“The agenda I will lay out this evening is not a Republican agenda or Democrat agenda, it is the agenda of the American people,” said President Trump as he introduced the State of the Union Address this Tuesday. Although this speech started out as a message of unity, this conference only shows how split Congress has become.
After the nation’s longest government shutdown, Congress now seeks a compromise to avoid this event again. However, this State of the Union Address was highly criticized for its irony, and it showed.
The conference began with a sea of white on the Democratic side. All of the Democratic women in office wore white in solidarity with the 100th anniversary of women suffrage, including Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi. Later in the meeting when President Trump recognized the vast increase of women in the workforce and congress, they all led the “U.S.A.” chant.
However, this was one of the few moments of unity throughout the State of the Union Address.
The conference had many moments of tension, including talk of recent investigations regarding Russian collusion during the 2016 presidential election, which has led to the indictment and plea deals of 37 White House officials.
“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,” said President Trump, while Pelosi scoffed at the president’s remarks.
There was also a moment that revealed just how split congress really is: President Trump bringing up the southern border wall.
“The proper wall never got built. I will get it built,” exclaimed President Trump, which was quickly followed by a standing ovation from the Republicans. Meanwhile, the democratic side stayed seated in disapproval.
After President Trump’s State of the Union Address, which lasted over an hour, the Democratic party released a rebuttal.
While talks of unity were not entirely conveyed during President Trump’s State of the Union, the Democratic rebuttal did not shy away from hopes of compromise either.
“We may come from different sides of the political aisle, but our joint commitment to the ideals of this nation cannot be negotiable,” said Stacey Abrams, who previously ran for governor of Georgia. “Our most urgent work is to realize Americans’ dreams of today and tomorrow, to carve a path to independence and prosperity that can last a lifetime.”
However, the Democratic rebuttal was also quick to talk about the continuous push for the southern border wall and the families affected by U.S Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
“We know bipartisanship could craft a 21st century immigration plan, but this administration chooses to cage children and tear families apart,” said Abrams. “America is stronger with immigrants, not walls.”
The Democratic rebuttal further showed how Democrats are willing to make changes to border security, but they refuse to budge from their stance on the wall.
The State of the Union Address had an underlying message of a future of compromise and unifying congress. However, after hearing what each side had to say, it seems that tensions are still high and unity may be a little farther than it was hoped to be.
