Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1208016
06.02.2020 15 US time, things are looking up. He is on the verge of being acquitted by his fellow Repub- licans in the U.S. Senate today. Opinion polls show his approval ratings on an upswing. And the Democratic presi- dential nomination race was consumed by chaos as results from the Iowa caucuses this week were delayed by a full day because the mobile app used to record the results had a coding problem. For Trump, the timing could not be better. Democrats a reason to fret PRESIDENT Donald Trump's rousing State of the Union's speech was such a success, in fact, that Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi lost her cool at the end and literally tore up her copy the speech up in a fit of sputtering rage. 1. The Facts Are Strong e speech was well written and played to President Trump's strengths as a showman, showing policy goals and successes through the gripping sto- ries of real Americans who were pres- ent in the balcony. But ultimately the speech was good because the facts were so good. 2. The Blue-Collar Boom While elites in Washington, D.C., continue to resist President Trump, he spoke around them to average Amer- icans, who are experiencing what he called a "blue-collar boom." Remind- ing Americans of past presidents' "job- less recoveries, tired platitudes, and constant excuses for the depletion of American wealth, power, and prestige," he instead focused on the results of his regulatory reform, tax cuts, and renego- tiated trade agreements. He cited new jobs, low unemployment rates, decreases in poverty, increases in the work force, increases in wag- es, the surprising improvement of the manufacturing sector, and more. He tied these successes to the robust stock market, new heights in consumer confi- dence, and pension performance. 3. Bipartisan Successes Part of Pelosi's frustration with Trump is that he didn't seem to even care that she had just led her caucus into a par- tisan impeachment of him. He will be acquitted today, perhaps in a bipartisan fashion, but it was an issue he didn't even bother to address, much less dwell on. Instead, he focused on what could be accomplished for Americans if the parties work together instead of in a constant state of Resistance. He noted that criminal justice reform and the United States-Mexico-Canada Agree- ment were done by everyone working together. 4. Opposition To Socialism In a move that angered some Demo- crats, President Trump highlighted his opposition to socialism. He lamented what socialist dictator Nicolas Maduro is doing to the people of Venezuela, and asserted that all Americans are united with the Venezuelans in their struggle for freedom. "Socialism destroys na- tions," he said, "But always remember, freedom unifies the soul." In a discus- sion about improving Americans' health care, he said, "We will never let social- ism destroy American health care." 5. Overt Outreach To Black Americans President Trump highlighted how the booming economy is helping black Americans. He emphasised how crim- inal justice reform, a key issue for Af- rican Americans, gives former felons a new lease on life. e president is not hiding his attempt to gain more support from black Amer- icans, and the speech follows up on a powerful Superbowl ad highlighting his work on criminal justice reform. Re- publicans struggle to gain black votes, but Trump already outperformed John McCain and Mitt Romney with these voters in his 2016 bid, before the suc- cesses he touted last night. 6. Boldness Unmatched by Any Other Republican President Smack dab in the middle of the speech, President Trump thanked conservative hero Rush Limbaugh for "decades of tireless devotion" to the country. In rec- ognition of his work and the inspiration he has provided millions of Americans, Trump announced the country's high- est civilian honor, the Presidential Med- al of Freedom. He had Melanie Trump immediately present the honor in front of the assembled crowd. 7. Putting An Incredibly Cute Face to Victims of Late-Term Abortion One of the most touching moments of the speech was the introduction of El- lie Schneider, born at 21 weeks, and her mother Robin. e 2-year-old yawned a huge yawn as she was introduced to the nation in the arms of her devoted mother. It was a reminder that children like Ellie are born at a time when it is legal to kill them in utero. "Ellie reminds us that every child is a miracle of life," President Trump said, and challenged members of all political parties to agree that "every human life is a sacred gift from God." 8. Articulating a Restrained Foreign Policy One of the reasons why President Trump won in 2016 was his opposition to the way the US fights wars. At the same time, he is willing to use American force to advance American interests. is confuses the foreign policy groups at either extreme. When discussing his desire to end the war in Afghanistan, he said of America's warfighters that they are "the best in the world, and they ei- ther want to fight to win or not fight at all." Trump highlighted the cost to the American warfighters and their families because of the way we have fought wars. He told the stories of people who had lost lives and limbs as a result of serving abroad. 9. What Conservatives Might Not Like While not as bad as his own previous addresses to Congress or some oth- er presidential addresses to Congress, the State of the Union is always a laun- dry list of unrestrained spending. is speech was no exception. And while conservatives may strongly support Space Force, Trump's terminology of "America's manifest destiny in the stars," could be troubling. As per usual, there was no mention of attempts to rein in entitlement spend- ing or other government growth. In fact, he said he would "protect" Social Security, which, while a crowd pleaser, is not conservative orthodoxy. Neither did he announce any plans on the debt or provide an update on his southern border wall. 10. Bad Timing For Democrats President Trump went into the State of the Union emboldened by his high- est voter approval numbers of his pres- idency. Impeachment led Democratic favorability to decline while Republi- cans enjoyed majority support for the first time in recent memory. He is about to be acquitted, probably in a bipartisan fashion. All of those numbers are bad for Pelosi and the Democratic Party she leads. In addition, they had a humiliating de- bacle of a caucus night in Iowa. e Par- ty botched its operation, meaning that the result is still uncertain. But what is known is that the establishment's fa- vorite candidate, immediate past Vice President Joe Biden, suffered a humili- ating finish. e decision to be hostile throughout the speech caused Democrats to look small and petty, particularly as Presi- dent Trump spoke of big successes and big goals for the future. Speaker Pelosi appeared distracted during the speech, rifling through papers and chomping on her gums. Her stunt at the end of the speech was extremely well received by the media and other partisans on Twitter, but was less likely to play well among average voters. 13 key takeaways from President Trump's State of the Union address