In case you were unaware, every year in January, POTUS gives a speech to Congress about plans for legislation as well as the state of the country, which is called the “State of the Union.” This year, on January 30th, Trump gave a SOTU address that lasted a total of one hour and 20 minutes, but technically only around 51 minutes because of the excessive applause. It was recorded as the third longest speech in history. He seemed to be extending an olive branch, hoping to unite democrats and republicans to achieve his goals.  Many democrats did not attend, while republicans felt it was one of the best speeches he has given.  He laid out challenges facing North Korea, ISIS, border security, and more.

He also showcased several American heroic stories, touching the hearts of many viewers.  In the audience, he introduced the parents of two 15-year old girls, brutally murdered by MS-13 gang members; a police officer who came across a pregnant heroin addict about to shoot up, who he helped and then with his wife, adopted her newborn, naming her Hope. He introduced Otto Warmbier’s parents, whose son was sentenced to 15 years in a North Korean camp for allegedly stealing a poster, coming home in a coma and passing away shortly after.  Perhaps the most touching moment was the North Korean defector, whose life story was haunting and memorable, waving his crutches of freedom to applause that even democrats could not stoically sit through.

Trump addressed some policy: calling for the U.S. detention facility at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, to remain open, vowing to lower prescription drug costs, dangling infrastructure as something both parties could work on, looking to rebuild America’s nuclear weapons arsenal, and flirting with cutting off foreign aid to countries that don’t side with and support the United States. He stated, “My duty, and the sacred duty of every elected official in this chamber, is to defend Americans, to protect their safety, their families, their communities, and their right to the American dream — because Americans are dreamers, too.”

He managed to be passive-aggressive as well: Mentioning Preston Sharp, a 12-year-old from California who planted flags at veterans’ graves on Veterans Day, Trump said: “Preston’s reverence for those who have served our nation reminds us of why we salute our flag, why we put our hands on our hearts for the Pledge of Allegiance and why we proudly stand for the national anthem.”, alluding to athletes taking a knee during the national anthem.

Getting all the attention at the beginning of the speech was first lady Melania Trump’s white pantsuit and blouse. It had people asking: What message is she sending? Democratic women were in all black for Trump’s speech.