In the longest State of the Union address since 2000, President Trump fulfilled his constitutional obligation in an 80-minute address calling for political unity. In a departure from his typical self-indulgence, the president directed his attention to the accomplishments and potential of the American people. According to The Washington Post, 'he used the word “we” 130 times, “our” 103 times and “us” 15 times. He mentioned “the people” nine times. He used the word “I” just 35 times and “my” 14 times. He went with the second person “you” 25 times, though that includes “thank you.”'
The largest bipartisan item of his speech dealt with his "four pillars" of immigration policy. He offered a broad, 12-year path to citizenship for DREAMers, called for increased border security–including the construction of a wall on the southern border, the repeal of the visa-lottery system, and restricting chain migration. His opposition to chain migration drew the ire of democrats in the chamber. Trump's primary argument against the practice hinged on recent terror attacks in New York, committed by perpetrators who entered the country via the visa-lottery and chain migration. The prosecutors for both cases maintain that the criminals were radicalized long after their move to the United States. His outline of new immigration policy was accompanied by divisive rhetoric: in a contemptible attack on DREAMers, the president touted, "Americans are dreamers, too."
The president also called on congress to appropriate $1.5 trillion in infrastructure spending and claimed that reducing the prices of prescription drugs would be a major priority for his cabinet's agenda in the coming year.
Several democrats, including U.S. Representative and civil rights leader John Lewis, boycotted the speech, citing Trump's recent remarks regarding "shithole countries." Congressional democratic leadership invited DREAMers and members of the #metoo movement to the speech, in protest of the president's deplorable attitude towards immigrants and women.
The speech was followed by a democratic response by U.S. Representative Joe Kennedy III and an appropriately foreboding lunar eclipse.