Trump hit the right marks in speech to Congress

President Donald Trump delivered a formidable speech before a spirited joint session of Congress on last night. House Speaker Paul Ryan described it as a "home run" and the address will no doubt temporarily assuage the concerns of nervous congressional Republicans, many of whom are up for re-election in 2018 in districts carried by Hillary Clinton.

A CNN/ORC poll of speech-watchers found that 57% of viewers reacted positively to the address and about two-thirds felt good about Trump's policies and priorities for the country. After repeatedly deriding CNN as "fake news," White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer lavished public praise on the poll's findings. Trump remained meticulously disciplined and on message, despite being presented with several opportunities to veer off-course.

The opening lines typically set the tone and tenor for a speech and Trump began the evening on just the right note. He mentioned the conclusion of Black History Month and immediately brought attention to the rash of anti-Semitic incidents that have taken place around the country. The senseless shooting death of an Indian immigrant in a Kansas City suburb was also acknowledged. Trump had previously been criticized for remaining largely silent on these high-profile issues, despite a penchant for tweeting about mundane things like television ratings and crowd sizes.

In stark contrast to January's inaugural address that was bleak and intended for his base of supporters, Trump abandoned the campaign trail last night and delivered a speech to a much wider target audience. He singled out Democrats for inclusion on several occasions and talked about coming together for the good of the country. Polling indicates a plurality of Americans are in favor of Democrats finding common ground to work with Trump, who floated several potential avenues for compromise. He singled out a $1 trillion piece of infrastructure legislation, increased military spending, and a tax credit to make childcare more accessible and affordable.

Without question, the pinnacle of the address was Trump's acknowledgment of Carryn Owens, the widow of U.S. Navy SEAL William "Ryan" Owens, who was tragically killed during a recent anti-terrorism raid in Yemen. Her presence in the first lady's box was a surprise not previewed in advance by the administration. Trump announced that Secretary of Defense Mattis confirmed the raid on a suspected Al-Qaeda safe house generated large amounts of vital intelligence that will be integral to future military victories. Owens' reaction and raw emotions made this a particularly moving exchange. This subplot will no doubt receive some extreme vetting in the coming days because it's a much more complicated situation than was portrayed during the speech. Ryan's father supports a comprehensive investigation into this matter surrounding Trump's approval and decision-making process. The continued litigation of this issue will definitely influence the long-term impact and perception of the address.  Read more at Detroit Free Press

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