Sotu speech 2019

2019 State of the Union address: What you need to know

What is the State of the Union address?

The State of the Union address is an annual speech by the president to a joint session of Congress. Including President Donald Trump’s first address last year, there have been 95 addresses, according to the U.S. House of Representatives archive.

When is the 2019 State of the Union address?

Trump's second address was initially scheduled for Jan. 29 in the House of Representatives but after a back-and-forth between the president and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi for weeks, amid a partial government shutdown, the two agreed on Feb. 5, 2019, as the new State of the Union address.

How to watch the address

Live coverage and real-time analysis of the speech begins at 9 p.m. ET on NBC and 8 p.m. ET on MSNBC. Other major network and cable channels will also be airing the speech, in addition to social media platforms. A live stream will be available on nbcnews.com/sotu.

Why do presidents give State of the Union addresses?

The address fulfills Article II, Section 3 of the Constitution, which requires the president to periodically “give to the Congress information of the State of the Union, and recommend their consideration such measures as he shall judge necessary and expedient.”

Initially, the annual messages included information on various budget requests and general reports on the health of the economy.

In 1913, Woodrow Wilson revived tradition by delivering the speech live to Congress, instead of in writing, giving the president a platform for presenting an agenda and rallying support for it in Congress.

As technology advanced, first in radio and then television, the address became a way for the president to speak directly to the American people.

How long is a State of the Union address?

There is no specified length, but some presidents have spoken longer than others. Bill Clinton holds the record for the longest State of the Union address, his last in 2000, at 1 hour, 29 minutes, according to the American Presidency Project at the University of California, Santa Barbara. (He also made the second longest, in 1995, at 1 hour, 25 minutes.) The shortest since 1966 was Richard Nixon's in 1972, at just under 29 minutes, according to the project.

Who attends the State of the Union?

Members of Congress, of course, and Supreme Court justices, if they choose to. The president may also issue special invitations, a practice that began with Ronald Reagan in 1982.

This year, two Democratic members of Congress will be bringing undocumented individuals to the address. Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman, D-N.J., invited Victorina Morales, an undocumented worker who was fired from one of Trump's golf clubs. Jin Park, the first DACA recipient to receive a Rhodes scholarship, will also attend as a guest of Rep. Grace Meng D-N.Y.

Other guests will include the wife of a California man detained in Vietnam since July, who will be accompanied by Rep. Katie Porter, D-Calif., in an effort to bring light to the detention of U.S. citizens in Vietnam.

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez will be bringing Ana Maria Archila, a woman who infamously confronted Sen. Jeff Flake in the elevator during the confirmation hearings for Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh.

The former governor of Florida, Sen. Rick Scott, is reported to be bringing the father of a student who was killed in the 2018 school shooting in Parkland - in an attempt to address the issue of gun violence in the U.S.

On Monday, at least four Democratic members of Congress announced they will be bringing transgender service members or veterans to draw attention to president's transgender military ban.

Notable addresses

1923: Calvin Coolidge gives the first radio broadcast.

1947: Harry Truman gives the first television broadcast.

1974: Nixon speaks addresses Congress at the height of the Watergate investigation.

“I believe the time has come to bring that investigation and other investigations of this matter to an end,” Nixon said. “One year of Watergate is enough.”

Nixon resigned that August.

1982: Reagan, in his first State of the Union, remarked on the historical significance by quoting the first address by George Washington and making a joke at the news media's expense.

“For our friends in the press who place a high premium on accuracy, let me say, I did not actually hear George Washington say that,” Reagan said.

2002: George W. Bush gives his first address, four months after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

What is a designated survivor?

The person next in the presidential line of succession in the event both the vice president and the president are unable to serve (because of illness, death, etc.).

The designated survivor is taken to a distant, secure and undisclosed location during events at which others in the line of succession gather in one place, like a presidential inauguration or a State of the Union address. This protocol is mandated by the Presidential Succession Act of 1792.

Who is this year's designated survivor?

His or her identify is not usually revealed until hours before the address, but it is usually a Cabinet member. Last year, it was Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue.

Farnoush Amiri

Farnoush Amiri writes for NBC News.

Sours: https://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/smart-facts/2019-state-union-address-what-you-need-know-n956921

Takeaways From Trump’s 2019 State of the Union Address

Feb. 8, 2019, 10:51 a.m. ET

One night a year, during the State of the Union address, President Trump sets aside his affinity for combat to offer up 90 minutes of stand-up comity to a national audience.

“The agenda I will lay out this evening is not a Republican agenda or a Democrat agenda,” Mr. Trump said, opening his speech on a conventionally presidential note on Tuesday. “It is the agenda of the American people.”

A couple of hours earlier, during a private lunch with network anchors that did not stay private long, Mr. Trump called Senator Chuck Schumer, the Democratic leader, “nasty,” described former Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. as “dumb,” ripped into Senator John McCain, and derided Senator Elizabeth Warren as “Pocahontas.”

The speech itself, embedded with patriotic language and delivered in a reassuring tone, veered between two moods — combative and conciliatory — reflecting a president at a crossroads ahead of an uncertain 2019.

Here are four takeaways.

No national emergency. Yet.

For more than a month, Mr. Trump has threatened to invoke a state of emergency along the southern border with Mexico, in an attempt to circumvent Congress, which has refused to give him $5.7 billion for a border wall.

But it was not until this week that Senate Republicans — many of whom vehemently oppose the idea on the grounds that it tramples legislative prerogative — made it clear that diverting funding from other projects for a wall, in the name of a national emergency, was a nonstarter.

For the moment, Mr. Trump heeded their wishes. The emergency declaration was not among his demands for increased border security.

It was, to a significant degree, an act of political self-protection.

At the weekly Republican Senate lunch held in the Capitol a few hours before Mr. Trump’s speech, Senator John Thune of South Dakota, the majority whip, was asked about the likelihood of the president invoking emergency powers. Mr. Thune replied by saying he believed that the president would avoid a confrontation with his own party because too many Republicans opposed it — and it would take only four Republican defections to pass a measure opposing the move.

Mr. Trump would do the right thing, he predicted, because “all you have to do is count to four,” Mr. Thune quipped, according to a person in attendance.

Mr. Trump suggested that investigations into his conduct posed a threat to national security.

Mr. Trump began the night by optimistically playing up “a new opportunity in American politics, if only we have the courage to seize it.”

And he expressed support for a variety of popular initiatives that enjoy widespread popularity among Democrats, including new funding to eradicate AIDS, a campaign to reduce childhood cancers and yet another commitment to try to fix the country’s “crumbling infrastructure.”

Then, about 15 minutes into the address, Mr. Trump hit on an issue foremost in his consciousness — the looming threat of congressional investigations into his conduct.

First, he offered what amounted to a plea for the new Democratic majority in the House to avoid “ridiculous partisan investigations” and cautioned his enemies not to seek “revenge” against him.

Then came the bluntest of threats to the woman sitting behind him, Speaker Nancy Pelosi: “If there is going to be peace and legislation, there cannot be war and investigation. It just doesn’t work that way!” he said.

“We must be united at home to defeat our adversaries abroad,” he said.

He attempted to unite divided Republicans.

Already facing a divided Congress, Mr. Trump has been rebuked by members of his own party in recent days over his decision to pull troops from Syria and his demands for a border wall.

In response, he invoked two issues that have been used to rally divided conservatives for decades — the fights against abortion and socialism.

“There could be no greater contrast to the beautiful image of a mother holding her infant child than the chilling displays our nation saw in recent days,” he said, referring to efforts by Democrats in New York and Virginia to loosen restrictions on abortion rights.

In recent days, Republicans on Capitol Hill have been circulating talking points urging them to highlight plans by Democrats, including the freshman Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, to increase taxes on the wealthy.

“Here, in the United States, we are alarmed by new calls to adopt socialism in our country,” Mr. Trump said. “America was founded on liberty and independence — and not government coercion, domination and control.”

He defended his record on women’s issues.

Mr. Trump dedicated several minutes to listing his economic accomplishments on behalf of women as he faced row upon row of seats occupied by Democratic women wearing white, in a visual demonstration of their unprecedented power in a House run by one of their own.

“No one has benefited more from our thriving economy than women, who have filled 58 percent of the newly created jobs last year,” said Mr. Trump, who seemed genuinely surprised by the thunderous applause it evoked from women on both sides of the aisle.

“You weren’t supposed to do that,” said the president, who went on to praise the record-breaking election of 117 women to Congress in 2018.

That, too, garnered a hearty ovation. He has a long way to go, however.

Recent polls show that large majorities of women disapprove of his performance.

Want more? Keep reading for the updates posted on Tuesday.

President Trump delivering the State of the Union at the Capitol.

As President Trump veered into immigration, partisan tension soared.

With 10 days left for Congress to pass a border security package and avert another government shutdown, Mr. Trump devoted a significant portion of his speech to making the case for his signature campaign proposal: a wall at the southern border.

“This is a smart, strategic, see-through steel barrier — not just a simple concrete wall,” he said, adding, “Simply put, WALLS WORK and WALLS SAVE LIVES.”

But as Mr. Trump raised the time frame to keep the government fully funded, the Democrats tensed and Republicans continued to applaud.

Representative Ilhan Omar, Democrat of Minnesota, buried her head in her hands. As he detailed a litany of familiar talking points about caravans marching toward the United States, there was a disgruntled round of groans, punctuated by a couple boos as they looked around at each other, shaking their heads.

[Trump wants a border wall. Here’s what’s in place already.]

Representative Veronica Escobar, Democrat of Texas, whose district includes most of El Paso, was visibly angry after Mr. Trump referenced her district and the decrease in crime. She appeared to mouth that it was safe before the wall and after the wall.

“Oh my God, oh my God,” she mouthed to her colleagues, her arms crossed as other representatives looked over in her direction.

There were also some unhappy murmurs when he described the increase in troops at the southern border and scoffs at his description of the “savage MS-13 gang.”

The women in white took their bows.

The audience for Mr. Trump’s State of the Union address looked like a striking sea of white, with Democratic women — many dressed in white in a nod to the women’s suffragist movement — sitting together. Midway through the president’s speech, they did something completely unexpected: They stood up and cheered.

“No one has benefited more from our thriving economy than women, who have filled 58 percent of the newly created jobs last year,” Mr. Trump said, prompting the women to roar their approval. After all, many of them had new jobs, in the House, which they took from men.

“You weren’t supposed to do that,” the president said, smiling.

“All Americans can be proud that we have more women in the work force than ever before,” Mr. Trump went on, adding, “Don’t sit yet. You’re going to like this.”

And then he delivered his biggest applause line: “Exactly one century after Congress passed the constitutional amendment giving women the right to vote, we also have more women serving in Congress than at any time before.”

It was a striking moment for a president who has been routinely accused of misogyny, who paid hush money to a pornographic film actress and a Playboy model and who spoke in vulgar terms as he admitted on videotape that he had sexually assaulted women.

The Democratic response: race and voting rights.

Stacey Abrams, the former minority leader of the Georgia legislature, narrowly lost her bid to be the first African-American female governor in the South, but it was the way she lost — amid charges of voter suppression and vote rigging — that really rankled.

In choosing Ms. Abrams to give the Democratic response, her party’s leaders were tapping a crusader for voting rights, and that is what she delivered.

“While I acknowledged the results of the 2018 election here in Georgia, I did not and we cannot accept efforts to undermine our right to vote,” Ms. Abrams said. “This is the next battle for our democracy, one where all eligible citizens can have their say about the vision we want for our country. We must reject the cynicism that says allowing every eligible vote to be cast and counted is a ‘power grab.’ Americans understand that these are the values our brave men and women in uniform and our veterans risk their lives to defend.”

She also tackled race, even as a Democratic governor, Ralph Northam of Virginia, fights for his political survival after photos of a man in black face and another in a Ku Klux Klan robe emerged in his medical school yearbook.

“We fought Jim Crow with the Civil Rights Act and the Voting Rights Act, yet we continue to confront racism from our past and in our present,” she said, “which is why we must hold everyone from the very highest offices to our own families accountable for racist words and deeds — and call racism what it is: wrong.”

President Trump announces next meeting with Kim Jong-un.

Mr. Trump plans to sit down with North Korea’s leader, Kim Jong-un, this month in Vietnam, a country chosen as a neutral location for their second nuclear summit meeting, but one that also has plenty of symbolic significance.

Mr. Trump hopes the meeting will jump-start a diplomatic effort that has stalled since their first encounter, last June in Singapore. While North Korea since then has refrained from overtly provocative actions like testing nuclear warheads or ballistic missiles, it has yet to agree to actually give up any piece of its atomic arsenal.

“Much work remains to be done, but my relationship with Kim Jong-un is a good one,” Mr. Trump said. “Chairman Kim and I will meet again on February 27th and 28th in Vietnam.”

Trump warns House Democrats: Don’t investigate me or my administration.

After spending the first portion of his speech patting himself on the back for what he views as his administration’s accomplishments, including low unemployment, Mr. Trump issued a stern warning to the Democrats now in charge of the House.

“An economic miracle is taking place in the United States — and the only thing that can stop it are foolish wars, politics or ridiculous partisan investigations,” he said. “If there is going to be peace and legislation, there cannot be war and investigation. It just doesn’t work that way!”

Speaker Nancy Pelosi smirked behind him.

Representative Adam Schiff of California, chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, smiled. He has already begin examining whether money laundering could have motivated Mr. Trump’s coziness with Russian oligarchs.

The speech was longer than last year’s, but short of the record.

This year’s State of the Union address was the second longest in recorded history, according to the American Presidency Project at the University of California, Santa Barbara. The project’s data dates to 1964. Tonight’s address surpassed Mr. Trump’s first State of the Union speech by about two minutes, but falls short of former President Bill Clinton’s 2000 address by about six minutes.

Striking a theme of unity with some notes off-key.

President Trump delivered a message of bipartisan unity on Tuesday night in his first address to Congress in the new era of divided government, but any hope of enduring harmony was dispelled long before he arrived at the Capitol.

Mr. Trump, who has warred with Democrats for weeks over his plan to build a wall along the nation’s southwestern border, hoped to use the nationally televised speech to present himself as a leader who can work across party lines even as he continued to press lawmakers to give him money for the barrier.

“Together, we can break decades of political stalemate,” Mr. Trump told lawmakers from the rostrum of the House of Representatives. “We can bridge old divisions, heal old wounds, build new coalitions, forge new solutions and unlock the extraordinary promise of America’s future. The decision is ours to make.”

Mr. Trump signaled that he would not back off his hard-line immigration policies that have polarized the country. “No issue better illustrates the divide between America’s working class and America’s political class than illegal immigration,” he was to add, according to excerpts released by the White House. “Wealthy politicians and donors push for open borders while living their lives behind walls and gates and guards.”

Read more from Peter Baker.

Jumping the gun.

Speaker Nancy Pelosi was spared any discomfort that might have come with the ritual introduction of the president of the United States. The president jumped the gun.

Before she could utter the traditional, “Ladies and gentlemen, I give to you the president of the United States,” Mr. Trump had already started speaking.

While Mr. Trump forgot to have Ms. Pelosi introduce him, another Republican president — George W. Bush — made a big deal of Ms. Pelosi’s introduction of him in 2007, the year she first became speaker.

“Tonight, I have a high privilege and distinct honor of my own — as the first president to begin the State of the Union message with these words: Madam Speaker,” Mr. Bush said then.

[Fact Check: What President Trump Got Right and Wrong in His Speech]

Sours: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/02/05/us/politics/state-of-the-union-2019.html

Trump's 2019 State of the Union Address—Live Analysis

President Trump stuck to the script.

His speech Tuesday night hit partisan points but was heavy on calls for bipartisanship and included several warm moments, including a tribute to the women of the House that generated standing applause from Democrats.

Notably, he didn’t press too hard on his demand for a border wall, not even mentioning the threat of declaring a national emergency. It signaled, perhaps, an effort to reach compromise on an issue that has further damaged his relationship with Democrats. The president knows he needs Democrats now to move legislation and appealed to them on infrastructure and prescription drug pricing. “There is a new opportunity in American politics, if only we have the courage to seize it,” he said.

While he mentioned investigations into him and the administration, Mr. Trump passed on an opportunity to tell a national audience about a “witch hunt.” He softened his rhetoric on trade.

His challenge now is to follow through and one tweet tomorrow morning could upend it all. Democrats haven’t shown much signs of backing down, either, as the party moves to the left. There remains substantial differences on immigration and other issues. One of the clearest divides was evident when Mr. Trump called for tougher abortion restrictions, though that may be as much an appeal to Republican voter than an actual proposal as it could not advance in the divided Congress.

There were some classic Trump boasts. “If I had not been elected President of the United States, we would right now, in my opinion, be in a major war with North Korea with potentially millions of people killed,” he said. Mr. Trump made news by announcing he would hold a second summit with Kim Jong Un in Vietnam on Feb. 27-28.

Another area where Mr. Trump sought common ground was the fight against HIV and AIDs and he called for eliminating the epidemic in 10 years. “Tonight, I am also asking you to join me in another fight that all Americans can get behind: the fight against childhood cancer.”

Throughout the hour and 20 minute address, Mr. Trump presented a calm demeanor and rarely strayed from his prepared remarks, a discipline that likely satisfied aides and denied Democrats more talking points. He used guests effectively to emphasize his points and also found some unexpected warm moments, such as the audience singing Happy Birthday to 81-year-old Judah Samet.

Mr. Samet survived the Pittsburgh synagogue massacre and decades earlier, Mr. Trump said, "narrowly survived the Nazi concentration camps."

"Thank you," he shouted from the gallery. President Trump joked, "They wouldn't do that for me, Judah."

With that, Mr. Trump unwittingly acknowledged that a speech full of conciliatory remarks may not erase the friction he faces on Capitol Hill.

Sours: https://www.wsj.com/livecoverage/state-of-the-union-2019

2019 State of the Union Address

Address to the United States on February 5, 2019

The 2019 State of the Union Address was given by the 45th president of the United States, Donald Trump, on Tuesday, February 5, 2019, at 9 p.m. EST, in the chamber of the United States House of Representatives to the 116th United States Congress. It was Trump's second State of the Union Address and his third speech to a joint session of the United States Congress. Presiding over this joint session was the House speaker, Nancy Pelosi, accompanied by Mike Pence, the vice president, in his capacity as the president of the Senate.

It was the first address to a Democratic-controlled House of Representatives since 2010.

The Democratic Response was given by 2018 Georgia Gubernatorial NomineeStacey Abrams and the Spanish-language response was given by California Attorney General and former U.S. Representative Xavier Becerra.^[2]^[3]^[4]

The Address was watched by 46.8 million viewers, and aired live on 12 major television networks. Viewership statistics do not include views from online live streams. There were also 15.2 million interactions regarding the Address on social media.^[5]

Background[edit]

Article II, Section 3, Clause 1 of the United States Constitution states that the president "shall from time to time give to the Congress Information of the State of the Union, and recommend to their Consideration such measures as he shall judge necessary and expedient."^[6]

Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi sent an invitation to President Donald Trump on January 3, 2019, to deliver a "State of the Union address before a Joint Session of Congress on Tuesday, January 29, 2019 in the House Chamber." The invitation was sent just hours after her election to Speaker of the House.^[7]^[8]^[9] On January 6, President Trump commented to reporters that "I will be making the State of the Union on January 29. And I look forward to it. I look forward to it. And I look forward to speaking, really, before the world. We have a lot of great things to say."^[10]^[11]

The Cabinet of Donald Trump, the heads of the 14 of 15 executive departments, Joint Chiefs of Staff, the nine sitting Supreme Court justices, and members of Congress were invited to attend. Fifteen guests chosen by First LadyMelania Trump were present in the gallery.^[12]Energy SecretaryRick Perry was not in attendance as he was named the designated survivor.^[13]

Postponement[edit]

Originally scheduled for January 29,^[14] House Speaker, Nancy Pelosi, communicated on January 16 that pursuant to the month-long shutdown of the federal government, citing fears of security concerns regarding unpaid Secret Service members, the President could reschedule the Address or submit a written State of the Union to Congress.^[15]^[16]^[17]^{[Notes 1]}^[18] Pelosi formally communicated on January 23 that a resolution authorizing the speech in the House chamber would not be considered until the shutdown had ended.^[19] Trump announced he would wait to give the State of the Union Address after the end of the shutdown.^[20] The shutdown was suspended on January 25,^[21]^{[Notes 2]} and on January 28, Pelosi issued an invitation for Trump to deliver the Address in the Capitol Building on February 5, 2019.^[22] On the same day, Trump accepted Pelosi's proposed date.^[23]^[24]

Address[edit]

Photo taken during the 2019 State of the Union address

The State of the Union Address was given at 9:00 p.m. EST on February 5, 2019. President Trump began the address without an introduction from Speaker Pelosi, breaking with a SOTU custom.^[25] During the speech, Vice President Mike Pence and Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi sat behind Trump. U.S. Secretary of EnergyRick Perry was named the designated survivor and was at an undisclosed location during the address so that, in case of a catastrophe, the continuity of government would be upheld.^[13]

The speech lasted 82 minutes, making it the third longest State of the Union Address.^[1] During the speech, Trump discussed bipartisanship, the economy, jobs, unemployment, tax reform, energy production, unity, the opioid crisis, prison reform, immigration, border security, the border wall, trade, infrastructure, prescription drugs, HIV/AIDS, cancer, family leave, abortion, national security, North Korea, Venezuela, the Middle East, ISIS, Afghanistan, Iran, antisemitism, veterans, and opportunity. He also discussed the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty, socialism, and the War in Afghanistan.

During the address, President Trump announced his next summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. The summit took place on February 27–28, 2019 in Vietnam.^[26]

In his Address, Trump asserted that "The savage gang MS-13 now operates in at least 20 different American states and they almost all come through our southern border... Just yesterday, an MS-13 gang member was taken into custody for a fatal shooting on a subway platform in New York City. We are removing these gang members by the thousands, but until we secure our border, they are going to keep streaming right back in."^[27]^[28]The Washington Post fact checker found that MS-13 is active primarily in Los Angeles, Long Island (New York), and the Washington, D.C. metro area. The Washington Post also concluded that 1,332 illegal alien members of MS-13 were deported in fiscal year 2018.^[29]

Protests[edit]

A group of female Democratic members of Congress wore white to highlight women's rights

A group of female Democratic members of Congress and their guests wore white (the color of the women's suffrage movement) to bring notice to women's rights.^[30]^[31]Steny Hoyer also handed out white ribbons to males.^[31]

Each member of Congress is allowed to bring one guest and several Democratic members of Congress brought various guests to send a message.^[31] Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez brought a sexual assault survivor,^[32]Pramila Jayapal brought a climate change scientist,^[33] and Ilhan Omar brought an undocumented immigrant threatened with deportation.^[34]

Several Democratic members of congress boycotted Trump's speech in protest, including Earl Blumenauer, Steve Cohen, John Lewis, and Hank Johnson.^[35]

Notable invitations[edit]

Timothy Matson – Police officer with the Pittsburgh Police Department and a member of the SWAT team that responded to the October 2018 Pittsburgh synagogue shooting incident. One of several officers wounded during the attack, Matson was struck 7 times by gunfire during the exchange with Robert Gregory Bowers, the alleged perpetrator of the attack.^[36]^[37]
Judah Samet – Survivor of the Holocaust and the Pittsburgh synagogue shooting that occurred at the Tree of Life synagogue where Samet has been a member for 54 years.^[38] During the address, Trump mentioned that "Today is Judah's 81st birthday" after which the chamber and attendees honored Mr. Samet by singing Happy Birthday.^[36]^[39]
Buzz Aldrin – Retired USAFColonel, Korean War veteran, astronaut on Gemini 12 and Apollo 11, second man to walk on the Moon.^[36]
Alice Marie Johnson – Charged with a mandatory life sentence without parole in connection to a nonviolent drug crime. President Trump granted Johnson clemency after learning about her story from Kim Kardashian.^[36]^[40]
Elvin Hernandez – A Special Agent with the Trafficking in Persons Unit of the Department of Homeland Security’s Homeland Security Investigations division. Hernandez has more than 18 years of federal law enforcement experience investigating narcotics, gangs, and human trafficking.^[36]
Herman Zeitchik – At age 18, Herman Zeitchik was among the 4th Infantry Division soldiers who landed at Utah Beach early on the morning of June 6, 1944. Zeitchik helped liberate Paris, hold back the Nazis at the Battle of the Bulge, and free starving prisoners at the Dachau Concentration Camp.^[36]
Joseph Reilly – The night before American soldiers stormed the beaches of Normandy, Reilly and the 101st Airborne Division parachuted behind enemy lines. He and his fellow soldiers helped secure Utah Beach and the first foothold in America's liberation of Western Europe. Reilly also fought in Operation Market Garden, Battle of the Bulge, and the battle of the Ruhr Pocket.^[36]
Irving Locker – American veteran Irving Locker landed at Utah Beach on D-Day with the 116th AAA gun battalion. He fought through five major battles of World War II, including the Battle of the Bulge, and later helped liberate a Holocaust concentration camp.^[36]
Joshua Kaufman – Kaufman endured the horrors of Auschwitz and survived the Dachau Concentration Camp, where he was saved by American soldiers which included Herman Zeitchik. By the end of the war, Joshua had lost most of his family. He left Europe for Israel in 1949 and joined the Israel Defense Forces, fighting in several wars.^[36]
Matthew Charles – In 1996, he was sentenced to 35 years in prison for selling crack cocaine and other related offenses. While in prison, Charles found God, completed more than 30 Bible studies, became a law clerk, taught GED classes, and mentored fellow inmates. On January 3, 2019, Charles was the first prisoner released as a result of the First Step Act.

Responses[edit]

On January 29, 2019, Senate Minority LeaderChuck Schumer (D-NY) announced that Stacey Abrams would deliver the Democratic response to 2019 State of the Union Address. California Attorney General Xavier Becerra gave the Spanish-language response.^[2]^[3]^[4]

The response by the Libertarian Party was given by Jeff Hewitt.^[41]^[42] Independent Senator Bernie Sanders also gave a response to address.^[43]^[44]

Coverage[edit]

The State of the Union Address was televised on all the major U.S. broadcast and cable television networks. Facebook and Twitterstreamed the address online.^[45]

Viewership[edit]

Total cable and network viewers^[46]

Network	Viewers
FNC	11,122,000
NBC	7,142,000
CBS	6,679,000
ABC	5,905,000
Fox	4,169,000
MSNBC	3,785,000
CNN	3,442,000

Broadcast news channels

Network news channels

Reactions[edit]

Polls conducted by CBS gauged approval of speech, viewership, among other things. A poll by CBS found 76% of people approved of the speech.^[47] Another poll by CBS based on party identification found that 43% of Republicans, 24% of Democrats, and 30% of Independents watched the address.^[47] Another poll based on party identification found that 97% of Republicans, 30% of Democrats, and 82% of Independents approved the message of the speech.^[47]

Polls conducted by CNN gauged approval of speech, policy approval, among other things.^[48] 59% of viewers approved the President's address.^[48] 71% of viewers thought that the President's policies were moving the country in the right direction; 76% on economy, 70% on trade and national security, 68% on immigration, and 65% on taxes.^[48]

Fundraising by Trump's 2020 campaign[edit]

A fundraising effort by Trump's 2020 campaign on the days leading to the address and on the day of the address raised $2.4 million from 76,000 donors. His campaign displayed names of donors on a live streaming broadcast of the event on Donald Trump's Facebook page. This is comparable to fundraising for Trump's 2020 campaign that occurred during the 2018 address that similarly included the display of names of donors on a streaming broadcast online.^[49]

References[edit]

Notes[edit]

^In Pelosi's January 16 letter, she wrote that in September 2018, Secretary of Homeland SecurityKirstjen Nielsen had designated State of the Union Addresses as National Special Security Event (NSSEs) in 2018 to ensure adequate security for the events which requires weeks of preparation. Nielsen responded by saying DHS was "fully prepared" for the Address.
^The terms of ending the shutdown allow three weeks for Congress to negotiate and potentially pass a new funding bill. Failure to pass a bill by that deadline could result in another shutdown.

Citations[edit]

^ ^a^b"Longest State of the Union speech? So close ..."NBC News. February 4, 2019. Retrieved February 5, 2019.
^ ^a^bLevine, Marianne (January 29, 2019). "Stacey Abrams to give Democratic response to State of the Union". Politico. Arlington County, Virginia: Capitol News Company. Retrieved January 30, 2019.
^ ^a^bPathé, Simone (January 29, 2019). "Stacey Abrams to give Democratic Response to State of The Union Address". Roll Call. Washington, D.C.: FiscalNote. Retrieved January 29, 2019.
^ ^a^bBernal, Rafael (January 29, 2019). "California AG Becerra to give Spanish-language SOTU Response". The Hill. Washington, D.C.: Capital Hill Publishing Corp. Retrieved January 30, 2019.
^"Nearly 47 Million Viewers Watch President Trump's State of the Union Address". www.nielsen.com. Retrieved February 21, 2019.
^"Constitution of the United States". United States Senate. Washington, D.C.: Library of Congress. Retrieved January 6, 2019.
^Griffiths, Brent D. (January 3, 2019). "Pelosi invites Trump to give State of the Union on Jan. 29". Politico. Arlington County, Virginia: Capitol News Company. Retrieved January 6, 2019.
^Watkins, Eli (January 3, 2019). "Pelosi invites Trump to deliver State of the Union on January 29". CNN. Atlanta: Turner Broadcasting System. Retrieved January 6, 2019.
^Marcos, Christina (January 3, 2019). "Pelosi invites Trump to give State of the Union on January 29". The Hill. Washington, D.C.: Capitol Hill Publishing Corp. Retrieved January 6, 2019.
^Office of the Press Secretary (January 6, 2019). "Remarks by President Trump Before Marine One Departure". whitehouse.gov. Washington, D.C. Retrieved January 7, 2019 – via National Archives.
^"Trump says look forward to State of the Union address to speak before world". The Times of India. Mumbai: The Times Group. January 7, 2019. Retrieved January 7, 2019.
^Earl, Jennifer (January 9, 2019). "When is the 2019 State of the Union address? Everything to know about Trump's second speech to Congress". Fox News. New York City: Fox Corporation. Retrieved January 13, 2019.
^ ^a^bFritze, John; Hayes, Christal (February 5, 2019). "Designated survivor for State of the Union address: Rick Perry". USA Today. Retrieved February 5, 2019.
^Pelosi, Nancy (January 4, 2019). "Speaker Nancy Pelosi (3 January 2019) Pelosi Invites President Trump to Deliver State of the Union Address". United States House of Representatives. Washington, D.C.: Library of Congress. Retrieved January 29, 2019.
^Blake, Aaron (January 16, 2019). "Pelosi's bold letter about postponing Trump's State of the Union, annotated". The Washington Post. Washington, D.C.: Nash Holdings. Retrieved January 16, 2019.
^Werner, Erica; Costa, Robert; Wagner, John (January 16, 2019). "Pelosi asks Trump to postpone State of the Union address because of shutdown — or deliver it in writing". The Washington Post. Washington, D.C.: Nash Holdings. Retrieved January 16, 2019.
^Allen, Jonathan; Shabad, Rebecca (January 16, 2019). "Pelosi asks Trump to move State of the Union or submit it in writing". NBC News. New York City: NBC. Retrieved January 16, 2019.
^Mangan, Dan; Breuninger, Kevin (January 16, 2019). "Homeland Security ready to protect Trump's State of the Union". CNBC. United States: NBCUniversal Television Group. Retrieved January 16, 2019.
^Ballhaus, Rebecca; Peterson, Kristina (January 23, 2019). "Trump, Pelosi Trade Barbs Over State of the Union Address". The Wall Street Journal. New York City: Dow Jones & Company. Retrieved January 23, 2019.
^March, Mary Tyler (January 23, 2019). "Trump: I will deliver State of the Union 'when the shutdown is over'". The Hill. Washington, D.C.: Capitol Hill Publishing Corp. Retrieved January 23, 2019.
^Silbiger, Sarah (January 25, 2019). "Trump Signs Bill Reopening Government for 3 Weeks in Surprise Retreat From Wall". The New York Times. New York City. Retrieved January 29, 2019.
^Vucc, Evan (January 28, 2019). "State of the Union 2019: Nancy Pelosi invites Donald Trump to give address on February 5". WLS-TV. Chicago: Disney–ABC Television Group. CNN. Retrieved January 28, 2019.
^"Trump, Pelosi agree on Feb. 5 for State of the Union address". WJW. Cleveland: Tribune Broadcasting. Associated Press. January 28, 2019. Retrieved January 28, 2019.
^Mitovich, Matt Webb (January 29, 2019). "State of the Union Rescheduled, Stacey Abrams to Give Democratic Response — Which Shows Are Preempted?". TVLine. United States: TVLine Media, LLC (Penske Media Corporation). Retrieved January 29, 2019.
^Abrams, Abigail (February 5, 2019). "Donald Trump Did Not Wait for Nancy Pelosi to Introduce Him During the State of the Union". Time. Retrieved February 5, 2019.
^"Second Trump-Kim summit to be held in Vietnam on February 27–28". www.aljazeera.com. Retrieved February 6, 2019.
^"MS-13 gang member arrested in Queens subway shooting, 2 others sought". WABC-TV. February 6, 2019. Retrieved February 6, 2019.
^Lind, Dara (February 5, 2019). "Trump has a long history of fearmongering about immigrant murder". Vox. Retrieved February 6, 2019.
^Kessler, Glenn; Rizzo, Salvador; Kelly, Kelly (February 6, 2019). "Fact-checking President Trump's 2019 State of the Union address". Washington Post. Retrieved February 6, 2019.
^"Women send political message by wearing white to Trump's State of the Union". ABC News.
^ ^a^b^c"How Democrats Are Using Guests to Send Messages at the State of the Union". New York Times.
^"Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's State of the Union guest is activist who confronted Jeff Flake in elevator". CBS News. February 5, 2019. Retrieved February 6, 2019.
^"The glaring hole in Trump's address: Climate change". Washington Post. February 6, 2019. Retrieved February 6, 2019.
^Stolberg, Sheryl Gay (February 4, 2019). "How Democrats Are Using Guests to Send Messages at the State of the Union". The New York Times. Retrieved February 6, 2019.
^"Democrats boycotting State of the Union 2019". Fox News.
^ ^a^b^c^d^e^f^g^hⁱ"State of the Union". whitehouse.gov. February 5, 2019. Retrieved February 7, 2019 – via National Archives.
^"What we know about the officers injured in synagogue shooting". WPXI. November 7, 2018. Retrieved February 7, 2019.
^Stanley-Becker, Issac (October 27, 2018). "In Pittsburgh, a Holocaust survivor was four minutes late to synagogue, escaping death a second time". Washington Post. Retrieved February 7, 2019.
^Miller, Ryan W. (February 5, 2019). "Anti-Semitism almost killed him – twice. At the State of the Union, Congress sang him 'Happy Birthday'". USA TODAY. Retrieved February 6, 2019.
^Baker, Peter (June 6, 2018). "Alice Marie Johnson Is Granted Clemency by Trump After Push by Kim Kardashian West". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved February 6, 2019.
^"Libertarian Party's 2019 State of the Union Address".
^"The Libertarian Party State of the Union: 'Americans deserve better' than 'Republicans and Democrats careen[ing] toward socialism and fascism'".
^Rodrigo, Chris Mills (February 4, 2019). "Bernie Sanders to deliver his own State of the Union response". TheHill. Retrieved February 6, 2019.
^Herreria, Carla (February 6, 2019). "Bernie Sanders Uses Rebuttal To Fact-Check Trump's State Of The Union Speech". The Huffington Post. Retrieved February 6, 2019.
^Mathews, Liam (February 4, 2018). "How to Watch the State of the Union". TV Guide. Retrieved February 5, 2018.
^Katz, A.J. (February 6, 2019). "For the Second Consecutive Year, Fox News Is Most-Watched for Pres. Trump's State of the Union". TVNewser. Retrieved February 6, 2019.
^ ^a^b^c"Most viewers approved of Trump's second State of the Union address". www.cbsnews.com. February 6, 2019. Retrieved February 6, 2019.
^ ^a^b^c"Speech audience was most partisan since 2001". CNN. February 6, 2019. Retrieved February 6, 2019.
^Bedard, Paul (February 5, 2019). "Trump raises $2.4 million from 76,000 in SOTU pitch, a new record". Washington Examiner. Retrieved February 5, 2019.

External links[edit]

Sours: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2019_State_of_the_Union_Address

Speech 2019 sotu

State of the Union 2019: Read the full transcript

Madam Speaker, Mr. Vice President, Members of Congress, the First Lady of the United States, and my fellow Americans:

We meet tonight at a moment of unlimited potential. As we begin a new Congress, I stand here ready to work with you to achieve historic breakthroughs for all Americans.

Millions of our fellow citizens are watching us now, gathered in this great chamber, hoping that we will govern not as two parties but as one Nation.

The agenda I will lay out this evening is not a Republican agenda or a Democrat agenda. It is the agenda of the American people.

Many of us campaigned on the same core promises: to defend American jobs and demand fair trade for American workers; to rebuild and revitalize our Nation's infrastructure; to reduce the price of healthcare and prescription drugs; to create an immigration system that is safe, lawful, modern and secure; and to pursue a foreign policy that puts America's interests first.

There is a new opportunity in American politics, if only we have the courage to seize it. Victory is not winning for our party. Victory is winning for our country.

This year, America will recognize two important anniversaries that show us the majesty of America's mission, and the power of American pride.

In June, we mark 75 years since the start of what General Dwight D. Eisenhower called the Great Crusade -- the Allied liberation of Europe in World War II. On D-Day, June 6, 1944, 15,000 young American men jumped from the sky, and 60,000 more stormed in from the sea, to save our civilization from tyranny. Here with us tonight are three of those heroes: Private First Class Joseph Reilly, Staff Sergeant Irving Locker, and Sergeant Herman Zeitchik. Gentlemen, we salute you.

In 2019, we also celebrate 50 years since brave young pilots flew a quarter of a million miles through space to plant the American flag on the face of the moon. Half a century later, we are joined by one of the Apollo 11 astronauts who planted that flag: Buzz Aldrin. This year, American astronauts will go back to space on American rockets.

In the 20th century, America saved freedom, transformed science, and redefined the middle class standard of living for the entire world to see. Now, we must step boldly and bravely into the next chapter of this great American adventure, and we must create a new standard of living for the 21st century. An amazing quality of life for all of our citizens is within our reach.

We can make our communities safer, our families stronger, our culture richer, our faith deeper, and our middle class bigger and more prosperous than ever before.

But we must reject the politics of revenge, resistance, and retribution -- and embrace the boundless potential of cooperation, compromise, and the common good.

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. The decision is ours to make.

We must choose between greatness or gridlock, results or resistance, vision or vengeance, incredible progress or pointless destruction.

Tonight, I ask you to choose greatness.

Over the last 2 years, my Administration has moved with urgency and historic speed to confront problems neglected by leaders of both parties over many decades.

In just over 2 years since the election, we have launched an unprecedented economic boom -- a boom that has rarely been seen before. We have created 5.3 million new jobs and importantly added 600,000 new manufacturing jobs -- something which almost everyone said was impossible to do, but the fact is, we are just getting started.

Wages are rising at the fastest pace in decades, and growing for blue collar workers, who I promised to fight for, faster than anyone else. Nearly 5 million Americans have been lifted off food stamps. The United States economy is growing almost twice as fast today as when I took office, and we are considered far and away the hottest economy anywhere in the world. Unemployment has reached the lowest rate in half a century. African-American, Hispanic-American and Asian-American unemployment have all reached their lowest levels ever recorded. Unemployment for Americans with disabilities has also reached an all-time low. More people are working now than at any time in our history --- 157 million.

We passed a massive tax cut for working families and doubled the child tax credit.

We virtually ended the estate, or death, tax on small businesses, ranches, and family farms.

We eliminated the very unpopular Obamacare individual mandate penalty -- and to give critically ill patients access to life-saving cures, we passed right to try.

My Administration has cut more regulations in a short time than any other administration during its entire tenure. Companies are coming back to our country in large numbers thanks to historic reductions in taxes and regulations.

We have unleashed a revolution in American energy -- the United States is now the number one producer of oil and natural gas in the world. And now, for the first time in 65 years, we are a net exporter of energy.

After 24 months of rapid progress, our economy is the envy of the world, our military is the most powerful on earth, and America is winning each and every day. Members of Congress: the State of our Union is strong. Our country is vibrant and our economy is thriving like never before.

On Friday, it was announced that we added another 304,000 jobs last month alone -- almost double what was expected. An economic miracle is taking place in the United States -- and the only thing that can stop it are foolish wars, politics, or ridiculous partisan investigations.

If there is going to be peace and legislation, there cannot be war and investigation. It just doesn't work that way!

We must be united at home to defeat our adversaries abroad.

This new era of cooperation can start with finally confirming the more than 300 highly qualified nominees who are still stuck in the Senate -- some after years of waiting. The Senate has failed to act on these nominations, which is unfair to the nominees and to our country.

Now is the time for bipartisan action. Believe it or not, we have already proven that it is possible.

In the last Congress, both parties came together to pass unprecedented legislation to confront the opioid crisis, a sweeping new Farm Bill, historic VA reforms, and after four decades of rejection, we passed VA Accountability so we can finally terminate those who mistreat our wonderful veterans.

And just weeks ago, both parties united for groundbreaking criminal justice reform. Last year, I heard through friends the story of Alice Johnson. I was deeply moved. In 1997, Alice was sentenced to life in prison as a first-time non-violent drug offender. Over the next two decades, she became a prison minister, inspiring others to choose a better path. She had a big impact on that prison population -- and far beyond.

Alice's story underscores the disparities and unfairness that can exist in criminal sentencing -- and the need to remedy this injustice. She served almost 22 years and had expected to be in prison for the rest of her life.

In June, I commuted Alice's sentence -- and she is here with us tonight. Alice, thank you for reminding us that we always have the power to shape our own destiny.

When I saw Alice's beautiful family greet her at the prison gates, hugging and kissing and crying and laughing, I knew I did the right thing.

Inspired by stories like Alice's, my Administration worked closely with members of both parties to sign the First Step Act into law. This legislation reformed sentencing laws that have wrongly and disproportionately harmed the African-American community. The First Step Act gives non-violent offenders the chance to re-enter society as productive, law-abiding citizens. Now, States across the country are following our lead. America is a Nation that believes in redemption.

We are also joined tonight by Matthew Charles from Tennessee. In 1996, at age 30, Matthew was sentenced to 35 years for selling drugs and related offenses. Over the next two decades, he completed more than 30 Bible studies, became a law clerk, and mentored fellow inmates. Now, Matthew is the very first person to be released from prison under the First Step Act. Matthew, on behalf of all Americans: welcome home.

As we have seen, when we are united, we can make astonishing strides for our country. Now, Republicans and Democrats must join forces again to confront an urgent national crisis.

The Congress has 10 days left to pass a bill that will fund our Government, protect our homeland, and secure our southern border.

Now is the time for the Congress to show the world that America is committed to ending illegal immigration and putting the ruthless coyotes, cartels, drug dealers, and human traffickers out of business.

As we speak, large, organized caravans are on the march to the United States. We have just heard that Mexican cities, in order to remove the illegal immigrants from their communities, are getting trucks and buses to bring them up to our country in areas where there is little border protection. I have ordered another 3,750 troops to our southern border to prepare for the tremendous onslaught.

This is a moral issue. The lawless state of our southern border is a threat to the safety, security, and financial well‑being of all Americans. We have a moral duty to create an immigration system that protects the lives and jobs of our citizens. This includes our obligation to the millions of immigrants living here today, who followed the rules and respected our laws. Legal immigrants enrich our Nation and strengthen our society in countless ways. I want people to come into our country, but they have to come in legally.

Tonight, I am asking you to defend our very dangerous southern border out of love and devotion to our fellow citizens and to our country.

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.

Meanwhile, working class Americans are left to pay the price for mass illegal migration -- reduced jobs, lower wages, overburdened schools and hospitals, increased crime, and a depleted social safety net.

Tolerance for illegal immigration is not compassionate -- it is cruel. One in three women is sexually assaulted on the long journey north. Smugglers use migrant children as human pawns to exploit our laws and gain access to our country.

Human traffickers and sex traffickers take advantage of the wide open areas between our ports of entry to smuggle thousands of young girls and women into the United States and to sell them into prostitution and modern-day slavery.

Tens of thousands of innocent Americans are killed by lethal drugs that cross our border and flood into our cities -- including meth, heroin, cocaine, and fentanyl.

The savage gang, MS-13, now operates in 20 different American States, and they almost all come through our southern border. Just yesterday, an MS-13 gang member was taken into custody for a fatal shooting on a subway platform in New York City. We are removing these gang members by the thousands, but until we secure our border they're going to keep streaming back in.

Year after year, countless Americans are murdered by criminal illegal aliens.

I've gotten to know many wonderful Angel Moms, Dads, and families -- no one should ever have to suffer the horrible heartache they have endured.

Here tonight is Debra Bissell. Just three weeks ago, Debra's parents, Gerald and Sharon, were burglarized and shot to death in their Reno, Nevada, home by an illegal alien. They were in their eighties and are survived by four children, 11 grandchildren, and 20 great-grandchildren. Also here tonight are Gerald and Sharon's granddaughter, Heather, and great‑granddaughter, Madison.

To Debra, Heather, Madison, please stand: few can understand your pain. But I will never forget, and I will fight for the memory of Gerald and Sharon, that it should never happen again.

Not one more American life should be lost because our Nation failed to control its very dangerous border.

In the last 2 years, our brave ICE officers made 266,000 arrests of criminal aliens, including those charged or convicted of nearly 100,000 assaults, 30,000 sex crimes, and 4,000 killings.

We are joined tonight by one of those law enforcement heroes: ICE Special Agent Elvin Hernandez. When Elvin was a boy, he and his family legally immigrated to the United States from the Dominican Republic. At the age of eight, Elvin told his dad he wanted to become a Special Agent. Today, he leads investigations into the scourge of international sex trafficking. Elvin says: "If I can make sure these young girls get their justice, I've done my job." Thanks to his work and that of his colleagues, more than 300 women and girls have been rescued from horror and more than 1,500 sadistic traffickers have been put behind bars in the last year.

Special Agent Hernandez, please stand: We will always support the brave men and women of Law Enforcement -- and I pledge to you tonight that we will never abolish our heroes from ICE.

My Administration has sent to the Congress a commonsense proposal to end the crisis on our southern border.

It includes humanitarian assistance, more law enforcement, drug detection at our ports, closing loopholes that enable child smuggling, and plans for a new physical barrier, or wall, to secure the vast areas between our ports of entry. In the past, most of the people in this room voted for a wall -- but the proper wall never got built. I'll get it built.

This is a smart, strategic, see-through steel barrier -- not just a simple concrete wall. It will be deployed in the areas identified by border agents as having the greatest need, and as these agents will tell you, where walls go up, illegal crossings go way down.

San Diego used to have the most illegal border crossings in the country. In response, and at the request of San Diego residents and political leaders, a strong security wall was put in place. This powerful barrier almost completely ended illegal crossings.

The border city of El Paso, Texas, used to have extremely high rates of violent crime -- one of the highest in the country, and considered one of our Nation's most dangerous cities. Now, with a powerful barrier in place, El Paso is one of our safest cities.

Simply put, walls work and walls save lives. So let's work together, compromise, and reach a deal that will truly make America safe.

As we work to defend our people's safety, we must also ensure our economic resurgence continues at a rapid pace.

No one has benefitted more from our thriving economy than women, who have filled 58 percent of the new jobs created in the last year. All Americans can be proud that we have more women in the workforce than ever before -- and exactly one century after the Congress passed the Constitutional amendment giving women the right to vote, we also have more women serving in the Congress than ever before.

As part of our commitment to improving opportunity for women everywhere, this Thursday we are launching the first ever Government-wide initiative focused on economic empowerment for women in developing countries.

To build on our incredible economic success, one priority is paramount -- reversing decades of calamitous trade policies.

We are now making it clear to China that after years of targeting our industries, and stealing our intellectual property, the theft of American jobs and wealth has come to an end.

Therefore, we recently imposed tariffs on $250 billion of Chinese goods -- and now our Treasury is receiving billions of dollars a month from a country that never gave us a dime. But I don't blame China for taking advantage of us -- I blame our leaders and representatives for allowing this travesty to happen. I have great respect for President Xi, and we are now working on a new trade deal with China. But it must include real, structural change to end unfair trade practices, reduce our chronic trade deficit, and protect American jobs.

Another historic trade blunder was the catastrophe known as NAFTA.

I have met the men and women of Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Indiana, New Hampshire, and many other States whose dreams were shattered by NAFTA. For years, politicians promised them they would negotiate for a better deal. But no one ever tried -- until now.

Our new U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement -- or USMCA -- will replace NAFTA and deliver for American workers: bringing back our manufacturing jobs, expanding American agriculture, protecting intellectual property, and ensuring that more cars are proudly stamped with four beautiful words: made in the USA.

Tonight, I am also asking you to pass the United States Reciprocal Trade Act, so that if another country places an unfair tariff on an American product, we can charge them the exact same tariff on the same product that they sell to us.

Both parties should be able to unite for a great rebuilding of America's crumbling infrastructure.

I know that the Congress is eager to pass an infrastructure bill -- and I am eager to work with you on legislation to deliver new and important infrastructure investment, including investments in the cutting edge industries of the future. This is not an option. This is a necessity.

The next major priority for me, and for all of us, should be to lower the cost of healthcare and prescription drugs -- and to protect patients with pre-existing conditions.

Already, as a result of my Administration's efforts, in 2018 drug prices experienced their single largest decline in 46 years.

But we must do more. It is unacceptable that Americans pay vastly more than people in other countries for the exact same drugs, often made in the exact same place. This is wrong, unfair, and together we can stop it.

I am asking the Congress to pass legislation that finally takes on the problem of global freeloading and delivers fairness and price transparency for American patients. We should also require drug companies, insurance companies, and hospitals to disclose real prices to foster competition and bring costs down.

No force in history has done more to advance the human condition than American freedom. In recent years we have made remarkable progress in the fight against HIV and AIDS. Scientific breakthroughs have brought a once-distant dream within reach. My budget will ask Democrats and Republicans to make the needed commitment to eliminate the HIV epidemic in the United States within 10 years. Together, we will defeat AIDS in America.

Tonight, I am also asking you to join me in another fight that all Americans can get behind: the fight against childhood cancer.

Joining Melania in the gallery this evening is a very brave 10-year-old girl, Grace Eline. Every birthday since she was 4, Grace asked her friends to donate to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. She did not know that one day she might be a patient herself. Last year, Grace was diagnosed with brain cancer. Immediately, she began radiation treatment. At the same time, she rallied her community and raised more than $40,000 for the fight against cancer. When Grace completed treatment last fall, her doctors and nurses cheered with tears in their eyes as she hung up a poster that read: "Last Day of Chemo." Grace -- you are an inspiration to us all.

Many childhood cancers have not seen new therapies in decades. My budget will ask the Congress for $500 million over the next 10 years to fund this critical life-saving research.

To help support working parents, the time has come to pass school choice for America's children. I am also proud to be the first President to include in my budget a plan for nationwide paid family leave -- so that every new parent has the chance to bond with their newborn child.

There could be no greater contrast to the beautiful image of a mother holding her infant child than the chilling displays our Nation saw in recent days. Lawmakers in New York cheered with delight upon the passage of legislation that would allow a baby to be ripped from the mother's womb moments before birth. These are living, feeling, beautiful babies who will never get the chance to share their love and dreams with the world. And then, we had the case of the Governor of Virginia where he basically stated he would execute a baby after birth.

To defend the dignity of every person, I am asking the Congress to pass legislation to prohibit the late-term abortion of children who can feel pain in the mother's womb.

Let us work together to build a culture that cherishes innocent life. And let us reaffirm a fundamental truth: all children -- born and unborn -- are made in the holy image of God.

The final part of my agenda is to protect America's National Security.

Over the last 2 years, we have begun to fully rebuild the United States Military -- with $700 billion last year and $716 billion this year. We are also getting other nations to pay their fair share. For years, the United States was being treated very unfairly by NATO -- but now we have secured a $100 billion increase in defense spending from NATO allies.

As part of our military build-up, the United States is developing a state-of-the-art Missile Defense System.

Under my Administration, we will never apologize for advancing America's interests.

For example, decades ago the United States entered into a treaty with Russia in which we agreed to limit and reduce our missile capabilities. While we followed the agreement to the letter, Russia repeatedly violated its terms. That is why I announced that the United States is officially withdrawing from the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty, or INF Treaty.

Perhaps we can negotiate a different agreement, adding China and others, or perhaps we can't --- in which case, we will outspend and out-innovate all others by far.

As part of a bold new diplomacy, we continue our historic push for peace on the Korean Peninsula. Our hostages have come home, nuclear testing has stopped, and there has not been a missile launch in 15 months. If I had not been elected President of the United States, we would right now, in my opinion, be in a major war with North Korea with potentially millions of people killed. Much work remains to be done, but my relationship with Kim Jong Un is a good one. And Chairman Kim and I will meet again on February 27 and 28 in Vietnam.

Two weeks ago, the United States officially recognized the legitimate government of Venezuela, and its new interim President, Juan Guaido.

We stand with the Venezuelan people in their noble quest for freedom -- and we condemn the brutality of the Maduro regime, whose socialist policies have turned that nation from being the wealthiest in South America into a state of abject poverty and despair.

Here, in the United States, we are alarmed by new calls to adopt socialism in our country. America was founded on liberty and independence --- not government coercion, domination, and control. We are born free, and we will stay free. Tonight, we renew our resolve that America will never be a socialist country.

One of the most complex set of challenges we face is in the Middle East.

Our approach is based on principled realism -- not discredited theories that have failed for decades to yield progress. For this reason, my Administration recognized the true capital of Israel -- and proudly opened the American Embassy in Jerusalem.

Our brave troops have now been fighting in the Middle East for almost 19 years. In Afghanistan and Iraq, nearly 7,000 American heroes have given their lives. More than 52,000 Americans have been badly wounded. We have spent more than $7 trillion in the Middle East.

As a candidate for President, I pledged a new approach. Great nations do not fight endless wars.

When I took office, ISIS controlled more than 20,000 square miles in Iraq and Syria. Today, we have liberated virtually all of that territory from the grip of these bloodthirsty killers.

Now, as we work with our allies to destroy the remnants of ISIS, it is time to give our brave warriors in Syria a warm welcome home.

I have also accelerated our negotiations to reach a political settlement in Afghanistan. Our troops have fought with unmatched valor -- and thanks to their bravery, we are now able to pursue a political solution to this long and bloody conflict.

In Afghanistan, my Administration is holding constructive talks with a number of Afghan groups, including the Taliban. As we make progress in these negotiations, we will be able to reduce our troop presence and focus on counter-terrorism. We do not know whether we will achieve an agreement -- but we do know that after two decades of war, the hour has come to at least try for peace.

Above all, friend and foe alike must never doubt this Nation's power and will to defend our people. Eighteen years ago, terrorists attacked the USS Cole -- and last month American forces killed one of the leaders of the attack.

We are honored to be joined tonight by Tom Wibberley, whose son, Navy Seaman Craig Wibberley, was one of the 17 sailors we tragically lost. Tom: we vow to always remember the heroes of the USS Cole.

My Administration has acted decisively to confront the world's leading state sponsor of terror: the radical regime in Iran.

To ensure this corrupt dictatorship never acquires nuclear weapons, I withdrew the United States from the disastrous Iran nuclear deal. And last fall, we put in place the toughest sanctions ever imposed on a country.

We will not avert our eyes from a regime that chants death to America and threatens genocide against the Jewish people. We must never ignore the vile poison of anti-Semitism, or those who spread its venomous creed. With one voice, we must confront this hatred anywhere and everywhere it occurs.

Just months ago, 11 Jewish-Americans were viciously murdered in an anti-semitic attack on the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh. SWAT Officer Timothy Matson raced into the gunfire and was shot seven times chasing down the killer. Timothy has just had his 12th surgery -- but he made the trip to be here with us tonight. Officer Matson: we are forever grateful for your courage in the face of evil.

Tonight, we are also joined by Pittsburgh survivor Judah Samet. He arrived at the synagogue as the massacre began. But not only did Judah narrowly escape death last fall -- more than seven decades ago, he narrowly survived the Nazi concentration camps. Today is Judah's 81st birthday. Judah says he can still remember the exact moment, nearly 75 years ago, after 10 months in a concentration camp, when he and his family were put on a train, and told they were going to another camp. Suddenly the train screeched to a halt. A soldier appeared. Judah's family braced for the worst. Then, his father cried out with joy: "It's the Americans."

A second Holocaust survivor who is here tonight, Joshua Kaufman, was a prisoner at Dachau Concentration Camp. He remembers watching through a hole in the wall of a cattle car as American soldiers rolled in with tanks. "To me," Joshua recalls, "the American soldiers were proof that God exists, and they came down from the sky."

I began this evening by honoring three soldiers who fought on D-Day in the Second World War. One of them was Herman Zeitchik. But there is more to Herman's story. A year after he stormed the beaches of Normandy, Herman was one of those American soldiers who helped liberate Dachau. He was one of the Americans who helped rescue Joshua from that hell on earth. Almost 75 years later, Herman and Joshua are both together in the gallery tonight -- seated side-by-side, here in the home of American freedom. Herman and Joshua: your presence this evening honors and uplifts our entire Nation.

When American soldiers set out beneath the dark skies over the English Channel in the early hours of D-Day, 1944, they were just young men of 18 and 19, hurtling on fragile landing craft toward the most momentous battle in the history of war.

They did not know if they would survive the hour. They did not know if they would grow old. But they knew that America had to prevail. Their cause was this Nation, and generations yet unborn.

Why did they do it? They did it for America -- they did it for us.

Everything that has come since -- our triumph over communism, our giant leaps of science and discovery, our unrivaled progress toward equality and justice -- all of it is possible thanks to the blood and tears and courage and vision of the Americans who came before.

Think of this Capitol -- think of this very chamber, where lawmakers before you voted to end slavery, to build the railroads and the highways, to defeat fascism, to secure civil rights, to face down an evil empire.

Here tonight, we have legislators from across this magnificent republic. You have come from the rocky shores of Maine and the volcanic peaks of Hawaii; from the snowy woods of Wisconsin and the red deserts of Arizona; from the green farms of Kentucky and the golden beaches of California. Together, we represent the most extraordinary Nation in all of history.

What will we do with this moment? How will we be remembered?

I ask the men and women of this Congress: Look at the opportunities before us! Our most thrilling achievements are still ahead. Our most exciting journeys still await. Our biggest victories are still to come. We have not yet begun to dream.

We must choose whether we are defined by our differences -- or whether we dare to transcend them.

We must choose whether we will squander our inheritance -- or whether we will proudly declare that we are Americans. We do the incredible. We defy the impossible. We conquer the unknown.

This is the time to re-ignite the American imagination. This is the time to search for the tallest summit, and set our sights on the brightest star. This is the time to rekindle the bonds of love and loyalty and memory that link us together as citizens, as neighbors, as patriots.

This is our future -- our fate -- and our choice to make. I am asking you to choose greatness.

No matter the trials we face, no matter the challenges to come, we must go forward together.

We must keep America first in our hearts. We must keep freedom alive in our souls. And we must always keep faith in America's destiny -- that one Nation, under God, must be the hope and the promise and the light and the glory among all the nations of the world!

Thank you. God Bless You, God Bless America, and good night!

Sours: https://www.cnn.com/2019/02/05/politics/donald-trump-state-of-the-union-2019-transcript/index.html

2019 State Of The Union: Trump’s Address And Stacey Abrams’ Response - NBC News

FACT CHECK: Trump's State Of The Union Address

President Trump delivers his State of the Union address Tuesday to a joint session of Congress on Capitol Hill in Washington, as Vice President Pence and Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., watch.
Andrew Harnik/AP
Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., right, high fives Nydia Velazquez, D-N.Y., as Democratic members celebrate in the House Chamber.
Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call,Inc.
President Donald Trump delivers his State of the Union address to a joint session of Congress.
Jim Young/Reuters
Supreme Court Justices John Roberts, Elena Kagan and Neil Gorsuch attend the State of the Union address.
Pool/Getty Images
Special guest Grace Eline, left, and sixth grade student Joshua Trump, right, attends the State of the Union address.
Saul Loeb/AFP/Getty Images
Senator from New Jersey Cory Booker greets other lawmakers ahead of the State of the Union address.
Mandel Ngan/AFP/Getty Images
Former NASA astronaut Buzz Aldrin salutes as he is recognized by President Trump during the State of the Union.
Saul Loeb/AFP/Getty Images
President Trump arrives before delivering the State of the Union address.
Zach Gibson/Getty Images
President Trump shakes hands with Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi while joined by Vice President Mike Pence.
Pool/Getty Images
First Lady Melania Trump, center, is greeted, surrounded by special guests of the President.
Mandel Ngan/AFP/Getty Images
Rep. Louie Gohmert (Tx-R), arrives for the State of the Union address.
Saul Loeb/AFP/Getty Images
President Trump arrives to deliver the State of the Union address.
Mandel Ngan/AFP/Getty Images

President Trump delivered his State of the Union address Tuesday night, a speech that had been delayed during the government shutdown.

The annual remarks came as a bipartisan group of lawmakers continue to negotiate border security funding and Trump's wall proposal — the central issue that led to the longest shutdown in U.S. history.

NPR reporters annotated Trump's remarks live, adding context and analysis. Read a fact check of the Democratic response, given by Stacey Abrams, here.

Sours: https://www.npr.org/2019/02/05/690345256/fact-check-trumps-state-of-the-union-address

You will also be interested:

In a hurry to surprise me. When asked why this is so, he simply answered: - It seemed to me that we have not finished everything there, in the summer. What do you say. I hope lovers of romance will appreciate it) If you liked it, like it, I will write more) Group sex, Blowjob, Traditional sex The case that I would. Like to tell you happened in my distant youth, when I just started my service as a lieutenant in a remote and small garrison.

sotu+speech+2019

42121 42122 42123 42124 42125