By Jon Dougherty
If President Donald Trump has one gift it is that he can command a room — and a national audience when he needs to.
The president gave his second State of the Union Address before a packed Congress and gallery Tuesday night, hitting a theme of political unity hard as he reached out to hostile Democrats who, at several junctures during his speech, stood and applauded.
Overall, more than three-quarters of Americans — 76 percent — approved of the president’s speech, according to a CNN poll taken right after he finished.
CBS News, in a similar survey, found that 72 percent of Americans supported the president’s message, with 59 percent in the CNN poll saying it was “very positive.”
Three in four viewers approved of President Trump’s State of the Union Address. pic.twitter.com/suj1Gn9Hfq
— CBS News Poll (@CBSNewsPoll) February 6, 2019
Instant @CNN poll just revealed 76% of viewers approved of Trump’s #SOTU speech, with 59% “very positive.”
— Steve Cortes (@CortesSteve) February 6, 2019
Peggy Noonan, a former speechwriter for President Ronald Reagan and a #NeverTrumper, also praised the president’s speech.
“This has been a deeply adept speech in terms of policy. He cut to the muscle on legal and illegal immigration, on abortion and infanticide, on foreign wars. His vow on socialism will be remembered. Great heroes in the balcony, a real American panoply. 1…And good natured with the white jackets, who I see some on twitter are calling the straight jackets. AOC had a rare bad night, looking not spirited, warm and original as usual but sullen, teenaged and at a loss. 2,” she tweeted.
“AOC” refers to Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), who rarely stood to applaud any party of POTUS Trump’s speech — even when he was recounting all of the positive economic data and jobs figures for minorities, which are at their highest on record.
But then again, one of the president’s best applause lines of the night was: “We will never be a socialist country!” — a line that did not go over well at all with Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT), a self-avowed socialist.
"We are alarmed by the new calls to adopt socialism in our country," Pres. Trump says.
"Tonight, we renew our resolve that America will never be a socialist country." https://t.co/aiCxLU221a #SOTU pic.twitter.com/XEh4Ia1nAo
— ABC News (@ABC) February 6, 2019
The president declared: “America was founded on liberty and independence and not government coercion, domination, and control. We are born free and we will stay free. Tonight, we renew our resolve that American will never be a socialist country!”
Cue wild applause.
- Follow Jon Dougherty on Twitter at @JonDougherty10
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God Bless our INCREDIBLE President !!
The two left coasts versus flyover country. Buhbye stinking dem’s!
It shows DEM’S are out of touch with America.
Every word that President Trump uttered in his SOTU speech was intelligent, thoughtful, and sincere. Thank you, Mr. President, for working so hard on behalf of our country and the American people. Thank you for not folding under the endless barrage of leftist false allegations, phony investigations, harassment, Fake News stories, insults, and impeachment threats. Thank you for staying strong and facing down the Deep State and it’s corrupt socialist NWO flunkies. MAGA!
Nailed it.
This was the best SOTU speech I have heard in my 75 years, and was definitely Trump’s best speech ever. It was very telling when he mentioned Socialism and the camera panned over the faces of the demorats to see just who of our phony politicians truly are SOCIALISTS, and want to force it on the rest of the country with their laws and legislation they have and will be trying to get passed. Hopefully the Lame RINOs will joint their fellow Republicans and vote down any new legislation that is socialistic; or that when Ruth decides to hang it… Read more »