“This evening, President Trump had an opportunity to show the American people and the Congress that he takes seriously the challenges we face as a nation and his responsibility as president to rally the country together to meet them. Instead, he doubled-down on the rank partisanship and divisiveness that have characterized his presidency, using his address to attack those who disagree with him and to take credit for the successes of the prior Administration while misleading on his own record. His divisive remarks on health care were an attempt to distract from his record of trying to take health care away from Americans with pre-existing conditions and his efforts to sabotage access to affordable health care for millions. He did not mention even once the danger posed by the climate crisis. Moreover, the President continued his hateful denigration of immigrants and rejection of America’s historic role as a land of opportunity and a beacon of hope for those yearning for freedom.
“On the economy, of paramount importance to every American, this President has failed to keep the promises he made when he ran for office to oversee growth that lifts all boats. Where he said we would see a jobs surge, we have actually had a slowing of job growth on his watch. Where he promised that his tax cuts for the wealthy would produce 6% GDP growth and trickle down to provide $4,000 a year raises for the middle class, we have instead seen both GDP and wage growth slow over the last year. As a candidate, President Trump told the American people that he would eliminate our national debt entirely; instead, his policies in office are causing the deficit to exceed $1 trillion this year.
“Thankfully, our people and our economy are resilient, and our nation’s forward-looking hope for a better future cannot be constrained, even with a backward-looking president in the White House. For now, the state of our union is strong, even if the state of this presidency is one of crisis and corruption. Let us look to our strengths to see us through the year ahead, one that I hope will see us begin to turn the page from division to unity, from uncertainty to the secure knowledge that tomorrow will once again be filled with opportunity and justice for all.”
