President Trump's First Address to Congress **live commentary thread**

[#TheShadowyAbyss]

Van Jones said Trump became President when he honored Ryan Owens wife

[OSR stands with Israel]

Increasing defense spending is so stupid.

It failed in the 80's, but let's try it again. Said no one ever.

It worked tremendously in the 1980s. Should we do it again now but back then we needed to increase military spending so we could defeat the USSR which we did.

[Trapsy]

Democrats suck.

[JGibson]

Beshear's response went over much better than Trump's trite speech.

[Badger]

Increasing defense spending is so stupid.

It failed in the 80's, but let's try it again. Said no one ever.

It worked tremendously in the 1980s. Should we do it again now but back then we needed to increase military spending so we could defeat the USSR which we did.

And what, pray tell, about the military buildup in the 80's led to the largely internal forces that caused Communism to collapse?

[Hindsight was 2020]

Beshear's response went over much better than Trump's trite speech.

It actually is smart to not send out a rising star considering the response is a future killing event

[Suburbia]

Increasing defense spending is so stupid.

We have to increase it a bit. Obama made a mockery out of it. Making fun of them, depleting our veterans. It was time.

Do you know anything at all about defense spending under Obama? Can you give specific examples of how Obama "made a mockery of it?"

Um..Steve, remember the sequester? Remember his 2008 and 2012 DNC speeches, remember his bashing of American military in '08 before the Wright story came out, and he had to change his tune, the civilian force that he wanted?

Sure, the sequester slowed the growth of defense spending for a period. First of all that wasn't Obama's fault. Second, while I would have preferred more precise cuts than what the budget "compromise" in 2011 forced, we can certainly afford to trim some fat from the military's budget. The idea that any and all cuts to defense spending constitute a "making a mockery" of the military is absurd. The continual quagmire in the Middle East has nothing to do with the fact that we haven't built as many F-35s or cool destroyers as we planned.

And no, I don't remember Obama ever "bashing" the troops in any speech. You're just parroting tired and generic Republican talking points and equating any and all criticisms of the Iraq war to troop bashing.

I opposed the Iraq War. It was one of the most foolish decisions in Western Civilization. But I didn't like the way how Obama personally insulted the military during the 2008 and 2012 campaigns. However, it is time to move on from the Middle East. Cut all ties to the Middle East, close all of our embassies there. It's time to pivot to America.

[#TheShadowyAbyss]

So was this a Miller/Bannon speech or a Kushner/Ivanka speech?

[krazen1211]

Amazing top 5 President!

[Confused Democrat]

Democrats suck.

Yes we do.

[Maxwell]

bronz is trolling please ignore him.

yeah i'm not sure what people are getting about this speech being especially great. This is all trite Trumpisms delivered boringly.

[The Other Castro]

So was this a Miller/Bannon speech or a Kushner/Ivanka speech?

Seemed like a Bannon/Ivanka speech

[ApatheticAustrian]

republican strategist liz mair thinks, the democrat response would play really well with people who haven't voted for trump but against clinton.

[SteveRogers]

I was really going to make an effort to watch this speech, but then I saw this morning that Spicer announced that Trump definitely wouldn't be going into any real policy specifics in this speech. Anything worth watching?

[#TheShadowyAbyss]

I was really going to make an effort to watch this speech, but then I saw this morning that Spicer announced that Trump definitely wouldn't be going into any real policy specifics in this speech. Anything worth watching?

Trump got booed when he said he was considering creating an office on immigrant violence.

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ALSO, are there any focus groups of the speech or the response?

[ApatheticAustrian]

btw hot take:

progressive democrats should be able to praise the governing efforts of politicans like Beshear - otherwise those seats are going to be away for a loooooooong time.

[Holmes]

Surprisingly, the CBS focus group had a very positive response to Beshear

I thought it was a dud but I guess not

Well when was the last time the Democratic Party was represented by an old white man, one from Appalachia no less? People eat that sh**t up.

[#TheShadowyAbyss]

CNN has a post-speech poll coming out.

[Holmes]

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Funny, he said some very typical Democratic buzzwords and phrases, many of which Hillary was saying last year.

So I guess I was right - not typical in the old white male fahsion. People love that.

[Technocracy Timmy]

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Hmm...Dems really need an old white man from the South in 2020

[Crumpets]

Clearly the Dems just need any old white guy they can find for their 2020 candidate and then put in a super-liberal special advisor to manipulate him.

[Maxwell]

also see: Bernie Sanders

[ApatheticAustrian]

hillary's message would have been far more popular with a better communicator.

[m4567]

Beshear's response was good.

[Blue3]

I'm glad no Democrats booed Trump. Just chuckles with "draining the swamp" and gasps over "VOICE" (easily the worst way to introduce that possible).

 But overall, Trump gave a polite, disciplined, scripted speech. Even MSNBC is praising (most) of it. No bragging over polls or crowd sizes or hand size.

 Someone else complained about lack of details on healthcare... but that was actually the most detailed part of the speech, with his numbered list of principles. I'm glad he seems to be taking Bernie's/Hillary's side on prescription drug prices, and paid family leave.


 But... that speech was so vague and fluffy... and disorganized. It was so disorganized, kept jumping all over the place. If I'm bored this week I'll probably dissect the transcript, organizing and numbering his priorities. And the talk of the great rebellion of 2015 in the beginning was cringeworthy.

 The applause and close-up of the widow crying and praying was uncomfortably long. Lots of focus on the year 2026. And vague platitudes, like telling Congress to "believe in yourself" and "chase your dreams." Saying clean air, clean water, military buildup, and infrastructure were all the same issue was a little weird.


 I really liked the Democratic response. Perhaps could have gone without other people in the diner, but the speech did all it was supposed to. It gave a unifying message for Democrats that would also appeal to nonpolitical or Republican-leaning working class people. Focus on the real lives, the kitchen table issues, common sense with the world, and appealing to basic decency. If he was 10 years younger I think fewer pundits would be criticizing it.

 Btw, Ellison and Perez must have super-glued their hands together, they literally won't do a TV interview without the other. Good show of unity.