misrepresentations that the president made tonight."
What does she expect from a pathological liar?
Trump's at times flowery language left a bitter aftertaste. It's tiresome to listen to a snake oil salesman selling old stuff in new bottles over and over again.
18
@J. von Hettlingen
Actually, NYT already did so, last night. Check it out.
1
Trump made a very direct and blunt observation last night, that the members of Congress were out of touch with the rest of America, and in particular, on the topic of immigration.
Interestingly, theleft wing news outlets, such as the N Y Times, have decided that - this time - therre is no reason to bring up the two post-speech surveys done by left wing media outlets related to positive or negative public views on the speech.
Presumably, this is because both the CNN and CBS polls show the vast majority of respondents having very favorable, or favorable, opinions.
It would do NYTimesBoard and readers well to keep in mind, that they too appear to be the ones living in the fishbowl, and are out of touch with the rest of the nation.
17
Democrats weren’t listening if they missed Trump making a clear distinction between immigration and illegal immigration; if they want to ignore that difference, they can kiss 2020 goodbye. I am no Trump fan -- it makes me ill that he’s sitting in office after what he has said about women -- but the Democratic party is hurting itself by thinking the coasts alone will carry it into some brave new world (that favors them). His speech was off and on grotesque, but when it wasn’t playing to his crazy fans (what president says the words "late term abortion” in a state of union address), he kind of appeared kind of moderate (could be performance art, I realize). But in the end, I am just completely tired of partisanship greed/ranting, from both sides. I’m watching Beto, who appears to be interested in talking to any/all American(s).
8
@PS
Beto thinks illegal immigration is just fine. He loves using the worn out and tired phrase of “racism”. Is this the only solution Dems have is to call everyone a racist? If so they truly are the party of division not diversity. More and more blacks are waking up to Candace Owens and realizing many decades of victimhood under the dem thumb has gotten them nowhere. And on Beto, a toothy smile and catchy phases that mean nothing may get you a cup of coffee but American want substance, not talk.
4
@Sven Gall First of all, let's move away from commenting on physical appearance unless it's critically important to the message one wants to share. I read a recent article saying he was out there interviewing people and it seemed more authentic than other campaign trails. Like I said, watching. Imo, substance and talk can go hand-in-hand; they should!!
Seeing those newly minted Supreme Court Justices was truly a wonderful thing,
11
@Hank,
Why, who was deviant kavanaugh strangling?
I couldn't see clearly.
Mcconnell was obstructing things.
1
OMG!!!
Poor Mr Trump cannot the world see that he has all the answers to all problems? Sheesh Bipartisan support?
Uh no the only way forward is to eliminate the investigations give more money to the top 10% pollute the planet lower public education standards eliminate Consumer Protections dig up Beautiful Clean Coal build walls on borders restrict voting rights take away female health care and healthcare for the most of us on and on.
Remember Mr Trump said if he didn't win the POTUS it was because the elections were rigged? He also said he had (and only he had) the answers to the world's problems? Mr Trump requested that Russia hack Mrs Clinton's Email and they did? Mr Putin is a great leader? Mr Kim has the full attention of the North Korean folk? The Democrats are the reason he cannot get things done (gulp they have a different world view Wow that's just bad)?
The Southern Border Wall would be paid for by Mexico?
We now have a choice do as he says (and shut up) and we will be wonderful or continue to be Americans and America will not be great again. There's more but it's too much to comment on.
I found the State of the Union Speech enlightening.
2
Donald is probably glad he had to delay the speech due to his shutdown. It gave Eric more time to fire those undocumented workers whose labor the Trump organization was quite satisfied with for many years.
12
The President bragged that we are largest producer of oil and gas in the world and are now a net exporter. Someone should tell the President the goal is to reduce our use of carbon based fuels not enable it.
Not only has he enabled science deniers and pro oil, gas and coal lobbyists to run key government agencies, he is openly bragging about it.
That's not leadership or anything Americans should be proud of. It's a national disgrace.
I'm proud of my fathers generation for winning WW2 and building a better world. What is Trump and our generation going to leave?
The speech like the man, empty.
290
@HL, I see stereotyping millions of good people isn't confined to the republicans.
3
@HL You have it all wrong. Not everyone believes the climate is in peril. Why can't liberals understand that? We all have the freedom to believe what we want and act upon that belief. This is America. We are not communist.
THAT is what your father's generation fought for.
5
@HL
Who do think extracts refines oil & gas in the safest way possible? The US or the third world. Energy is an essential need. Maybe those of you in Arizona should show your commitment by giving up air conditioning.
3
How can the economy be so strong when one in four American children live in poverty? Can someone please explain.
21
@Kathleen
And you want to bring in more of them, why?
3
For the first 30 minutes, I felt we had an euphoric and civil trump, just on the verge of humanness. The next 15 minutes, however, he rehashed his reasons for his "wall". After that, I lost interest. Was I at a rally? U-S-A, U-S-A, started to sound like "Build that Wall","We're No. 1", or as somebody else commented, "We want Beer".
Who is going to pay for all his grand projects? More Federal Debt?
trump had a dream, which was not all a dream [LB]. HIV, child's cancer, and infrastructure are a few of them.
While recognizing the past soldiers, he could have had done more, by honoring our current military soldiers serving on our Southern border, instead of rehashing a tirade.
6
Song and dance
8
I have seem better high school student speeches then the Presidents last night.
11
So basically Trump spouted that if you want peace, do not investigate me.
Hahahaha!
The AG of the SDNY must be so afraid.
Not.
The inauguration started the Trump presidency.
How fitting that it’s investigation will be its end.
Money laundering is one of the interesting charges.
Tick tock.
23
@Opinioned! It appears you missed the other 87 minutes when he talked about the advancements we've made under his administration. The state of our nation is very good but much needs to be done....... The investigation is now 2 years in being. I hope Mueller concludes it shortly. Nothing implicating Pres Trump has been found. As expected.
2
Advancement. You mean the trillions of dollars in deficit? You call that an advancement?
1
What amazes me is how he can have the chutzpah to get up there and lie for 88 minutes. Stop the partisan dividing investigations? How dare he ???????
16
@Eileen
He is so disconnected from normal human responses that he could be probably hooked up to a lie detector, and answer the same questions both Yes and No in the same session, without it showing the tiniest blip.
But if you were to ask him who had the biggest Inaugural crowd . . .
Donald Trump keeps channeling Richard Nixon when he takes a page from the Nixon playbook by trying to blame the investigation he's under for a future failure in our economy or growth.
When you see Ted Cruz stand up an applaud Trump's racist garbage on illegal immigration, you know Trump is lying about all of the facts and his assertions, especially his disgraceful depiction of El Paso Texas, which will be quickly proven by the actual facts.
What's up with Ted Cruz's Porno Star beard?
Donald Trump sounds like a complete Buffoon when he asserts complete nonsense about his successes as the greatest 2 years of any Presidency or top economic growth, where's the beef to steal a phrase, this is all utter nonsense.
It is tough to sit through all of the false assertions and fantasy of Donald Trump, not to mention his speaking or reading style of a Grammar School Oral Presentation of a Child in a Remedial Reading Class.
Trump is presiding over the destruction of the Republican Party with a lot of help from Mitch McConnell.
12
@Chico
Porno star beard? Mr Rubio?
That's truly funny.
In watching the speech, I could not stop thinking of Trump's Superbowl interview, where he said that Speaker Pelosi was bad for the country---seated right in back of him--was a very bad person. He has no shame and as to all the promises he made in the speech---well, we all know him all to well now---just words on the paper, which I will admit, he read well.
4
@Amanda Jones
It's kind of hard to take Donald seriously when he says something is bad for the country. He said at the time that Michael Cohen's arrest was bad for the country. Of course that arrest led to him being implicated as "individual-1".
3
@Amanda Jones
Well Mr Obama was not born in the U.S. and Mr Obama was a bad person.
Soooo...
1
Polls by various news (CBS, CNN etc) showed around 75% approving of Trump's immigration plan.
Viewership skewed Republican. And overall, almost 100% of Republicans liked the speech vs about a third of Democrats.
But 80% of Independents liked it--and there were roughly equal percentages of Democratic and Independent viewers.
That 80% is a big number. And an important group for 2020.
Democrats need to be careful on this. Rejecting something just because Trump said it may continue to work for the Democratic base. But it's not going to be a winning approach for 2020.
14
I was hoping and hoping someone would shout "YOU LIE!" just once, after any one of the many falsehoods he spouted last night.
17
@Ellen S.
Yup I had similar thoughts.
1
trump: a pompous blowhard. Certainly not a president. Ugly words from an ugly man. Shame on republicans supporting a man who does not represent our America. May the investigations go on until he is gone.
20
Disgusting how they use “special guests” as pawns. “Here’s little Jane Doe. She was born without a torso. But thanks to ME and MY largesse, she’s now living the best life ever.” Vomitatious, really.
23
We're defined but what we do. Not what we say. So far, orange's administration is doing everything the exact opposite of everything he preached last night. A second grader can see through his thinly veiled lies. This is bordering on Psycho. It's worst than a criminal. Because he actually believe LYING in your face is OK!
7
He’s wholly ignorant and maliciously divisive. He’s not an American President.
15
So much hot air coming out of Washington, even the dinosaurs are rolling in their graves.
7
There weren't too many cringe-worthy moments which surprised me but he pomp and circumstance is supposed to make this a layup.
Nancy handled herself with class as usual but what the heck were those giant placards she kept shuffling through? I was waiting for her to assemble them into a sandwich board and strap it on while he was speaking. I guess 3x5 cards weren't enough?
I loved the sea of "heck with you, Donald" white suits the women were wearing. Nice touch.
Back to reality. Trump is off prompter now, free to insert foot in mouth and lie his days away.
7
The oligarchs, American and Russian, tried to make their puppet, Trump, look like a human last night while feeding the ignorant racist Trump base some meat to them happy.
8
Mr. Trump's vocabulary (as reported in the article) surprised me. Calling former vice-president Biden "dumb" and Senator Schumer a "nasty son of a bitch" was not befitting of the president of the USA.
I did like his call to stop "foolish wars", but he didn't mention that we have 7000 atomic bombs that are always on the ready, even though any 40 of them would go far to destroy our world. Words are easy; actions are much more difficult, but they speak more than words. And if he was serious in the support of peace, why didn't he announce that he was going to increase the tiny budget of our Peace Corps?
His calls to essentially shut down our border with Mexico speak volumes about his racist attitudes toward people whose skin is not white and who don't speak English, especially since we have no wall on our northern border, probably because those folks are mostly white, English speakers, so they get a pass.
Also, I was happy to read that he's going to meet with Kim Jong-un to "seek his nuclear disarmament." This time he'll be going to Vietnam. After fifty years, his bone spurs must finally have healed.
7
@W. Michael O'Shea
Unfortunately word's start and fortunately end wars. Just as words are the basis of our country.
So no words are not easy.
The headline of this article is incorrect. The president did not take a hard line on immigration in his speech. The headline should say instead that the president took a hard line on ILLEGAL immigration--there is a big difference between the two that some may not want to acknowledge.
4
@Sophie I have a solution then. With one stroke of the pen he can make them 'legal'.
So your distinction is meaningless.
If you are sincere, join me in opening the border, thus making all immigrants 'legal'.
This is the first State of the Union I address I have seen, as a temporary guest in your country. Some jottings:
1. Is it usual to use members of the public like that to make political points in a State of the Union address?
2. Child cancer, AIDS. Both important diseases, but nowhere near the impact of adult cancer, dementia, diabetes, guns.
3. The illegal immigrant who murdered two people. What about the illegal immigrants who have saved peoples lives, contributed so much to the country?
9
U.S. President Trumps comments about Iran in his speech has provoked the government of Iran to issue warnings to Israel there will be counter attacks to Israeli attacks inside of Syria. President Trump of course failed to mention Iraqi demands U.S. leave Iraq!
6
World population is growing at a net 81,000,000 births greater than deaths immigration will continue. (for context current population of New York City 8.9 million)
12,000,000 illegal immigrants in U.S. add their U.S. born children. We add 1,000,00 illegal immigrants every year 2/3 are visa overstays 1/3 illegal border crossing. Public schools and medical care are the biggest costs.
U.S. admits more than 1,000,000 immigrants legally every year. We are a generous, but indebted nation with a national debt of 21 Trillion.
Globalization is siphoning off jobs leaving our citizens to compete by accepting lower wages, and environmental protections are rolled back to keep American production competitive. Our trade imbalance is our nation headed for bankruptcy.
There is only one solution. Learn to live with a stable population that requires only sustainable food supply, and only puts demands on the environment that are not permanent scars.
The economists advocate a model based upon an ever increasing population. That is a Ponzi scheme that will crash economically and environmentally.
At the state of the union address we saw the last of the greatest generation. Will we meet our challenge? Will we learn to live sustainable lives and help our neighbor nations to do the same?
81,000,000 more people annually is a population bomb. Everything else is a result of that continuing explosion that reverberates with shock waves around the globe.
12
There nothing new here, Trump is still wacko and mainstream journalists grow lazier and lazier shooting at low hanging fruit, but if yesterday's luncheon was supposed to be "off the record," then it should have been. How do journalists or the reading public benefit by a broken promise, especially when what Trump said at lunch was unremarkable and of little importance. And some wonder why the Right says the press is biased.
3
Carrots and sticks. We don't need to be completely Trump-obsessed, but we do need to be Trump-concerned. While praising the intelligence of the American electorate, Trump secretly knows that they can be led around like bulls with nose rings - only instead of bullrings, he uses their beliefs and prejudices to lead them wherever he wants.
If DJT doesn't destroy our fragile democracy, he has published the blueprint and playbook for some other demagogue to do it later. If a democracy like America's is going to exist, there will have to be a paradigm shift in human thought throughout the world.
In the near future, we will program the human mind in the computer based on a linguistic "survival" algorithm, which will provide irrefutable proof as to how we trick the mind with our ridiculous beliefs about what is supposed to survive - producing minds programmed de facto for destruction. These minds see the survival of a particular belief as more important than the survival of all. When we understand this, we will begin the long trek back to reason and sanity.
See RevolutionOfReason.com
3
Overall, it was the speech I had hoped the President would give, but doubted he would -- or could. What I heard, to my surprise, was almost exactly what I had hoped to hear in tone and content. It made me think that union between and among the members of Congress, acting in concert to do what needs to be done, is actually possible and that leadership by this President, if not flawless, is mostly sound and reliably meant to serve the best interests of my country. It left me overwhelmed, proud and thankful to be an American. I was moved by it.
5
Although I am a staunch supporter of Donald J. Trump, the 45th President of the United States of America, I chose to watch the Tennessee v. Missouri basketball game, in which the Tennessee Volunteers, the number 1 college basketball team in the nation, led by Grant Williams and Admiral Schofield, crushed, as it does most its opponents, Missouri by the score of 72-60. Opposing teams do not have a chance against the Vols at Thompson-Boling arena in Knoxville, on the campus of the University of Tennessee. And as the Vols have demonstrated lately, when they are on the road, they are hard to beat as well, as Kentucky will soon find out. Go Vols!
2
The only "unity" an autocrat understands is when everyone lines up behind him and does exactly what he wants and agrees with everything he says.
13
The USA has the largest and most modern military and civil protection forces around - why are people totally scared of immigration? We see people thousands of miles away from the border talking of fear about gangs etc. Where is all this fear coming from and yet - when you seem them in Trump rallies - they seem to display an air of bravado? Immigration always needs to be managed but is the US really being swamped by immigrants or are people confusing their "loss of cultural identity" as an immigration issue. So like in the UK - what is it to American - what is the American culture?
6
Reading the comments coming in here in support of Trump and his speech last night opens further the wound, the severe pain of his presidency.
6
As Mr Trump employs illegal immigrants, he can easily back up his claims by releasing the arrest records of his employees, and let us know how much lower the unemployment rate would be if he employed US citizens. Simple.
8
Wow! 88 minutes long. Looking forward to five hours next year.
1
@Ronnie That will be his testimony in front of a Grand Jury.
5
Well of course he wants to end "ridiculous partisan investigations" now, after spending his campaign promising to launch ridiculous partisan investigations against Hillary...
16
Today’s ‘Guardian’ nailed it:
“Trump had the chutzpah to say: “We have a moral duty to create an immigration system that protects the lives and jobs of our citizens.”
Moral duty are the words that will surely be carved into the opening paragraph of his obituary. Along with words such as “failure” and “complete absence”.”
11
Socialism is not communism. When will thick-headed Americans like Trump understand this?
20
Remember a few years ago when carnival barker Campaign Trump showed his rally cult how he could "act presidential," then pretending to have decorum and a serious approach for about 20 seconds?
Well, last night he showed he can put that act on for a full hour and a half.
But let's not forget what this presidency is:
One long, awful act.
19
Terribly written and terribly delivered. I blame the writers as much as Trump. but in the end Trump's speeches, like his presidency is self-serving and full of half-truths. You want unity, don't act like a bully Havi a tantrum...
11
This is why Trump will win again - despite all else that he does - it's all about ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION.
5
@Sarah99 Then why does Trump employ them at his hotels and gold courses?
6
“Republicans jumped to their feet at the president’s calls to curb immigration...”
Forgot that little word again, didn’t you?
To curb ILLEGAL immigration.
The NYT again pretends to not understand the difference between legal and illegal immigration.
80% of viewers of the speech agree with Trump’s immigration policy.
The NYT and the Democrats nay be confused, but the citizens are not.
The Democrats grab on to losing positions like a dog to a bone.
21
Ken: As an immigrant-turned-citizen, the president’s posture on this, along with his wicked little troll Stephen Miller, do make it seem that he’s not fond of any kind of immigration. One does not need a magnifying glass to see between the lines of his text and position on the matter.
17
@Ken -- Trump has proposed a plan to cut LEGAL immigration by one-half, so it is entirely correct to describe him as wishing to "curb immigration."
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/08/02/us/politics/trump-immigration.html
16
He wants to remove the ability for citizens to sponsor their parents to join them in the US... "chain migration". That's reducing legal immigration. And immoral.
2
I will let Americans decide for themselves how much of a Grand Canyon disconnect there was between the message and the messenger there was last night. Let me ask where Trump was on just some of the issues that should have been discussed. Any apologies for the pain of 800,000 federal workers suffering from his shutdown? Any talk of the endless mass shootings inside the U.S.; that only seems to be getting worse? Any talk about how the climate seems to be producing more extreme weather and the storms of the century happening all the time? Any examples of how Canada was treating the U.S. so badly under NAFTA; despite the fact the U.S. had a net surplus under that trade deal? Any mention of the 4 major G.M. plant shutdowns under his watch now headed for Mexico. I have barely scratched the surface; but Trump`s reality seems to be something out of Alice In Wonderland. Bipartisanship on Trump`s terms only!
38
First time I think he sounded somewhat presidential. Working together is the only way out of the nasty hole Mitch McConnell dug our country in. There are many republicans that need to be voted out of office and many new house members need to learn the ropes. Trump is correct on many issues boarded security IS important to many dems but the wall is a vanity project for a vain president, but he sounded good this time I wonder if he turned a new page or if this is just a ruse.
3
@J Clark I somewhat disagree with the presidential sound. It's hard to come across presidential when you call for unity after spending the afternoon insulting and degrading Democratic leadership and calling them names. And then the NYT comments that there was back and forth bickering. From what I can see, the president insulted and used degrading names, and the Democrats objected to his tone and his following call for unity. Quite the false equivalence. He proved he can read a teleprompter of a speech that someone else wrote reasonably well. Presidential - I have to consider all of his behavior. And he's back to normal form this morning.
The news this morning is full of criticism of Democrats for not applauding loudly enough over things they might even agree with. Sorry, I'd have a tough time being very enthusiastic over someone who as a habit verbally abuses his opponents or anyone who has a critical word for him, and then suddenly for 80 minutes is all sweetness and light and unity. That doesn't work. It's the classic definition of an abuser. If he worked where I do, he'd be fired. No question. That type of behavior in the workplace is not tolerated.
2
@J Clark
New page or a ruse? Check back in later today.
1
We're united - impeachment followed by prison.
39
The chanting could have been from Germany in 1933. Congress is too stupid to realize that.
Everyone needs to watch that film Idocracy, especially the part when the "President" in the film makes his state address.
And I'd like to send a message to every potential "victim" who accepts a Presidential invitation to be USED as nothing but a prop in situations like this: Tell him to get lost. He doesn't care about you or what happened to you, or your future. He's USING you for HIS purposes. He's always used people for his purposes.
40
Trump is a 72 year old man with a lifetime track record of racism, cruelty, adultery, lies, bombast, greed, bankruptcy and vile behavior. Managing to successfully, although blandly, read a script someone else wrote off a teleprompter for 90 minutes doesn't change who he is.
83
The speech was presidential by Trumpian standards, but that isn't a terribly high bar. We'll see what happens now.
6
In Trump’s world, calls for unity equate to loyalty. Substitute the word absolute loyalty (thou shalt not dissent from Trump’s dystopian views) and that’s what he means by unity. This is Trump speak for “my way or the highway”. Sad state of affairs, indeed.
13
Not surprising that Trump's speech totally ignored the shellacking his party took in the mid-term elections. The same tired nativism Trump espoused before Democrats took over the House was on display last night. He was speaking to the predominantly white male congressional Republicans who did a great impression of Jack-in-the-Box reactions to his empty blustering. Did he not notice that the other side of the aisle looks nothing like his fading party?
18
I want to be bipartisan
just don’t do your job to investigate me and
don’t ask me to compromise one iota.
Other than that, I ‘m all in for that bipartisanship, thing.
Yeah right
22
@AdamStoler ... and now I'll return to insulting you and calling you names. But, unity. He's an abuser, plain and simple, except he doesn't even apologize before returning to the abuse.
2
Can this be real? Trump calling for.....unity? The most divisive President in history calling for.....unity?
President Tweet-insults now wants unity? He can't even get unity in his own cabinet, as it is a constant revolving door.
Did I wake up this morning and actually read this, or am I still asleep and having a weird dream?
8
@Dan
Nope it's real... Somewhat like a Tim Burton movie.
Huh!
Last night's speech and rally means the Congressional Republicans are now fully aligned with and complicit with Trump. I will conduct myself as not only a condemning critic of Trump, but the entire Republican caucus.
Democrats; start fighting the Republicans publicly or no one will vote for you. As it is now, you all look impotent.
That chanting rally was a call to arms.
7
Most everyone wants the wall, Dems do to they just don't want to do it under this presidency.......pretty short sighted.
7
@There He wants 7th century border protection. I want 21st century border protection.
9
Effective 21st cen border protection will include a barrier among other approaches. “Smart wall” tech is in development at best.
@Kathy McAdam Hahn bravo, exactly correct, a very perceptive and intelligent comment!
1
Never thought I'd see the day when Donald J. Trump goes to Viet Nam.
12
@Kathy McAdam Hahn
Now that's truly funny.
1
@Kathy McAdam Hahn
Scouting possible Trump hotel sites.
2
@Kathy McAdam Hahn
Looking to open up the Hanoi Trump.
2
George Carlin called moral pretentiousness foul on the breaking of social platitudes by Americans as saying one thing, and then doing another.
This sustainably surreal circus of freaky weirdo Boomers has evolved into saying one thing, and then saying another.
@Jon Wane
As a Boomer I resent that characterization.
Just as I find "Make America Great Again" insulting. I never believed or thought America was not great.
Yes there are problems there have always been problems and always will be problems that's life.
But that MAGA Ughh...
1
Sorry, it’s not a individual personal characterisation in any one Boomer but a collective one. The generation is very strong with individualism but has been weak on collective collaboration. Couple that with a deep gender bias in at least half of the segment and a Fox News faithful in about the same amount and an imbalanced double-speak circus ensues.
Stacey Abrams' assertion that the Trump administration “chooses to cage children and tear families apart” was a blatant lie.
Migrant children are not held in cages. Holding areas at Border Patrol processing centers are divided by wire mesh to segregate males from females and children from adults. Most detainees spend less than 24 hours in the processing centers. Children go to child care centers operated by Health and Human Services.
The Trump administration did not choose to tear families apart. In 2015, Judge Dolly Gee off the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California ruled that accompanied children apprehended along with their parents at the border must be treated the same as unaccompanied children apprehended at the border, They cannot be held in custody with their parents, but must be released to centers operated by the Department of Health and Human Resources. The “child separation policy” is not a Trump administration policy; it is Judge Gee’s policy. Her ruling is the reason—the only reason—migrant children are separated from their parents.
10
Leah Remini's show about Scientology and the tax breaks it gets was far more interesting and honest than the state of the union speech.
1
The part of the speech I found most interesting was actually the call to require hospitals to post real prices and to not allow drugs to be sold in the US at several times the cost of what they are sold for around the world. Mitch McConnell did not clap when he heard that idea. And while I support some form of Medicare for all (which should be an alternative buy-in from anyone who wants it), there is no doubt in my mind that something as simple as posting prices and letting people with high deductible plans actually shop for services will have a real effect on containing prices.
11
Does Trump not know that MS-13 originated in the United States, and spread internationally from the U.S.? Moreover, major news coverage of the subway gang incident he cited does not appear to mention the citizenship or immigration status of the suspects. He appears to be assuming they are undocumented based on their ethnicity.
20
@Working Mama
Every one know that illegal immigrants from Central America founded MS-13 in the United States and transported it to Central America when they were deported. But that's no reason we should allow Central American MS-13 gang members to enter the United States, is it?
9
As someone who leans left on many issues let me state here unequivocally that unless the Dems get on the right side of illegal immigration you will not win back the senate or the Presidency.
Illegal immigration suppressed wages and increases our population, both are terrible for real American citizens and our environment. Wake Up.
22
@Chris
Democrats are on the right side of ILLEGAL immigration.
The problem is "white" people who turn a blind eye to any "illegal" immigration or immigrant who happens to appear JUST LIKE THEM.
There are tens of thousands of illegal Irish in this city, and in yours, and everyone is a-ok with that.
7
@Chris
It's not the immigrants.
It's the companies that hire them and pay them low wages. No action is ever taken against them.
Trump has several " illegal" immigrants cleaning bedrooms and bathrooms at his various golf courses and country clubs.
Why is immigration an issue other than xenophobia?
The planet is melting, we don't have affordable healthcare and trump is busy undoing nuclear treaties.
And immigrants are the most pressing concern? Please explain why.
12
And "real Americans" are the ones who immigrated ages ago from impoverished Europe and other places?
5
What a nauseating charade, from the most unqualified, corrupt, narcissistic spectacle of a human being to ever hold higher office. The time for pretending that Trump will ever step into the role of POTUS has long passed (as if it were ever possible), and this crisis must be recognized for what it is and dealt with. The United States has become a laughing stock to the rest of the world, and 70 years of unprecedented post-war peace and prosperity are seriously threatened. Wake up, GOP, and all you Americans who have been pretending before it's too late. The Emperor has no clothes!
42
@Kathryn Great encapsulation of anti-Trump arguments --i.e. name-calling. So I gather you favor MS-13 and prefer endless wars and higher unemployment and oppose detente with North Korea and don't care if China steals our intellectual property, right? I'm guessing your best response is to call me a racist.
1
@Claude
No, just a purveyor of false equivalences. I guess your crowd call it “fake news.”
The Constitution’s “Take Care Clause” tasks presidents to “take care that the laws be faithfully executed.” The Immigration and Naturalization Act calls for the arrest, detention and prosecution of illegal border crossers and the removal or deportation of illegal aliens residing in the United States. If Congress thinks illegal border crossers and illegal aliens should not be inconvenienced, it should change the law. Meanwhile, the president should not be portrayed as divisive or racist for enforcing the law.
14
@William Case
It would be better still if the "president" could refrain from undermining and breaking the law. If Congress is looking to pass any new laws, let the first one be that a sitting president CAN be indicted. : )
8
@William Case
Comrade, any time I see someone list "USA" as where they live, it shows me (and others) that you likely do *not* live here; but you are willing to conflate LEGAL Asylum Seekers with illegal border crossings by others.
They're not the same; and never will be.
6
@William Case Easy fix. e-Verify for every job. Everywhere. No exceptions. I've had to do it. Why not everyone? There is a lot of resistance to implementation. US DOL laws could be changed to make it a universal requirement.
Sure, there could be instances of cheating that system, but it wouldn't be easy and it would go a LONG way to making sure than only those eligible can work.
With the RealID system being phased in for driver's licenses, most people are already having to provide the required proof to get a drivers license. Should be no big deal to require it to work.
It might put a big crunch for labor into certain industries, which is the source of much of the resistance to implementation.
1
The state of the union is obvious.
Trump cannot be trusted to do anything he says. So I didn't listen. I wonder how many other Americans feel the same way?
So Sad.
28
When I was at my local bar watching the State of the Union, people drank whenever Donald J Trump said the word "Wall."
10
@Smoky Tiger
Philistines abound in barrooms.
They also praised GHW when he died, as if he was "just like them" when obviously, he wasn't.
YouTube is hilarious. It knows I prefer comical bits about comity, so when I asked it to show me Seth Myere's take on Trump's, it rolled me a KFC commercial. Buckets and buckets of chicken! Intelligence is getting in on the joke!
5
CBS NEWS POLL:
76% of viewers approved of what they heard in Pres. Trump's #SOTU speech.
72% said they approved of Pres. Trump's ideas for immigration.
10
@batazoid
Also known as a BIASED SAMPLE.
What about those who did not, could not, or refused to watch? Chances are a super majority of them do not approve.
6
Well yes...and the majority of the viewers were the GOP and more specifically his base.
6
@batazoid
Folks are just relieved he didn't announce an emergency state. Meanerwhile, he's militarizing the Saarland, yo!
Trump's hung concertina wire all over Nogales's walls, as if those tunnels ever stop being dug. The mayors are insulted while Trump hopes he can gin up some incident to permit him to attack our rights some more.
I hope you don't materially depend on such logic. Might leave your rear exposed to some cruel winds.
2
I could not bear to listen to him but our first line seems to tell the story expected. He says one thing to "make nice" and then threatens if he does not get his way which is divisive, to what the country needs and serves his personal promotion.
14
Trump's speech was an appalling spectacle appealing to the worst in us. The nationalistic chants of USA-USA reveal how morally bankrupt congress is. Moreover, why people allow themselves and their personal tragedy to be used as stage props boggles my mind. Trump doesn't care one wit about them or their plight. Finally, he had no connection to what he said. He just read what was written for him. Dotard!
28
This was a familiar Trump. Nothing has changed and more importantly nothing is meant to change. Trump’s State of the Union is more of a State of “his” Union and his vision is dark indeed. As a president, he has the power to showcase America’s true greatness. Instead, he preened himself, slanted his speech to the benefit of his supporters and yet again confirmed his unworthiness to hold high office. America, if you are listening, simple justice demands that this man should be tried and convicted at the earliest opportunity as a lesson to would-be usurpers of the presidency.
21
Democrats need to stop their childish resistance and start working with the president. American's appreciate President Trump's instincts that put America first. Democrats opposing that is terrible.
5
@bruce
His instincts have us sinking in multiple roles. Our nation is losing its status in numerous well regulated stacking systems. Check the Presidents. Trump's shoved EVERYONE of them up a notch. Even Buchannan who handed us a civil war.
3
@bruce
Absolutely not.
Where does it say in the constitution that Congress must work with the President? McConnell would agree.
2
@bruce - putting Trump first is not necessarily putting American first.
1
It’s not a State of The Union speech without the balcony festooned with DACA kids and military vets.
5
Of all the black people that Trump could symbolically showcase at his State of the Union, he found two paroled drug dealers on whom to bestow that honour. I cannot help but conclude, that it was a deliberate, back handed swipe at them, during black history month, with Trump in the role of white saviour. Criminals who find religion is a positive story. But there are myriad more deserving, uplifting images of black people who live lives of tireless service to others in at risk, gun riddled communities such as Chicago's South Side, for example. Their good works continue to go unheralded at that national level. Those parolees were showcased for political theater by a common, ignorant, manipulative lout, in the same way that he showcased the mentally defective Kanye West. Be warned, Republicans will produce a diabolical narrative to make it Democrat's fault, if there is recidivism among those same people who received the mass commutation of sentences being trumpeted by Trump now. Both deserved to be freed from harsh sentences, inflicted by a racist justice system, but they shouldn't have been the center piece of his "Apprentice-like" manipulation last evening. The Republicans' deliberate, hateful messaging always makes it awkward for hapless Democrats to offer negative responses to their grandstanding. A good example, was the 2016 campaign, when Democrats dared not respond to Republicans' recurring fear mongering immigration narrative.
2
Trumps presidency will be defined by the one thing he ignores: human influenced climate change.
17
So individual-1 finally got his dog and pony show. I didn't watch it out of respect for myself. I don't suffer pathological liars and sociopaths. I don't take kindly to anyone who attempts to put one over on me, or attempts to push some emotional button in me. I might read the transcript. But really, what is the point. I already know the state of the union. Immigration is not in the top 5 main issues facing this country today:
Healthcare, climate change, infrastructure, massive student debt, massive government debt, ….
30
@oldBassGuy
"I didn't watch it out of respect for myself." Thank you sir, you made my day!
After listening for an hour, when the President said that his administration had saved the United States from a nuclear war with North Korea (which his own Little Rocket Man rhetoric was pushing us towards) I could not take anymore and went to bed.
By this point in his speech he had already 'bent the truth' about bipartisan cooperation, job creation, immigration policy, security at the southern border, and the upcoming Democratic House investigations. Fact checkers were already hard at work sorting truth fantasy.
Add to this the seemingly orchestrated 'standing ovations' followed by chanting added to my need to shut it off.
Many Democrats were not impressed and some of those old GOP politicians must have been very tired by the the end of the "how great again is America with Trump as President" rally.
212
@Lalo
Trump and his Republican comrades in the House and Senate seek the decisive weakening of democracy, then the establishment of authoritarian rule. They're coming for you in the future.
30
@Lalo
The SOTU was "fake news". Trump did not mention that the GOP didn't fund his wall for 2 years and yet the President did not shut down government. Trump did not mention that 15 of his campaign associates have been successfully indicted on colluding with Russians. Trump did not mention that the "Repeal & Replace" feature of the GOP was an abysmal failure in that they never replaced the Affordable Care Act with anything.
The GOP and Trump are three-card Monty con artists. They make it seem that voters can win by electing them and then they conduct government to benefit big $$$ special interests, ruthless corporations and the 1% (who never pay their fair share of taxes) instead of We The People.
34
@Lalo
Perhaps we will look back and consider the speech the eulogy for the Republican Party.
18
Rule of Law concerning immigration is hard line? No, it's simply Rule of Law. Hard line is the Democratic perspective of "we'll just look the other way". You can't pick and choose which laws to obey under our system. Your actions are in accordance with law, or they are not. Don't like the law? Then there's the legislative process to change it. Follow the appropriate policy, practice, and procedure as dictated by the Constitution. The Democrats just can't seem to fathom that concept.
15
There should be a rule that says that if you’re going to say an entire group of people just don’t understand something, you have to actually know something about your position. If you’re going to cite “rule of law” arguments, let’s get some quotes from the actual law. I particularly want the one that says that our current inhumane amnesty policies are required by the law. Or that children are to be separated from their parents and then lost. Let’s see those quotes, then you can call democrats ignorant if you want. Until then, maybe pick your words a little more carefully.
8
@Mike The number of people associated with Trump who are accused of breaking laws is breathtaking. Yet Trump has condemned not a single one of them. Why not? Rule of Law?
Instead, he has attacked the special prosecutor's work. Rule of Law?
Why does Trump seem so adamant about Rule of Law when it comes to desperate women and children fleeing death but not for the rich white men who he surrounded himself with?
12
@Mike If this administration was serious about the supposed loss of jobs from illegal immigration, they would shut down and fine every business that hires illegals. This is the dirty little secret. America WANTS cheap undocumented labor. Even the president hires these workers for his own companies. The Democrats have offered and still offer big spending to deter illegal immigration and border protection, but they refuse to play into the rhetoric of the evil enemy at the gates. If this president was really sincere about needless death in this country he would admit that the vast majority of murder is done by citizens against citizens using easily obtainable guns.
4
As the Times well knows from polls, the nation is hardly polarized on immigration. We the citizens, demand that our borders be secure and that action is taken on over staying of Visas. We welcome new legal immigrants with open arms as we are all the sons and daughters of immigrants. We do however demand that you obey our laws when entering our nation. There are a few hard core people who support Open Borders including my party, The Libertarian Party. They are on the wrong side of pragmatism
12
I married my wife in Japan a year and a half ago and she still hasn't been granted entry into the United States. Don't tell me about immigration. I'm a married man and I can't live with my wife. I have received no notification on how long we are to wait. The months drag on, the Face-time calls take up a large portion of our days and we wait, wait for my legal wife to come to the US so we can make our home.
26
$1.5 trillion in defense spending in 2 years.
This sentence says all you need to know about how utterly backwards our country is. And it shows exactly where our priorities are.
This country is heading down the tubes very fast and has been for awhile. The traitor has simply floored the pedal and will soon drive us over the cliff. Russia is laughing at us. We are killing ourselves from within, like cancer.
Our enemies won't have to spend one dollar on their military to defeat us. We will do it to ourselves. Like the USSR in the 80s, the USA will spend itself into a hole with defense while neglecting basic services and needs for its people.
Like all great empires, we will fall. And Trump is accelerating that fall every day he is in office.
17
Last night was a prime example of how Trump is just right for the picking by a Republican who will primary him. How? Watch the speech side by side with a muted speech by Mussolini. Seriously. He's exactly the same speaker. In other words he can brook no denial. A Republican opponent, especially a woman, confronting him on his collusion and his lies would make him apoplectic.
10
@Richard Mclaughlin
BUT, he's really Mussolini-Lite.
I tried, I really tried to watch it but after an hour, when he began to pull numbers out of who knows where, I switched to watch a rerun of I Love Lucy! Much more entertaining than a reunion of The Trump Show.
12
Nothing strange about that. After all...Obama was ALSO very adamant about illegal immigration being a MAJOR problem that must be stopped. So was Clinton. It is the one thing that ALL presidents have agreed on for DECADES.
10
When are Democrats just gonna start calling it for what it is? Trump is not a legitimate President. He was elected with the help of a foreign enemy.
15
Like Trump, and a former Democrat, I thought his speech was brilliant. He has proven himself to be a master politician, and even though the speech was written by somebody else, Trump had to deliver it and he did so with aplomb. 10 days from now, and I will applaud him for it, he will stick it to all the losers in the Democrat and Republican parties. He will build Our Wall!
8
@Labete: master politicians, that is master politicians in a republic know how to negotiate, compromise, barter and objectively stick to the facts. Mr. 45 has none of those skills, in fact his attributes are the polar opposite of them. He’s a wannabe dictator in the way he was in the business world, surrounded by “yes persons” that did his bidding without any question or distortion and who were fired if they began a sentence with “but” after he had made a dictate. He wants to run the country in the same manner- look at the incompetence in his Cabinet- in the manner of Putin and Un which is why he reveres them as much as he can get away with.
I made it through 45 minutes of the SOTU. I was floored when the President used his position to start talking about the 'crisis' at the border. He constantly introduced people throughout the speech ("here with us tonight...") exactly like a reality t.v. show, boasted about cutting regulations...it was an awful spectacle. And that strange moment when seemingly the whole chamber was chanting "U.S.A"? What did I watch?
215
@Me
You were watching an infantile, irresponsible, idiotic political gabfest putting on a display that any decent American I have ever met will be eternally ashamed of. Well done for 45 minutes, Now comes the really hard part!
15
@Me
76% of Americans liked it. CNN survey of viewers!
So , the only way one could "endorse" this SOTU speech would be to be studiously ignorant of the issues that face the country, and of the President's track record.
35
Trump will go down as the greatest president since Thomas Jefferson.
13
Trump may go down, but it won't be as the greatest president since Thomas Jefferson.
18
Forgive me for having to ask this, but, this is sarcasm. Right?
16
@Lee Zehrer Because of their similar views on race? Or because Jefferson built an entire "relationship" on raping his slave, something your "president" aspires to?
1
If Speaker Pelosi was always behind Trump when he started taliking I’d stop immediately changing the channel.
5
How on earth can Peter Baker write an honest and accurate report of last evening's Trump speech without once mentioning Trump's extraordinary threat: “If there is going to be peace and legislation, there cannot be war and investigation.”
Trump's threat is clear: investigate me and I'll start a war.
Sorry to have to say it, but Philip Rucker's report in the Washington Post is far superior.
29
@JohnB.
He was referring to the "war"between Democrats and Republicans.
1
@William Case I think the odds of him trying to go seriously Wag the Dog are pretty high.
5
I didn't watch the SOTU because I've wasted far too much time in the last two years stressing over statements that he later contradicts without even understanding his flip-flop.
I expected someone like Steven Miller to write him a great speech, and that Trump would try to comport himself with a bit of dignity. It sounds as tho all that happened. Now he can go back to his usual daily routine of un-dedicating, deconsacrating, and unhallowing the presidency.
24
I dont know why the American people in GOP area's, are not sick to their stomache hearing their president rant on about himself and his accomplishments and not see anything comming their way.
Things like affordable medicare, real wages, clean water (there are villages in Africa who have cleaner water than in Flint), a possible future with nature still intact, less money owed to the world and more taxes paid by the very rich of America to actually be invested in America, less time spend on the golf course and more time spend solving the many issues at hand (opiod crisis, climate change, affordable education) and so forth.
I think the people in the GOP areas would actually like to see those things be addressed in the SOTU
They probably could not (or should not) care less to hear that DJT and little rocketman have a new date to declare their love.
24
@Dave The idea of the State of the Union is for the President no matter who they are is to do exactly what he did. I’ve seen many of them and they are all done that way. Go back and watch a few.
8
@J
I guess you have a point. Perhaps they should rename the speech to "State of rhe President" He thinks the President is the Union.
Moderate Democrats, most of them older, understand opportunity and freedom, and the dangers of socialism, but it seems todays younger Democrat does not. Just because the federal government provides for things like the military, police, schools and even medicare, doesn't make them socialist, or us a socialist country. If we start taking from the successful to provide a living for everyone else, then we aren't a free country providing opportunity anymore. Its infuriating just writing this. Its not the job of the federal government to provide you with a living, because its not fair that some have and you don't. Work hard, study hard, sacrifice. Earn your own living. That's what this country was founded on. When our ancestors came here, there was no social safety net. No medicaid, food stamps or welfare. There wasn't even medicare or social security. You earned your own living, saved your money, or you died.
12
@Sports Medicine
It's also not the job of the working class to pay more in taxes to benefit the wealthy, who were already benefitting inequitably from the tax structure before 45's tax plan. Add to that the opportunities afforded the wealthy in other areas of life, and you'll see how the deck remains stacked in favor of people who already have money.
Repeating tired axioms doesn't help. It divides us further. We have to look deeper within the flawed social structure of this country to correct it. Poor people aren't given the advantages of a quality education, better nutrition and healthcare, etc., that would enable them to rise from their plight. You can't sacrifice what you don't already have.
Do you think a flat income tax, 10% across the board with no loopholes, would satisfy the wealthy? You can't say it's unfair, since everyone would be paying the same tithe. Rest assured, the GOP would look for ways to make it easier for their wealthy campaign donors to pay less than their fair share, which is really what it's all about anyway.
13
Oh really? Do u want to please explain then why states like Alabama, Mississippi receive way more Federal dollars, paid for by rich North Eastern states and California? Its wealth redistribution that has existed for a long time. I hate having to explain to Americans their country for them.
6
@Sports Medicine -- " schools and even medicare, doesn't make them socialist, or us a socialist country. "
You forgot "social security" ...or today we should call it "Rooseveltcare?"
These things are all the definition of socialism. Get used to it.
Does anybody have the link to the ‘fund me’ site where we can all contribute toward the purchase of a premium Lego set to send to Trump so that he can have his wall? Or is the wall itself really not that important, but instead something to fight against so that he can validate himself to his base, sort of like Don Quixote tilting against the windmills?
25
A wall does not stop those overstaying visas, the largest numbers of illegal immigrants. When will that situation be addressed? We need new infrastructure, not a wall.
20
“Here in the United States, we are alarmed by new calls to adopt socialism in our country,” he said, as Republican lawmakers booed. “We are born free and we will stay free.”
No, only the wealthy are born free and stay free. Most Americans worry about their own safety from cradle to grave -- struggling to pay for health care and to stay healthy, struggling to keep decent incomes despite globalization and robotics, and struggling to keep a roof over their heads. The infrastructure and tattered safety net in this country are accurate images for most Americans' financial lives. Only Republicans are too wealthy, greedy and self-serving to understand the people are suffering.
56
@slp
And what’s more, it seems that funding which is to the common good – education, healthcare, and life opportunities – gets labeled with the stink of socialism but there is always plenty of money for the really important things, like influencing presidential campaigns (2016 – 1.4B for Clinton and 957.6M for Trump according to WaPo) or funding sports (5.25M for a 30 second ad during 2019 Superbowl – not to mention the obscene salaries of players). The hypocrisy and arrogance for many people in the US is astounding. I propose (sarcastically) a new reality TV show – take trust fund babies and drop them into families in the rural south/west/Midwest or urban inter-cities and compare their socioeconomic outcome to their birth-right cohorts in 18 years.
If this country could only see shades of gray, instead of just black and white (literally and figuratively).
2
@slp This is the problem I have with the democratic party, it is always doom and gloom. Ignoring the fact that this is the greatest country in the world in providing opportunities for everyone. The riches people in the world, Gates, Bezos and Zuckerberg. Did not start out rich, but achieved success through the opportunities offered to EVERYONE in this country. The number of people that get Medicaid in this country or free health care is double the population of Canada. Federal grants for college if you are low income or free college. No in America everyone is born free!
1
The border wall is not feasible. Trump did not hire engineers to design it but got bids from contractors. It has not been designed by professionals.
It does not account for factors to prevent floods and environmental hazards. There needs to be an Environmental Site Assessment, which this administration is either planning to circumvent or hasn’t considered it. Cost overruns will be continuous and enormous. It could cost $50 billion.
It won’t be effective. Why not purchase a 32 foot extension ladder and weld a cheap custom saddle on the top so that people can climb over?
It is also possible that drones of the future will be able to carry people over the wall.
Those who make a living getting people across the border will find a way. It is a complete waste of money.
22
The Republicans have used Immigration as their new Jim Crow. They have exploited the fear amongst their base voters to gin up support for their candidates. Trump and the GOP don't want to fix immigration they want to keep that issue alive so they can use it to fearmonger their voters.
In California, the Republicans finally went too far in their attacks and they lost all of government for most of the last two decades. I am hoping the same thing now happens on a national level.
23
Although I didn't vote for him, Trump has an undeniable flair for spectaclular public settings like this. He targeted a number of cross-over issues without abandoning his border-security theme. His comments on women, and acknowledging the bumper crop of new women in Congress, was deft. Trump's playful responsiveness in the moment was on display, as when he said that the white-garbed women weren't supposed to clap for one of his lines, but might as well keep standing for his next one congratulating them on their presence in Congress. He was quick-witted and evidently compassionate. The highlighting of different guests was excellently done. Trump set himself on a path to reelection. Now let's see if he can execute in a fractious environment for which he bears some responsibility himself in making so fractious. Don't kid yourself about his political skills. He is masterful. 25th Amendment? This speech showed that to be a ruse of the highest order. For the Democrat Party partisans, recall that the first rule of game theory is not to underestimate your opponent. Trump, meanwhile, is acting like this is not a game. I think he became the President last night.
12
@Dave Oedel Your comment requires that we ignore 40 years of lies, bombast, racism, cruelty, greed, adultery, bankruptcy and vile behavior. He read a speech that someone else wrote off a teleprompter and not very well. I'm glad you enjoyed the performance, but what stood at that podium is not a president.
7
@Dave Oedel... “I think he became president last night.” Really? He read a speech... that someone else wrote... that contained dozens of falsehoods and misleading statements. As far as him being “quick-witted,” most con men are. As far as “compassion,” most con men can fake it.
8
@BillFNYC
Bill F, you may have a point about lies and racism concerning Trump, but then you have to consider that many presidents could fail by the same measure. Aside from Clinton haling racists Fulbright and Byrd, Clinton was an accomplished liar and adulterer. The Progressive darling, Wilson, lied to the people about whether we would join WWI, and about Wilson's medical condition. He also reinstituted segregation in the federal government. FDR was a big adulterer, as we well know in GA, and Eisenhower and Kennedy were not clean on that score either. To be perceived as an able president need not require morals, it would appear. As to your last point, Trump is less scripted than almost any president in recent memory, with the possible exception of Clinton. But Clinton gave really ponderous SOTU addresses. Trump beats Clinton by that measure.
1
The democrats tend to favor an open border policy because the democrats to a large degree are supported by the professional classes. The professional classes, lawyers and doctors, teachers, social workers benefit from a cosmopolitan growing USA since migrants have worker's comp, personal injury, DUI, medical malpractice needs that they quickly realize as they arrive in the US. Many buses in Tijuana have ads for California worker's comp attorneys and medical care on them, for example. This has been a long term growth industry. We have the recent multimillion dollar lawsuits against the hospitals and government over the two migrant children that died after arrival in the US. Migrants feed the law and medical and education industries and they are a key part of our economy. The recent strike in LA showed us to what degree the entire education industry in California is devoted to migrants and their children. The migrants are the backbone of the personal service industry. Cutting migration is not going to help the US economy long term. The future employment growth in the US is medical, legal and financial, personal service and extractive industries. Manufacturing and even agriculture are fading away and are better done in the third world. Trump does not seem to understand that. The democrats represent the future demographics and economy of the USA and Trump represents the dying baby boomer past.
5
@AS
A core American value is following the law. This is the real "wall" democrats are facing. Perhaps it's generational. Even so, there are many more Americans who hold this core value than who believe in open borders.
9
Yes, and we believe first of all that the President is not above the law.
7
How does a reality show character and real estate developer of dubious background suddenly know that the only way to address our immigration policies with Mexico is to "Build a Wall"? How can this person write himself and his backers a multi-billion dollar tax cut and expect the American people to trust that he has their best interests at heart? How can a man who burns through taxpayer money with constant trips to his estates and golf courses spend so much energy in the effort to deny relief and sanctuary for people seeking asylum from the gangs and poverty that exist in Central America? How can a man who denigrates any and all who disagree with him call for unity? How can a man whose campaign team is under intense legal scrutiny claim he knew nothing of their actions? How does breaking with the Paris Accord and deregulating the EPA in favor of coal and oil companies demonstrate that he is a wise political actor? It's hard to watch him speak when one knows it's all a pack of manipulative lies and word tracks. I give him a Zero for appealing to the majority of Americans who want simple truths and sincerely beneficial policy aimed at making life better for the average citizen.
64
Just a thought: aren’t we already a socialist country by many measures? The amount of money transferred from the Treasury to the people and corporations through tax breaks, subsidies, price supports, entitlement programs, guaranteed mortgage programs, etc. constitute the same thing; what we are basically missing is better and more accessible healthcare and higher education at affordable prices... when shutting down only 1/4 of the civil service still means 800,000 out of work plus another estimated 500,000 contractors let there be no doubt whatsoever that the government, at all levels, is both huge and present in every aspect of our lives whether we wish to recognize or not, regardless of what we call it. And, for the most part, thank goodness it is or everyone from farmers to public housing dwellers to passengers on planes, including the President himself would be a whole lot worse off.
13
UNITY? Remember Merrick Garland!
77
A very good speech. Democrats are in denial if they believe they will prevail on illegal immigration.
19
@AACNY
Not a very good speech, but a threat to law and order. Nixon told us in his 1974 SOTU that Watergate investigations had to end. Then later that year, he was gone. That was 45 years ago. Hoping for a repeat this year, from 45.
28
@AACNY Democrats and Republicans in Congress have crafted and agreed upon various bills to address border security. There is, however, very little support for "The Wall." The denial of this ridiculous boondoggle will have Trump supporter weeping bitter tear for years to come.
12
@Rob Kneller
Nothing is more ridiculous than prohibiting barriers in any immigration solution. Americans want compromise and they want reasonableness. Democrats are providing neither right now.
3
Last night Trump said that the United States is the greatest country on earth. Facts show that this is just another one of his delusions. 55 countries have a lower infant mortality rate. Only 9 countries have a higher rate of firearm deaths. The United States has the world’s highest incarceration rate. With only 5% of the world’s population, it houses 25% of its prisoners. The rest of the world knows that the United States has seen better days. We are all dismayed by how this country has turned out. Pretending that it should be a model for other nations is a dangerous folly.
132
The President spoke well and made the case for increased border security, in my view. The elites that preach to us on the borders yet live behind walls and with security, like Speaker Pelosi, do not speak for the majority of Americans who want this problem fixed. The Democrats have staked out such an absurd position in the current debate, and have no answer, it seems to me, for the case that the President has built for increased border security including additional physical barriers.
16
Deeply respecting your view, the facts don’t fully support your position: erudite, thoughtful GOP representatives, some from Texas, who represent border areas have stated emphatically that a physical barrier is pointless in many areas of the long border while enhanced technological solutions, better pay for Border Patrol and better equipment would provide a much bigger and more effective bang for the buck.
26
@Truthbeknown
Your point is well-taken, but in truth the majority of Americans also care about affordable and accessible health care. They are also concerned about how - indeed, whether - they'll be able to pay for their retirement.
These are just a couple of items from a list that is way too long to replicate here. The real question you should be asking is this. Of all the questions the - rightly - concern the 'majority of Americans', just where on that list does a border wall rank in terms of priorities?
21
@Truthbeknown
I so wish that people who support Trump, could explain their definitions of elite when they use that word. The man is utterly amoral, a user of others, who has never done a good deed in his life unless there was a payoff.
He sees himself as the elite of the elite in terms of wealth and power, and intelligence.
The only contact he likes with average Americans is when they cheer his performances.
He is greed and arrogance personified. Now, greed is a human failing, but his is notable because it is not mitigated by any other traits. As reflected in that Jacket his wife wore, he doesn't care about any of the consequences of his actions for others.
Security, we need. Not a man who will not negotiate with others, and who is a master only of the art of destruction.
36
Hilarious as usual. To say that, in his opinion, without him the US would right now be in a major war with North Korea probably puts him in a minority of one, maybe two given that Pence seems to agree with anything that tumbles out of Trump's mouth. Truly laughable. And oh the irony when he spoke glowingly of the record number of women in congress. They are there as a reaction against him, but he just doesn't get it. Keep it up Donald because we all need a laugh now and then.
71
@Garry Taylor. He is correct. Both Iran and North Korea are war states. Both have been brought in line in two years. Trump is not a politician, he is a doer and knows how to get the job done. Politicians on the other hand simply talk a lot.
2
90 minutes of speech and not a word on Puerto Rico. We have been in economic depression for over a decade and are still battered from hurricane María. Local press predicts that, given the impasse, hurricane recovery funds intended for Puerto Rico will be diverted to help build The Wall. Healthcare is in deep crisis. 60,000 patients with hepatitis C have no access to modern treatments and many decide to move to the states to receive therapy. Drug related crime is on the rise and funds allocated for law enforcement are shifted to pay public debt. We make 2% of all american citizens. We are politically disenfranchised. We suffer a deep and prolonged economical crisis. We were entitled to 2 minutes out of 90 (2%) to receive a message of hope.
407
@Francisco Cebollero
If youve been in an economic depression for over a decade, perhaps you should ask yourself whos fault that is?
Certainly not Trumps.
Start paying federal income taxes, then get back to us on being entitled to all this help.
14
@Francisco Cebollero
Should not the Puerto Ricans agitate for statehood? Why do Puerto Ricans not want statehood? Income taxes?
9
@Francisco Cebollero
You mean the paper towels he tossed you didn't do any good.
I wish Puerto Ricans had the courage to throw them back at him. What a disgraceful, reprehensible act that was.
25
It's not hardline, it's an end to lawlessness and open borders. Democrats brought out Stacy Abrams who would have won if Democrats had a better local get out the vote game. That will never happen as long as the democratic party puts illegal immigrants first and Americans citizens or legal immigrants second.
15
@Hellen
But - is illegal immigration, which you take seriously, the ONLY issue that is important to your life? Nothing else?
6
@Hellen
You are deluded.
Abrams lost because of her opponent shamelessly gaming the system, Immigration had nothing to do with it.
1
My simple litmus test to gauge Trump's (or any other Republican's) bipartisan sincerity:
Reference to "Democrat Party", or
Use of "Democrat" as an adjective.
If they cant be bothered to show the barest amount of respect by simply managing to refer to their opposing party by its, you know, actual name -"Democratic Party" - then why should they deserve the presumption of sincerity?
And, btw, for all his talk of unity tonight, Trump absolutely failed my test. Quelle surprise.
32
How can Trump even mention childhood cancer and conquering HIV when his administration wanted to toss 22 million Americans off of health insurance? The administrations rollback of environmental laws will cause the premature death of thousands and cause children to live diminished lives.
Just take a look at Pence's record on HIV and public health issues in the House and as governor. Trump has openly spouted anti vaccination gibberish. Both of them make you wish for Theodoric of York and leeches.
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@Merrill R. Frank
A May 2017 front page photograph of the Chicago Sun Times depicted the "Rose Garden Beer Party," which was a celebration of the Republican ruled House of Representatives vote to repeal Obamacare. It showed a smiling Paul Ryan, Steve Scalise, and President Trump celebrating. The caption read "they win, 23 million lose" (referring to the number of citizens who would lose their health insurance.) Fortunately, John McCain famously voted NO in the Senate, making their celebration meaningless and premature. Then, the 2018 election occurred and Paul Ryan was sent packing.
5
It certainly seems the president* knows what the investigations will disclose, eh?
15
The Tweet of the Union cobbled into complete sentences by Stevie Miller. The abusive father who repeatedly beats his family and then feigns conciliation one day of the year. Good stuff.
26
Yes, in spite of the fact that Trump's wife, in-laws, and ancestors were also immigrants.
But dang, they weren't brown.
46
The speech was pretty good. But I don't believe a word of it.
14
Not a unifying speech, he wants everything his way. Not impressed.
35
Great to hear Trump talk about taking genuine decisive unified action to limit climate change.
7
First time I ever heard a president threaten inaction if there isn’t an end of an investigation about him in a State of the Union.address.
39
If you think that it wasn't an amazing speech you are denying reality. The President is a man of many faults. But, it is clear he has tremendous love of his country, and he does understand rising water rises all boats. And you cannot legislate equal outcomes on equal opportunity.
14
@MiguelM
were you referring to rising ocean water from global warming?
28
@MiguelM
It's clear only that he had a decent speechwriter, and was able to stick to his script. His love of his country is belied by his failure to pay a reasonable amount of taxes, and the way his companies have ripped off people large and small over his lifetime.
And where other wealthy people with a love of their home often contribute to the community through philanthropy, he has not.
17
You are correct, it was an amazing speech... the fact it even occurred after locking out 800,000 of his own employees for 35 days is, indeed, an amazing thing but not in a good way.
10
Trump decrying Socialism and the Republicans applauding him have forgotten their own history. Lincoln signed the Morrill act which created land grant colleges. Teddy Roosevelt the National Park system. Ike the Interstate Highway system. Nixon the EPA and OSHA. Additionally since Ike they have generally made peace with the New Deal though since Reagan they have sure tried like heck to roll it back.
45
@Merrill R. Frank
This should be a NYT pick, for a very brief and cogent history lesson.
8
@cheryl Thanks! I grew up in Yorktown, they'd taught us well in history class.
1
@cheryl
But of course it won't be.
1
If threatening Congress, and indeed the country, with war and "no legislation" if the investigations of him don't stop isn't the most obvious indicator yet that the man is utterly ethically and morally unfit to serve, I don't know what could possibly be!
42
Has Mr. Trump forgotten that his own family immigrated from Germany and two of his wives are/were from Europe? And yet he wants to get tough on immigration? Methinks something smells a bit foul...
21
Trump’s definition of “unity” is “do what I tell you to.”
In fairness, he didn’t originate this. Republicans have been defining compromise as “we get what we want, and the Democrats get nothing” since 2008, roughly.
Oh, you can argue it started with Gingrich, but they didn’t get really explicit about the “no compromise” stance until McConnel announced that his only goal was to block Obama at every turn.
Still, Trump has raised the problem to a new level, what with his shutdown of the government over a wall that no one else wants, and his repeated insistence that he’s going to do it again.
23
The SOTU Soap Opera pilot is over.
Trump gets about a D+. He is not convincing or believable in his role as President. He tries to convince the audience that he is sincere, trustworthy, honest, noble in his aspirations, but fails. Too late. He looked unnatural in his role, mouthing the words of others that are a shadow of his true vile self. Bad casting, perhaps. For the show’s producers: Do not allow people to be used as props, just make your argument if you can instead of begging for approval. Consider making a list of required topics.
Abrams gets about a C+. Credible and comfortable. Maybe a little too comfortable considering that Trump & the Republicans, in cahoots with big business, are destroying this country. Well, maybe just wait for the results from Mueller and the House Committees, letting the results speak for themselves so as not to appear too partisan. Still, it looks like a bit of a missed opportunity.
Overall Rating: Would not watch again. Will not make it as a reality show. The main character should be replaced.
21
Give him a C+ for reading the prompter, a B for keeping a handle on it, and an A for winning over a few more people than he lost. But did he win over enough. I don't think so, unless a serious and well funded independent opponent (or two) run against him.
5
The Democrats flopped badly. Abrams gave a really "Nice" speech, but there was so much opportunity for strong rebuttal and it was lost on the cadre of Alice's in this Wonderland of Trump.
3
With sunrise we will come back to the reality of having a reality
TV president who likes playing to the hardline elements of the crowd. Fine words indeed, but many of the bipartisan policy ideas will be left to languish as Trump pursues a hardline immigration agenda policy.
3
The US immigration laws no doibt need fixing, and with bipartisan cooperation through meaningful dialogue that also takes into account country's changing demographic reality and the economic needs but not as a whipping issue simply to keep people confused and divided as Trump is doing repeatedly to keep the social pot perpetually on the boiling point.
6
Agree with it or not, Trump delivered a powerful message aimed directly at the nostalgia, fears, and hopes of the people who put him in office. He should not be underestimated as a candidate in 2020.
12
@Bruce
That literally makes me ill.
If only Obama could run again.
15
In his last State of the Union Speech, Jan 6, 1945, FDR repeated his theme from his penultimate State of the Union speech the year before, setting out a Second Bill of Rights for Americans:
"I said then, and I say now, that these economic truths represent a second bill of rights under which a new basis of security and prosperity can be established for all—regardless of station, race, or creed.
"Of these rights the most fundamental, and one on which the fulfillment of the others in large degree depends, is the "right to a useful and remunerative job in the industries or shops or farms or mines of the Nation." In turn, others of the economic rights of American citizenship, such as the right to a decent home, to a good education, to good medical care, to social security, to reasonable farm income, will, if fulfilled, make major contributions to achieving adequate levels of employment.
"The Federal Government must see to it that these rights become realities . . . the American people will not accept mass unemployment or mere makeshift work. There will be need for the work of everyone willing and able to work . . . Full employment means not only jobs—but productive jobs. Americans do not regard jobs that pay substandard wages as productive jobs."
FDR gave that State of the Union message twice. Bernie Sanders said all the same things again in his reply to Trump's speech.
Trump fell short of the standard of FDR for a State of the Union, but Bernie made up for it.
12
Thanks for inserting FDR's words. Perhaps today there are so many in the country who have never suffered economic hardship, that they have no compassion at all for those who have.
4
Dressing up in white expresses unity and conveys strength in numbers. At the same time, it conveys weakness in subordinating individual identity and because of the relatively small number of the group. I think of the Black Caucus that doesn't have much power and the Freedom Caucus that only promotes gridlock.
If you look at the history of Congress's leading factions, the most prominent was probably the Southern Democrats, whose power was exercised by the filibuster to block civil rights legislation. Of course, there are no filibusters in the House, which will reduce the women's power. And, in the end, like the Freedom Caucus, the women's power will likely be in assuring that bad things don't get done, which fits poorly if your agenda is progressive.
Of course, if some of these women rise to power, everything changes. But that will almost surely take years. It took 20 years for Pelosi to become speaker and that's typical.
I would say that, onthe whole, the women made a powerful statement tonight. But this is the beginning of what promises to be a long process. So what matters most is how many are in it for the long run.
5
Stacey Abrams gave a strong account of Democratic values and real life for ordinary Americans, but I was equally impressed by Bernie Sanders' freelance response. His theme of "What the president didn't say" was very effective and he wove all the elements of his well-known campaign agenda into a convincing story of where we've gone wrong and how we can get right. The problem is there is not just one thing that holds back and holds down people working to get ahead. It is many things woven into our system of government, economics, justice, healthcare, and education. We have many systemic features that create obstacles and knock the props out from under not just the poor and working poor but the middle class too. It will take changes across the system to restore the promise of America.
27
@abigail49 -- "The problem is there is not just one thing that holds back and holds down people working to get ahead."
FDR talked about exactly that in his final two State of the Union Addresses, Jan of 1944 and 1945.
He unified it all as "good jobs" as "one on which the fulfillment of the others in large degree depends."
I submit that is an effective "story of where we've gone wrong and how we can get right," as you said. We were told that, twice, 75 years ago.
It is a promise yet unfulfilled, but it is not really a mystery.
4
I thought the idea of harmony was a good one, so I turned on the classical music station.
132
@Martha Shelley
Me too. It should become a movement.
1
Why bother watching Trump's latest "reality show?"
33
@Steve Fankuchen -- It was painful, in the way that I find bad comedy is embarrassing and painful to watch.
Fortunately, FDR gave some good ones you can watch on YouTube. They still apply, fresh and not yet accomplished.
8
Why is it that every time President Trump needs to look presidential he has to use a teleprompter?
36
Well, the boys of the GOP really liked it. They sounded like a bunch of Bret Kavanaugh bro's hooting and hollering, "More beer! More beer! We like beer!" As long as Trump keeps the macho/nationalist/militarist/capitalist beer flowing, he's the boss of them.
170
@abigail49. You mean 76% who approved of the speech?
I dunno about you, but I picked up a very strong "These are not the droids you're looking for" feel to this highly orchestrated sales pitch, tonight
11
Yawn, the State of the Union speech is nothing more than a free a free political advertisement for the President of the United States.
18
@Gordon -- It can and should be more. Washington, Lincoln, FDR, and others did it many times.
When it is only a political advertisement, it fails, and takes the President and all of us down with it.
3
Let's see 17 on going investigations related to the Trump Organization, Russian interference in the election, the inauguration, violation of the emoluments clause. etc and the President whines that one of the three things that could halt the growth of the economy are ridiculous partisan investigations.
Who is the President kidding, If anything the investigations have become a cottage industry and economic stimulus for the media, legal and forensic accounting industries.
20
Can we please get two candidates running in 2020 with the depth of humanity that Ms. Abrahms exhibited in her rebuttal? Two candidates who come from modest means and knows what it's like to live outside the gilded ranks of America?
67
@Djt We definitely need a Democratic nominee who isn't a wholly owned subsidiary of Goldman Sachs. For once.
7
@Djt
Because of what the presidency has become, even presidents who come from modest means, e.g. Clinton and Obama, end up forgetting what it's like fo be an ordinary person.
5
@farhorizons. Can you explain, please, what you mean by Obama “forgetting what it is like to be an ordinary person?”
It was very disappointing, but not surprising, that not one word was mentioned about gun control or climate change.
762
@Elaine O'Brien - That's because those two issues are non-starters with the Republican Party. But darn, Trump forget to mention the Shutdown.
43
@Elaine O'Brien that’s because both of these issues steal freedom from individuals. Gun control is an obvious connection. Climate change is a horrible ruse designed to weaken the USA, strengthen our economic competitors and transfer massive wealth from US citizens to kleptocracies around the world.
6
@Elaine O'Brien
Of the 40,000+ Americans who die from gunshot every year about 2/3rds are suicides. And 80% are white men who tend to use handguns. Veterans are disproportionately among the suicides.
While mass shootings are on the rise they are a tiny percentage of the total. Most shootings involve family, friends, neighbors or thug on thug. This is a mental health issue. Not a gun control problem.
Trump does not know nor understand the science of climate change. Trump is the puppet of the fossil fuel industry.
5
There are currently 17 ongoing investigations into Trump. He can forget about peace. Dems are waiting him out and will over turn everything he has done.
28
DT has to give us a review of what other generations of Americans did because he wouldn't have stood up for any of it. No money in it.
8
"If there is going to be peace and legislation, there cannot be war and investigation. It just doesn’t work that way!"
Excuse me, Mr. President, but no citizen is above the law. The investigations will continue. If you're innocent then you have nothing to fear.
46
I think that is his way of saying he will launch a war to distract from the criminal investigation into him - I am sure that people in Venezuela and Iran are watching SOTU closely, although China, Russia and North Korea (the real threats) are far less concerned
2
@Sunny The real invorstigation should be directed toward Clinton, comey, Orr, and the myriad of fired/resigned FBI employees.
I can not say anything that has not already been said, except to note Don the Swindler's speaking style and posturing. His sentences all end on a down deflection, negative not positive, his posture compared to Mussolini, head up with a smirk.
That an an endless litany of lies about the border. He just has to get that wall to prove what a great person he thinks he is.
33
@David Underwood
The resemblance to Mussolini is indeed striking; the pomposity the grandiose swagger etc can be found on line. Remarkably Trump and Benito have eerily similar signatures. Mussolini had a similar attitude to African countries too.
6
@David Underwood Talk about body language - what would your comments have been when Obama spoke? Superior, perhaps tyrannical?
Watch Bernie's speech on face book or youtube countering Trump's speech. So clear and strait forward. Clean honest facts. He quoted many polls which show what the American people want and how congress will not do what the American people want because they do what their donors want.
He countered some of Trump's many lies in a very informative way. I was very moved by his directness and honesty,. I cannot believe NYT is so blind about this honest, and intelligent and deeply passionate man. He is passionate about fighting for regular people. He passionate about everyone having a livable working wage and healthcare for all and not all the wealth for just a few.
He is sensible and strong. It is like coming home to hear him speak. After a dark and horrid journey, all bloody and bowed and wearing rags to walk into a cozy and welcoming cottage against the storm and be greeted by an long time friend who stirs up the fire in the fire place, seats you on a soft couch and brings you hot healing soup and apple pie and clean clothes and you sigh with relief for the first time in so long. And you are safe, you are home. Thanks Bernie. It is so good to know there is still sanity in the world. This is how people must have felt about Martin Luther King
20
@cheerful dramatist. He was the indispensable man to Trump's winning.
5
@cheerful dramatist
Bernie’s hubris got us where we are today. I’ll take a pass on his selfish ambition, thanks anyway.
6
So true. So hopeful to cheer on an independent candidate to bump votes against a 2020 repeat win for DT; but read this weeks article about the RNC shoring up state laws to counteract anyone successfully attempting to even getting their name on a ballot.
Candidate Trump vilified immigrants as rapists, murderers, terrorists and drug dealers while making building a wall a central theme at his rallies. His supporters remind us that his position has not changed since occupying the White House. Consistency of his message is true but his stereotyping of illegal immigrants (and by association, all immigrants from Mexico, South and Central America, along with the Muslims from the Middle East) as some of the worst members of humanity, is still consistently wrong and reprehensible.
31
Just more lies. Zero trust in the US president. Sad.
29
So President Trump can read after all.
Given a speech written by others, a speech he was obviously motivated to practice and guided in delivering, the well-rehearsed Mr. Trump came off, for the first time since taking office, as slightly presidential.
The speech was laced with lies, misleading statements and half truths. There were maudlin moments and exaggerated claims of imaginary accomplishments, but Don DID behave himself. He read the speech from beginning to end, and even attempted to display humanity.
But what of that?
For two years now the president has extemporaneously stated who he truly is. He has proudly revealed his hatred, his racism, his delusions, his egomania and his astounding ignorance to the general public.
So Trump read a speech written by someone with better judgment and political savvy than he himself possesses. Not a great speech, but better than any the president could write.
So what?
This event is more odd than remarkable, more artificial than inspirational.
46
@Tom W
Kinda like when a writer prepared his script for TeeVee when he was a reality person.
1
Words, words, words, as Hamlet said. The essential hostility of the current Republican Party continues, its tricks, jibes, and deceptions, its desire to attain permanent power unchanged since Reagan. Trump can't even bring himself to say "Democratic Party" instead of the "democrat" epithet--petty, yes, but significant in its spite. The same meanness that in large underlies the will to cruelty seen in their treatment of children, minorities, immigrants, trans and homosexual people, the poor, workers, and more. Only the wealthy and the deluded base count to that party now, and if a tyrant serves them, then he will serve. That's so clear now no speech writer can make it vanish even for a night.
30
Instead of the speech. I watched a movie called “Sin nombre” instead. It’s about the border crossing of a teenage girl escaping gang violence of Central America. It was released in 2009. I highly recommend it.
18
Ach! The only thing that kept me calm was watching Nancy Pelosi sitting there impassively. She gave one big eye-roll and a head shake or two, but other than that she was like a meditating Buddha in a temple. If she could behave that way, while in close proximity to Trump, then I could refrain from screaming “You lie!” at the television.
Wonder how early tomorrow we’ll see the first authentically nasty tweet.
34
@Kathryn
It was refreshing seeing Nancy Pelosi there instead of the ongoing smirk that passes for Paul Ryan.
14
Somehow the polls aren't mentioned here.
CBS and CNN both report a 76% approval rating from viewers of the speech.
CBS reports a 72% approval rating for his immigration ideas.
https://twitter.com/CBSEveningNews/status/1092996857507311616
16
When Trump meant about bipartisanship was that he is willing to pay for partisanship for his ego-driven agenda.
8
I submit the battle for the wall is a way to avoid reform because the status quo suits him fine. He spoke about the wealthy who live behind gates––he was describing himself! He hires undocumented workers consistently, in jobs that could be easily filled with US workers, but it is much easier to control and maybe even exploit a worker who is undocumented. Why has no one attacked him for this?
21
I came away from the speech thinking that if trumpy had not been elected president, we would never have developed the periodic table or discovered that there was such a thing as snow.
After that SOTU ( or should it be so-called?) speech, even more Americans must surely understand that this blowhard with his easily disproved whopper lies and exaggerations, is a true demagogue, a threat to our system of government, and he exists far below the bar that we should set for the leader of our nation.
The sooner he is voted out, indicted, tried and convicted, or impeached, the better. His reign is too great a risk for our society.
60
Sops to his rabid base and fear-mongering made me sick. Then there were the usual lies and exaggerations. His exploitation of both heroes (Buzz Aldrin, etc.) and tragic families to make hi look better was shameless. He rehearsed this speech, but the content was disgusting. Stacy Abrams was the saving grace this evening. She wrote her own speech, and spoke from the heart and without one iota of partisan rancor.
36
I do not believe that, were he asked, Donald Trump would be capable of telling us what he’d just read.
184