11 Reviews Of Donald Trump's SOTU Speech

Melania gave a strong non-vocal performance.
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Donald Trump undertook a delicate balancing act Tuesday night as he urged lawmakers to work toward bipartisan compromises, but pushed a hard line on immigration.

Trump, in his first State of the Union speech, gave no ground on the contentious issue of whether to shield young immigrants known as “Dreamers” from deportation.

Aiming to keep conservative supporters happy as he looks to November congressional elections, Trump was visibly impressed with himself (see video above), but here’s how it went down elsewhere...

Here's to me...
Here's to me...
POOL New / Reuters

1) FRANK LUNTZ

Luntz is one of America’s best-known public-opinion gurus and has been consistently critical of Trump despite being a strategist for the Republican party.

Normally his tweets are lightly (in Twitter terms) critical such as when he commented on the Britain First retweet controversy.

Ironically, President Trump’s Twitter account accused multiple news organizations of “putting out so much fake news” right after retweeting a false claim that the attacker in this video was a “Muslim migrant.” pic.twitter.com/tuVWzecUtN

— Frank Luntz (@FrankLuntz) November 29, 2017

Last night however, he drastically changed his tune.

Tonight, I owe Donald Trump an apology. Tonight, I was moved and inspired. Tonight, I have hope and faith in America again.

It may go away tomorrow…
But tonight, America is great again. #SOTU

— Frank Luntz (@FrankLuntz) January 31, 2018

2) DONALD TRUMP JR

Americans FINALLY have a president fighting for their best interests abroad. 37 MAJOR trade deals on @realDonaldTrump’s trip to Asia totalling more than $250 million. We won’t lead from behind anymore. #SOTU

— Donald Trump Jr. (@DonaldJTrumpJr) January 31, 2018

Well, he would say that.

3) THE VIEWERS

Some pretty impressive poll numbers after the event.

.@CBSNews Poll: Three in four Americans who tuned in to President Trump's State of the Union address approved of the speech he gave. Just a quarter disapproved. #SOTU https://t.co/9RLDGs1LvM pic.twitter.com/YxbuLKZmbF

— CBS This Morning ❄️ (@CBSThisMorning) January 31, 2018

If only he could so the same with his approval ratings.

4) MELANIA TRUMP

Melania hasn’t spoke publicly about the speech but she did arrive on her own...

Carlos Barria / Reuters

...and took a separate motorcade to her husband.

Anyone catch this? Melania Trump failed to stand with everyone else when Trump stated:

"In America we know that faith and Family, not government and bureaucracy are the the center of Democracy"#SOTU #StateofOurUnion pic.twitter.com/lrsuVdWD48

— Brian Krassenstein🐬 (@krassenstein) January 31, 2018

And left on her own...

Missed this photo from last night: First Lady Melania Trump departs Capitol after State of the Union (via pool) pic.twitter.com/RmKb1DJ7xY

— Monica Alba (@albamonica) January 31, 2018

So make of that what you will.

Melania Trump looks as happy as someone whose husband slept with a porn star while she was pregnant... #SOTU

— Matt Fine (@mattyfine) January 31, 2018

6) GREG SARGENT

The Washington Post opinion writer wasn’t swallowing the whole “unity” thing.

Trump pitted current immigrants against future ones. And his deeper argument remains that immigration at anything close to current levels is basically a malevolent and destructive force. https://t.co/wK5lMQIMcg

— Greg Sargent (@ThePlumLineGS) January 31, 2018

“Trump actually doubled down on pretty much every aspect of his presidency that large majorities of Americans have found so searingly polarising and divisive. The real core of the speech was his effort to rhetorically recast the key elements of that approach as unifying and conciliatory without moving past them at all.”

This was a theme echoed by Jon Favreau, former-speech write for President Obama.

“Americans are dreamers too” is also intentionally divisive on an issue where 80%+ of the public agrees, so don’t tell me Trump even attempted to unify.

— Jon Favreau (@jonfavs) January 31, 2018

7) PIERS MORGAN

*NEW COLUMN*
75% of Americans who watched President Trump's SOTU speech liked what they heard.
This spells big trouble for the Democrats. https://t.co/56m26KTrG3 pic.twitter.com/ZnPtLHZRJK

— Piers Morgan (@piersmorgan) January 31, 2018

Hmm, liking a speech is a very different kettle of fish to liking a presidency - perhaps when the number below is around 75 percent across the entire country the Dems really will be worried.

Donald Trump's approval rating is above 50% in only 12 states | Analysis by @CillizzaCNN https://t.co/wFf6xTxsws pic.twitter.com/9RBMQxqfBx

— CNN (@CNN) January 30, 2018

Regardless, Piers writes:

“For such a seriously divisive and polarising President, who is currently languishing with just 39% personal approval ratings, these were sensationally good results.

“Interestingly, 8/10 Americans in the poll felt the President was trying to unite the country with his speech and two thirds of Americans said it made them feel proud.

“Less than a quarter that watched said it made them feel scared or angry.”

That’s right, we live in a world in which less than 25 percent of Americans not being terrified of their own President is deemed a success.

8) NANCY PELOSI

The Democratic leader was far from impressed and doesn’t look set to take Trump up on his offer of cooperation when he said:

“Tonight, I call upon all of us to set aside our differences, to seek out common ground, and to summon the unity we need to deliver for the people we were elected to serve.”

Trump creates disorder and then complains about the lack of order. He throws bipartisan deals in the trash bin and then bemoans the lack of cooperation.

— Nancy Pelosi (@TeamPelosi) January 31, 2018

9) SEAN HANNITY

Sean bloody loved it.

Amazing, inspirational speech @realDonaldTrump To the haters in the media, and those that wanted him to fail, nobody cares what you have to say. America is back. Thank God

— Sean Hannity (@seanhannity) January 31, 2018

But here’s a reminder from just last week about just how quickly Sean will completely U-turn on his principles to fit his narratives.

Sean Hannity: The New York Times is trying to distract you. They say Trump tried to fire Mueller, but our sources aren’t confirming that!

Sean Hannity, minutes later: Alright, yeah, maybe our sources confirm Trump wanted to fire Mueller. But so what? That’s his right. Anywho... pic.twitter.com/yUIt7Un56d

— Matt Fuller (@MEPFuller) January 26, 2018

10) MIKE PENCE

The Vice President unsurprisingly thought it was great.

Last night's HISTORIC #SOTU speech outlined the Trump Admin's record-setting accomplishments in year one - more than 2M new jobs, largest tax cut in history, ISIS on the run - and presented an optimistic vision for building a SAFE, STRONG & PROUD America. Let's get it done. #MAGA pic.twitter.com/EseRB1POw1

— Vice President Mike Pence (@VP) January 31, 2018

He is of course forgetting to mention all of the economic success lauded by Trump during his speech can almost entirely be attributed to non-Trump factors, but when you stare at someone like Mike Pence stares at his boss, you have no choice but to play it up.

Melania - watch out. Mike Pence is about to make a move on your husband. pic.twitter.com/TqU2P40wKz

— William LeGate (@williamlegate) January 31, 2018

Mike Pence's catatonic eyes drilling fiendish love holes into the back of Trump's weird half-empty Easter basket head. Who can watch that? #SOTU

— Jeffrey Wright (@jfreewright) January 31, 2018

11) SPECIAL COUNSEL ROBERT MUELLER

No one knows if he watched the speech last night or not but the very next day news broke that suggested he had just carried on working instead.

It was revealed he is seeking to interview the former spokesman of Trump’s legal team as part of an investigation into potential collusion between Russia and Trump’s campaign to sway the 2016 US presidential election.

Corallo may be questioned about reports that Trump had dictated a misleading statement on a meeting in June 2016 that his son held with a group of Russians, the source said.

This should all end well...

The President is reportedly considering asking his AG to *prosecute* a special counsel who is investigating his administration. Would immediately plunge the country into constitutional crisis. https://t.co/RWJe6DTDIn

— Brendan Nyhan (@BrendanNyhan) January 30, 2018
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