January 30, 2018
President Donald Trump stressed the soaring stock market, low unemployment, sweeping tax cuts he signed into law last year, infrastructure and immigration in his first State of the Union address to a joint session of Congress, and the American people, on Tuesday night.
Trump also largely struck to a theme of unity and bipartisanship, calling on Congress to "set aside our differences" and "summon the unity we need to deliver for the people."
And as he gave his wide-ranging, 80-minute speech, Twitter was abuzz with reaction.
Here's a sampling of those who, like congressional Republicans, expressed strong support for the controversial president as he delivered it.
Did you know:
— Charlie Kirk (@charliekirk11) January 31, 2018
President Trump has cancelled and killed more than 1,500 regulations in the last 11 months
The most of any President in history in first year of a Presidency#SOTU
Listening to this speech, I am blown away at all of the accomplishments President Trump has been able to do in just ONE year. #SOTU #StateOfOurUnion
— #ThePersistence (@ScottPresler) January 31, 2018
Barack Obama: "I"
— toddstarnes (@toddstarnes) January 31, 2018
Donald Trump: "We"#SOTU
Lord bless our president tonight! #SOTU #MAGA #MyPresident
— Corinth Adrian (@Cja4th) January 31, 2018
The #President @realDonaldTrump has SO MANY ACCOMPLISHMENTS. Makes it hard to understand the FAKE NEWS and DEMS stuck to their Seats! #SOTU
— Daniel Molina (@um_danny) January 31, 2018
Can someone please tell me how many times, @realDonaldTrump said "Americans" tonight? #SOTU
— Nicnamered (@nicnamered) January 31, 2018
Indeed he is the #AmericaFirst President
President Trump is Amazing, Loving and Caring for All Americans, Our Country is on the Right Track, Finally #SOTU #Trump2020
— Craig (@VanZant11) January 31, 2018
#SOTU Our President is rocking it!
— Lori Wojo (@lawcrofton) January 31, 2018
Among his more notable points, Trump announced that he had just signed an executive order to keep open the controversial military detention center at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and begin housing new terrorism suspects there for the first time in a decade, reversing the efforts of his predecessor, former President Barack Obama, to close the facility.
They are SERIOUSLY clapping because he said he will keep Guantanamo Bay open š©. #sotu #justAWFUL
— Cousin Angela (@angela_rye) January 31, 2018
Democrats stay seated as President Trump announced an Executive Order to keep Guantanamo Bay Open #SOTU
— Jacob Wohl (@JacobAWohl) January 31, 2018
Trump keeping Guantanamo Bay Open is needed. Our Military must be strong and able to keep the enemy at bay! #SOTU
— Matt Couch š (@RealMattCouch) January 31, 2018
Standing ovation for torture (Guantanamo Bay), and then slams North Korea over torture. #sotu
— Callie D. Bryant (@cadanie) January 31, 2018
Guantanamo Bay is an affront to our values and to our heritage as a nation of laws. We're safer when we act on our values and defend the core principles of our Constitution. #SOTU
— PFAW (@peoplefor) January 31, 2018
I still can't understand how any human being can have pride in what we're doing at Guantanamo Bay. #SOTU
— Jarrett Hill (@JarrettHill) January 31, 2018
Some noted that First Lady Melania Trump, who arrived to Capitol Hill separately from the president to ride with guests who were invited to sit in her box, "does not look happy or like she wants to be there," as one Twitter user put it.
Melania Trump is THIS close to cracking. #SOTU
— s (@sansfiIter) January 31, 2018
Melania Trump does not look happy or like she wants to be there#SOTU #SOTU2018 pic.twitter.com/k3cdJtde4q
— Sahil Habibi (@ProgressVoice) January 31, 2018
Melania is dead behind the eyes. She must really hate him. #SOTU
— PhillyChitChat (@HughE_Dillon) January 31, 2018
Anyone catch this? Melania Trump failed to stand with everyone else when Trump stated:
— Brian Krassensteinš¬ (@krassenstein) January 31, 2018
"In America we know that faith and Family, not government and bureaucracy are the the center of Democracy"#SOTU #StateofOurUnion pic.twitter.com/lrsuVdWD48
Melaniaās outfit tonight is a tribute to @HillaryClinton, a clear dig at Trump. #SOTU pic.twitter.com/70NSvzlFkP
— Kaivan Shroff (@KaivanShroff) January 31, 2018
If eyes could speak, Melania Trumpās eyes are saying F-you to The President tonight! #SOTU #StateOfTheUnion
— Ed Krassenstein (@EdKrassen) January 31, 2018
Wow that glare Melania Trump gave Donald was fierce. Maybe Melania will take care of Donald before Mueller can get to him ā¤ļø#SOTU
— VeniceForHillary (@VeniceForHRC) January 31, 2018
Others pointed out the reactions of Democratic politicians who largely remained rooted to their seats throughout the event.
Pelosiās not havinā it. #SOTU pic.twitter.com/zHM0uvRgib
— Dalton Ross (@DaltonRoss) January 31, 2018
The Democrats aren't against Trump's policies, they're against Trump. The #SOTU displays this.
— Kassy Dillon (@KassyDillon) January 31, 2018
President Trump literally motions to get Democrats to stand for things they say they support
— Charlie Kirk (@charliekirk11) January 31, 2018
I absolutely love it #SOTU
The #SOTU in one photo. pic.twitter.com/Ck2kcbJqY3
— Adam Parkhomenko (@AdamParkhomenko) January 31, 2018
Democrats donāt like new jobs or rising wages, apparently. #SOTU
— Jason Miller (@JasonMillerinDC) January 31, 2018
The Republicans just stood up for paid family leave and the Democrats didn't... what is going on here? #SOTU
— Kassy Dillon (@KassyDillon) January 31, 2018
Donald Trump just came out in favor of paid family leave. That puts him to the left of most elected democrats on that issue. They should be absolutely ashamed. #SOTU #StateOfOurUnion
— Secular Talk (@KyleKulinski) January 31, 2018
Trump recognizes African-American family who had family members murdered by illegal alien gang members. #SOTU
— Ryan Saavedra šŗšø (@RealSaavedra) January 31, 2018
Many Democrats sit and do not show their respects. pic.twitter.com/x0Zv48KYmq
Did Dimocrats OD on valium? Can't even take pride in America or the flag? Couldn't even clap for low Black and Latino unemployment! #Libiots must be for Make America Poor Again. The Obummer plan. Maybe they want President bin Ladin? #SOTU #TCOT #TLOT #TeaParty #LNYHBT #MAGA pic.twitter.com/RcolYQhpSV
— Warped Politics (@WarpedPolitics) January 31, 2018
Just watching Dems sit on their hands & scowling while @POTUS talks about middle class tax relief.. TELLS US A LOT šš¼ #SOTU
— #ReleaseTheMemo šŖšµšø (@LeahR77) January 31, 2018
The democrats are like petulant children who are mad they got a Ben and Jerryās banana split instead of a dollar store popsicle. #sotu
— Cassandra Fairbanks (@CassandraRules) January 31, 2018
OK no matter what the Democrats are sitting on their hands for everything.
— Chuck Woolery (@chuckwoolery) January 31, 2018
And then, there was this beauty from former Press Secretary Sean Spicer.
See how exciting the state of union is? Get excited! #sotu #nancypelosi #stenyhoyer #sotu2018 pic.twitter.com/sySmAgQMxn
— Sean Spicer (@seanspicer) January 31, 2018
There were, of course, skeptics chiming in throughout the night. Here's a sampling:
Interesting to see @realDonaldTrump taking credit for everything @BarackObama did as president. His policies brought these jobs back and gave this growth...not you. We'll see your affect in years to come, not today. #SOTU
— GMM (@GlobalMindMeld) January 31, 2018
Trump wants to make America great again for "all Americans" - except of course those who are transgender, of color, from another country, etc. #SOTU
— Julie Gonen (@JulieGonen) January 31, 2018
As Trump once again takes credit for African-American unemployment hitting its lowest point ever, you can look at the data and *clearly* see how he alone turned those numbers around. pic.twitter.com/k8gbQkFZLO
— Kevin M. Kruse (@KevinMKruse) January 31, 2018
Trump has not implemented one policy to achieve any of the unemployment numbers he is touting. #ThanksObama #SOTU
— Judy Chu (@RepJudyChu) January 31, 2018
President Trump talked a whole lot about the black unemployment rate, but has his aides misinformedāyet againāhe should know black unemployment has decreased PRIOR to his presidency. Again, #ThanksObama.
— Dwight Evans (@RepDwightEvans) January 31, 2018
#SOTU The third grade President. This speech has no data, no facts, and very few syllables per word. Such a simpleton.
— Diane Toucan (@DianeToucan) January 31, 2018
Is it just me or is Trump is doing an impression of Alec Baldwin doing an impression of Trump #SOTU
— Ben Wikler (@benwikler) January 31, 2018
Church ... family ... police ... military ... the national anthem ... Trump trying to call on all the tropes of 1950s-era nationalism. The goal of this speech appears to be to force the normalization of Trump on the terms of the bygone era his supporters are nostalgic for. #SOTU
— Joy Reid (@JoyAnnReid) January 31, 2018
Question: has any other President continuously clapped for *himself* during the #SOTU?
— Holly Figueroa O'Reilly (@AynRandPaulRyan) January 31, 2018
I like how every part of the #SOTU speech contradicts every thing he has done as president.
— Kofi Quaye (@Kquaye928) January 31, 2018
Letās discuss how @realDonaldTrump is only addressing the @GOP and ignoring the @DNC during #SOTU. Canāt be a President for all Americans when you ignore the party that the majority of Americans voted for. pic.twitter.com/5gN2kpHqgb
— Jonathan Dromgoole (@MrDromgoole) January 31, 2018
We need job training badly?? Where was your job training, mr president?! #SOTU
— Olga Maystuk (@olgamaystruk) January 31, 2018
Thanks to President Obama the state of our economy is strong. Thanks to Donald Trump the state of the American presidency is in shambles. #SOTU
— Patrick Murphy (@PatrickMurphyFL) January 31, 2018
