President Donald Trump of United State Of America delivered a strong speech to a joint session
of Congress on Tuesday night, an address sure to embolden both the chief
executive and Congressional Republicans who support him.
The whole world watched watched, tweeted and took some notes about the best and the
worst of the night that was. The picks
are below.
Winners
* Donald Trump: This was the best "big" speech he
has given as president. It may well have been the best speech Trump has given
since he entered politics way back in June 2015. Trump didn't walk away from
his decidedly dark vision of the current state of the country but his overall
tone was more conciliatory and optimistic than I've ever heard him.
Trump hit a few very nice notes: His condemnation of threats
against Jewish community centers at the start of the speech was a very nice
grace note and his honoring of the widow of the Navy SEAL killed in the recent
Yemen raid was remarkably powerful moment.
Critics will rightly point out that several of Trump's
claims -- about the rising violence in America, for example -- missed the
factual mark by a wide margin. And, at times, Trump seemed to be on the verge
of returning to his confrontational self -- particularly when discussing
immigration and the border wall.
Trump delivered both a forceful defense
of his nationalist worldview -- "My job is not to represent the world. My
job is to represent the United States of America," he said at one point --
and a proof point that he can be, dare I say it, presidential when the moment
demands it.
* Congressional Republicans: Anyone who tells you Speaker
Paul Ryan and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell weren't a little bit worried
about how Trump would do on Tuesday night -- and what that would mean for his
ability to rally Republicans going forward -- is lying to you. Trump's speech will go a long way to quieting
the nerves of Congressional Republicans and convincing them that Trump might
just be capable of being the president they desperately hope he can be. His
address will serve as a validation for the likes of Ryan and McConnell, who
have steadfastly supported Trump throughout the rough seas of his first month
in office.
*Polarization: If you needed to understand just how
polarized our politics are, the repeated shots of Republicans rising to cheer
Trump while Democrats sat on their hands would do it. The theater of the State of the Union is
always a bit overdone but what was clear from the start on Tuesday night was
that Republicans were bound and determined to cheer for virtually everything
Trump said and Democrats were bound and determined to do the exact opposite.
Steve Bannon and Ivanka Trump:
If you are looking for the two biggest influencers in terms of what Trump said
and how he said it, look no further than Bannon, the president's chief
strategist, and Ivanka, the president's eldest daughter. The unapologetic
nationalism and indictment of the political system was pure Bannon. The push
for paid family leave and focus on education was all Ivanka.
Losers
* The devilish details of replacing Obamacare: In the runup
to the Trump speech, Republican members of Congress voiced hopes that Trump
might give them guidance about how he'd like to replace Obamacare. What Trump did talk about -- lowering the price
of prescription drugs, keeping the pre-existing conditions provision -- are
widely popular idea. The issue, of course, is how to pay for all of this if you
strip out the rest of the elements of Obamacare.
* People rooting for Trump's imminent demise: He's not going
anywhere, folks. And that speech
suggests he might have more upside than almost anyone thought.
* "Aisle hogs": I H-A-T-E the annual stories of
the people -- Eliot Engel of New York and Sheila Jackson Lee of Texas are two
of the most prominent -- who stake out spots on the aisle to ensure they shake
hands with the various luminaries including the president. There was a
noticeable lack of crowding along the aisles this time around. Possible we can
drop this as a story in the future? Ok, it's agreed!
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