On Tuesday, Feb. 4, President Trump delivered his final State of the Union address for his first presidential term. The speech was over an hour long and many Americans did not have the chance to sit down and watch it in its entirety. So, here are some takeaways for the citizens that want to stay informed but do not have time to watch the one-hour speech:
There Was No Mention of Impeachment
Despite the impeachment trial looming over President Trump the past month, there was no mention of impeachment in his speech. Instead, he discussed the flourishing economy and the strong military defense.
His Main Talking Point Was the Economy
At the beginning of his speech, the first thing President Trump made note of was how well the economy was doing. He correctly mentioned how the employment rate is the lowest it’s ever been in 50 years. However, he did falsely claim that he set “record-setting tax cuts” and that the United States was the top producer of oil and natural gas. He also discussed how he renegotiated the North American Free Trade Agreement, which is the law he signed last week.
Healthcare
In his speech, he claimed he will protect families with preexisting conditions. However, he wants to repeal the Affordable Care Act that protects preexisting conditions, and he has not come up with a replacement for that yet. President Trump did state that he would sign a bill lowering prescription drug prices if it came to his desk.
The Opioid Epidemic
Since Trump has taken office, he has promised to improve the opioid epidemic. In his State of the Union speech, he stated that drug overdose deaths have declined for the first time in over 30 years. This is true.
He Gave a Presidential Medal of Freedom Out
President Trump also gave a Presidential Medal of Freedom out to Rush Limbaugh, a pro-Trump conservative radio host. The First Lady Melania Trump hung the medal around Limbaugh’s neck, garnering applause from the Republican aisle.
Foreign Affairs
President Trump discussed the tariffs he imposed on China and how they have helped bring American jobs back home. However, economists say the tariffs have weighed on the manufacturing sector and have raised the price of consumer goods. For the last part of foreign policy, Trump mentioned the killings of Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the leader of the Islamic State, and Major General Qassim Suleimani, the Iranian commander. He also said he wanted to bring home troops from Afghanistan.
The Nancy Pelosi Moment
While this has nothing to do with what President Trump actually said, it’s an important moment to note. At the end of the State of the Union, Speaker of the House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi ripped President Trump’s speech into pieces. This has now led to many opinions, but Nancy said that “he shredded the truth so I shredded his speech.”
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