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February 5, 2020

President Trump’s moving, statesmanlike State of the Union address

By Andrea Widburg

On Tuesday night, two very different events took place.  The first was President Trump's State of the Union speech, one that showcased incredibly good news about the state of America today, soaring rhetoric, and moving human interest stories.  That's what this post is about.  The other event was the embarrassing Democrat temper tantrum, something we'll save for a less uplifting, but perhaps more amusing, post.

What touched the audience most during the speech were the interactions Trump had with his honored guests.  There are too many of these interactions to retell for this post, but the following guests were especially moving:

There was Juan Guaidó, the true president of Venezuela, who is being kept out of office by the tyrannical socialist, Nicolás Maduro.  To Guaidó, Trump had one message:

All Americans are united with the Venezuelan people in their righteous struggle for freedom! Socialism destroys nations. But always remember, freedom unifies the soul.

There was Kelli Hake, a war widow, and Gage, her 13-year-old son.  Kelli's husband and Gage's father had died when his vehicle was hit by a roadside bomb that Qassem Soleimani had supplied.  It was a vivid reminder of the havoc and death Soleimani sowed throughout the Middle East.

There was Jody Jones, whose brother, Rocky, was randomly shot to death by an illegal alien who was still on the streets thanks to California's sanctuary state policy.

There was Iain Lanphier, an 8th-grader who wants to be part of the new Space Force.  What was really awesome, though, was that Iain was there with his great grandfather, 100-year-old Brigadier General Charles McGee, a Tuskegee Airman and career military pilot who fought in WWII, Korea, and Vietnam.

In addition to being a truly great American, General McGee looks 70 years young.  Apparently, a lifetime of heroics, breaking barriers, and working hard is an anti-aging serum:

And there was Rush Limbaugh, who announced on Monday that he is suffering from Stage IV lung cancer.  To millions of Americans, Rush is the voice of conservatism and the voice of America.  Just seeing him there, receiving well deserved plaudits from the president and cheers from Republicans, was moving.

What really turned on the waterworks for so many people, though, was when Trump told Rush that he was to receive the Medal of Freedom...and then had Melania pin it on Rush then and there.  Rush's face was a symphony of emotions (keep your eye on Rush at 1:38):

And there was Rush Limbaugh, who announced on Monday that he is suffering from Stage IV lung cancer.  To millions of Americans, Rush is the voice of conservatism and the voice of America.  Just seeing him there, receiving well deserved plaudits from the president and cheers from Republicans, was moving.

What really turned on the waterworks for so many people, though, was when Trump told Rush that he was to receive the Medal of Freedom...and then had Melania pin it on Rush then and there.  Rush's face was a symphony of emotions (keep your eye on Rush at 1:38):

Rush Limbaugh has advanced lung cancer.
A bad, bad diagnosis.
Trump brought Rush to the State of the Union.
Rush was honored & given multiple standing O's.
Melania give him the Medal of Freedom ON THE SPOT.
No other Republican would have the balls to do this.
Why I support Trump: pic.twitter.com/lpKT5SI7nJ

— Benny (@bennyjohnson) February 5, 2020

Those were the moments that moved us.  And then there was the good news, simply endless good news.

Trump spoke of historically low unemployment, especially among minorities; of historically high wages, especially among blue-collar workers; of health insurance premiums that are 60% cheaper than under Obama; of a 75% drop in illegal border crossings; of lower prescription drug prices; of significant drops in opioid abuse deaths; of hugely successful trade negotiations with China, Mexico, and Canada; of energy independence; of shrinking welfare and food stamp rolls; of rising stock markets; and of the Space Force and the rebuilding of the military's might.  It was a staggering list of accomplishments, all of which started with Trump's election and all of which are unlike anything Americans have seen before.

From there, Trump moved to the things he promises to accomplish — and, knowing Trump's record, that he will accomplish: breaking Maduro's hold on Venezuela; pulling troops out of Afghanistan; getting more children out of the horrors of public schools; getting all American high schools to offer vocational and technical education; maintaining Social Security and Medicare; protecting the Second Amendment; ending third-trimester abortion; blocking socialism; prohibiting free government healthcare for illegal aliens; advancing legislation to lower prescription drug costs; extending parental leave; and allowing victims of violent crimes committed by illegal aliens to sue the sanctuary cities and states that put those criminals on the street.

Trump closed with a stirring homage to the American spirit:

As the world bears witness tonight, America is a land of heroes. This is the place where greatness is born, where destinies are forged, and where legends come to life. This is the home of Thomas Edison and Teddy Roosevelt, of many great Generals, including Washington, Pershing, Patton, and MacArthur. This is the home of Abraham Lincoln, Frederick Douglass, Amelia Earhart, Harriet Tubman, the Wright Brothers, Neil Armstrong, and so many more. This is the country where children learn names like Wyatt Earp, Davy Crockett, and Annie Oakley. This is the place where the pilgrims landed at Plymouth and where Texas patriots made their last stand at the Alamo.

The American Nation was carved out of the vast frontier by the toughest, strongest, fiercest, and most determined men and women ever to walk the face of the Earth. Our ancestors braved the unknown; tamed the wilderness; settled the Wild West; lifted millions from poverty, disease, and hunger; vanquished tyranny and fascism; ushered the world to new heights of science and medicine; laid down the railroads, dug out canals, raised up the skyscrapers — and, ladies and gentlemen, our ancestors built the most exceptional Republic ever to exist in all of human history. And we are making it greater than ever before!

This is our glorious and magnificent inheritance.

We are Americans. We are the pioneers. We are the pathfinders. We settled the new world, we built the modern world, and we changed history forever by embracing the eternal truth that everyone is made equal by the hand of Almighty God.

America is the place where anything can happen! America is the place where anyone can rise. And here, on this land, on this soil, on this continent, the most incredible dreams come true!

This Nation is our canvas, and this country is our masterpiece. We look at tomorrow and see unlimited frontiers just waiting to be explored. Our brightest discoveries are not yet known. Our most thrilling stories are not yet told. Our grandest journeys are not yet made. The American Age, the American Epic, the American Adventure, has only just begun!

Our spirit is still young; the sun is still rising; God's grace is still shining; and my fellow Americans, the best is yet to come!

Thank you. God Bless You. God Bless America.

Trump's State of the Union address was an outstanding speech by a man whom history will surely remember as one of America's greatest presidents.

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