Editorial | 2019 State of the Union Address: unity in the midst of dis-unity

By Breanna Prater

February 7, 2019

President Donald Trump delivered a riveting State of the Union Address on Tuesday February 5, 2019 in the chamber of the United States House of Representatives to the 116th United States Congress. The address was originally scheduled on January 29, 2019, but the event was delayed during the recent government shutdown. As the New York Times writes “One night a year, during the State of the Union address, President Trump sets aside his affinity for combat.” The state of the union 2019 was an excellent specimen of that truth. The President delivered an address void of his usual battle cries and attack rhetoric; however, that does not mean the the address lacked polarization.

President Trump gave a call for unity and outlined his plan to make the United States “Great Again.” This aligns with the overall theme of the address, “choosing greatness,” according to an interview with Vox news. President Trump claims to deliver “the agenda of the American people” (CNN). The agenda Trump delivered fell short of this statement. While he did give a call for unity, the action he called for was a purely Republican agenda. And as expected, President Trump once again gave a call for the wall along the southern border. The lack of unity in the 2019 state of the union address disheartens many Americans. At a time where unity is needed the most, the president failed to provide it.

The State of the Union 2019 comes at a perilous time for America. Tensions between the White House and Congress are high after the recent 35 day long shutdown and the President has openly expressed willingness to shut down the government again on February 15. As Politico writes, there is currently bipartisan legislation being crafted to fund the government and avoid another shutdown. This bipartisan legislation heartens many as it is being crafted by leaders of both parties. 800,000 American jobs are on the line, and the entire country will be anxiously watching this next week to see what action legislatures decide upon. Hopefully Congress can find unity despite the divisive rhetoric coming from the White House.

Photo Credit: Wix Images

The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Infuse Student Media or Southwest Baptist University.