Anyone else watching Trumps 1st Presidential Address?

I am. Boots on other planets. Worked for me.

Trumps acknowledgement of William “Ryan” Owen” and his families sacrifice and watching his wife at the speech brought a tear to my eye….

I am. I shouldn’t have had dinner, cause it keeps wanting to come up.

Resounding applause on the Repubs side and a surprising amount of applause from the Democrats. Hmmmm.

News media is saying Trumps speech was his best ever and his tribute to Ryan Owens was beyond noteworthy.

It’s like watching file footage of Mussolini, except instead of il duce, we have el douche.

at least he didn’t keep talking about how he beat Hillary bigly.

I accidentally did for about 2 seconds, because I thought Jeopardy would be on.

I thought overall it was good. He had some moments I didn’t agree with of course.

I have Republican friends on Facebook saying it’s just awful the Dems didn’t stand for the disabled young woman. I’m kind of tired of politicians carting out people like that for points. Disabled, minorities, children, whenever it seems very pat to me it’s annoying. I don’t remember if the Democrats didn’t stand for her. Maybe they weren’t standing for what Trump was saying at the time. I’m tired of friends hating on everything. Can’t people just discuss what was said?

Also, why didn’t anyone have a tissue for that soldier’s wife?! Why didn’t she have one?

He mentioned healthcare, and his goal of a better and cheaper healthcare system is what I want, but he is sticking to his competition schtick, and I really really don’t believe it will work how he says it will. Terrifying.

So much of what Trump says as his goals sound good to me, I just don’t believe his mode of getting there will result in him achieving the goal he states. Some see it as lying, and some see it as ignorance. I mostly see it as ignorance.

Yes. It was very reassuring and made me proud to be an American.
You all can reply with rude comments about my views, but I really don’t care. I am proud of our president and this country.
The part with the Navy Seal made me happy. The fact that he even went to the funeral and didn’t allow press shows that he truly cares for this military, along with the funding he’s giving. I am also happy with the bills he passed today making it easier for women to be entrepreneurs and STEM graduates.
I really admire this man and everything he says is true and inspiring. Very proud.
I didn’t get to hear, but what I did hear was very well put.

I saw it. The words sounded “Presidential”. But there was a healthy dose of jingoism, along with the self centered blather we’ve come to expect from the me-first President. Did you get the bit about changing the immigration laws to admit “qualified” applicants. As for “your poor, your tired, your huddled masses”, well that ain’t our problem. And of course, regardless of the miseries listed in his obituary for the country, we can never have too much military shit.

I thought Ryan looked like he was about to get hit with a shitbomb when Trump seemed to go off tele-promper and wing it for a couple of seconds there. But Trump got it together and read what Bannon had told him to without too much of himself showing through.

It was the same crap he’s being saying for years it just looked like he’d actually let someone who knows what they’re doing write the speech this time.

There were only a few times the applause was across the aisle. Infrastructure, applause the dead Seals wife, and for child care or anything that should an would be of interest for people on both sides of the aisle. As predicted, no applause for his immigration platform or for building a wall, or even for Voice, which is just a plan to make immigrants seem way more dangerous than they actually are. Is there no voice for the hundreds of people every year who are killed by fellow Americans? Does it really matter who took your love one away? If a drunk driver who has had priors kills a love one of mine, I will still want the same justice, whether they are an immigrant or an American citizen. Whether they are black or white or hispanic, asian, or european. Though with Trumps plan, I have to wonder, would it mean he simply gives him or her a drive to the boarder where they get to live a free life? This is just Trump trying to justify having to deport people because he wants everyone to believe all illegal immigrants are predators and drug dealers.

One Congressman put it perfectly. He’s made promises before and then turn around and does something that is contrary to his promise. So he not believing what he says until he actually sees what he does.

It was a more conventional speech than we would expect from Trump and it contradicted much of what he said previously. A few weeks ago Nato was obsolete now ‘the US strongly supports Nato’. He also seems to be backtracking on his strong anti-immigration stance and just days after his petty press ban he is saying “the time for trivial fights is behind us”. We will see. I don’t like Trump and I don’t believe a word that comes out of his mouth.

@flutherother he hasn’t given you any reason to believe him. He seems to go whichever way the wind blows.

I did not listen to the speech, but it is noteworthy that he stayed on script. Bannon did a good job of pulling the puppet strings. I was disappointed when he said that the time for trivia is over. Does that mean no more silly tweets and that from now on he is going to be serious? That may make a serious dent in the supply of Trump jokes. Fortunately, he did not show any inclination toward telling the truth, so we will still have that as a source of humor.

That tear jerker moment with Owens’ wife needs to be put in context. Owens’ father refused to meet with Trump and thinks that the raid was not called for and had no value. He thinks that it should be investigated further.

I heard this morning that he went off script when he said “radical Islamic terrorists.” I do hate when he, or anyone, uses that term. I think it’s a bad idea.

@LostInParadise I wonder if the wife will regret being there and put on display like that. I didn’t know the father was asking for an investigation. Probably almost all parents in that situation would feel that way.

As far as the comments on Trump’s position on illegals, he has NEVER said that all Mexicans or immigrants are killers and rapists. That has been widely reported, and that is one of several reasons for the rift with the fake “mainstream” media.

The current campaign which has been going on since the first week of his presidency has been against high-level criminals and gang members and thus far has been very effective. Also, many of you don’t seem to realize the criminal / illegals problems that go on closer to the borders, where entire municipalities have been decimated by drug-related crime, and how many innocent lives have been taken by drug cartels that operate out of Mexico, or the number of terror networks in this country that have ties to illegals and deportees,

The only thing I found contradictory in his address was the comments that our relationship with NATO was strong. He has wanted previously to dissolve this relationship because other nations are not paying and are taking advantage of this alliance.

@Yellowdog Oh stop already. Telling the truth about Trumps position on criminal illegals will get you nowhere. That said, I read recently in how Norway has deported over 10,000 criminal immigrants and crime in their country has dropped 30% and is at a 14 year low. hmmmmm….

Is that 30% drop cause and effect or just a correlation? Worldwide, the long term trend in crime rates is moving downward. For example, there has been a slight increase in U.S. crime rates in the last year or two, but the long term trend is definitely downward, in contrast to what serial liar ignoramus Trump says.

Norway’s policy has drawn criticism from the U.N.

Most people I know who live where there are big gang issues want the illegal immigrants in gangs gone. We have to deal with our citizens, why have to deal with bad people who aren’t even our citizens. I’d go as far to say that if they have committed a very violent crime anything short of Citizen is worth considering deportation. 30 years ago when my boyfriend at the time cousin was killed by her boyfriend, whom we knew well, because he had been married to a different cousin, he was legal here, but what we wondered was if he would be deported or jailed here.

We immediately all considered deportation. My exboyfriend was born in the US, but all of his siblings were born in another country, most of his cousins, his parents, aunts and uncles. The killer was from Kuwait, my boyfriend’ family from Ecuador.

Wanting to deport criminals isn’t anti-immigrant in my opinion. However, I do want to say that deporting is not always my choice, because many find their way back, or have no punishment in their home countries.

I think we really need to specifically define these things, or nothing will get solved regarding immigration. If we just keep saying Trump is anti immigrant and throw up our hands, what gets done? It will be the same as the last 20 years, nothing. If we want to protect immigrants who should be here, but can’t get papers, we need to change the policy. It won’t change if we can’t have conversation about it. People, illegal immigrants, have no protections, they have to worry about being deported, it’s awful. Most of them hard working, underpaid, and living in bad conditions. It’s not right.

Not I. The news media will drag it all up and around later so I can catch it then sans all of his BS.

I’ve known people who have had to abandon their ranch in the ‘90s (as had many of their neighbors) due to drug cartel activity even back then. These thugs regularly cut fences for access (you give up after a while—its much easier to cut than repair)— that was for access. But when they kill your livestock out of sheer maliciousness—or shoot up your house just to get you out of their way if they fear you will nark on them—that’s another matter. These cartel are not mobs but small militia. Yet there are those who feel the ranch owners or small town citizenry really don’t have a right to be here in the first place because, after all, America is the problem.

The whole huddled masses yearning to be free, well first off, that poem was written after slavery was abolished.
Things change, and as the world grows and becomes more complicated, nations must change to meet the challenges of those new complications.
Those words are in a poem, written by a woman who initially protested, but eventually relented. They have not made any promise on behalf of the government.
A primary duty of our President is to ensure the safety of the nation, including its citizens, and resources.
The definition of freedom is not lawlessness. If restrictions are required, shut up, and be glad someone has shouldered the task.
When the wall is being built, I hope it is equipped with tunnel detection technology. I am tired of hearing about tunnels stretching north through our country being found, equipped with rails, lights, lodging.

Trump was so happy that the press said this was his best speech (meaning that he spoke in complete sentences) that he did not want to spoil things by re-issuing the immigration ban. Remember when he said that it was urgent that the ban be immediately implemented? Yet another lie.

@LostInParadise Are you saying you have a problem with compromise? The Trump administration has control of the house and the senate he could do whatever he wants yet his statements last night were full of consideration for the concerns of Democratic constituents. I view this favorably and as potential compromise not as a lie.

@Cruiser “The Trump administration has control of the house and senate…” Eh, I don’t think that is right. Republicans control the house and senate, and not all Republicans are on board with Trump. Former House Speaker John Boehner, speaking specifically about health care, says that “Republicans never, ever agree…”
So, what was that about compromise???

@kritiper I offer up the unanimous approval of all of Trumps cabinet picks and the thunderous standing ovations from all on the right side of the isle last night as a small indicator of the support Trump has from his base. An informed observer will account for the occasional dissenters on both sides of the isle who are breaking rank to appease their own state base. Also I embrace Boehner’s comment with open arms as he is highlighting one of the core strengths of the Republican Party and that is their ability to constructively disagree and ultimately negotiate a compromise. A concept sadly foreign to Dems.

@Cruiser. How do you define urgent?

@LostInParadise Needing full attention of available resources above most all other demands. A step below critical and a step or two below any indecision will be fatal. Can you provide context as to why you ask?

Sorry, still don’t see any compromise. To my way of thinking, do it my way and we will both be happy does not qualify as a compromise.

Still waiting to see the outcome of this administrations efforts to prove government doesn’t work.

@Cruiser, because I thought you were responding to my point that Trump said that the Muslim ban is urgent, but he does not seem to be in a rush to issue his new executive order. Doesn’t it bother you that he just constantly tells lies?

@LostInParadise I do not hold Trump responsible for the delay in implementing his temporary ban on not allowing immigrants from the 7 countries that Obama had originally identified as trouble maker countries. It is the Democrats who are now against Obama’s original plan who are holding up implementing this ban not Trump so no, I am not bothered one bit by it and find it rather ridiculous that you or anyone would characterize it as a lie. Really now….

The ban was blocked by a judge (condescendingly referred to by Trump as a so called judge) appointed by Bush. The Democrats had nothing to do with it. There is nothing preventing Trump from issuing his new executive order.

@LostInParadise Last I heard he is modifying his ban to exclude Iraq. Rome was not built in one day.

The right has mis-claimed (and mis-characterized) again and again that Obama passed a Muslim ban in 2011; operating on the assumption that if you say something long enough and loud enough it becomes an actual fact. I believe @Cruiser is trying to say that Trumps actual ban was merely an extension of this non-ban and that therefore we, as loyal, patriotic Americans should be ok with it.

Snopes report calling bullshit on the supposed Obama ban

@Cruiser I haven’t seen too much “unanimous approval” yet. I think you need to reconsider just what the Republican party constitutes now: Tea Baggers (ULTRA conservatives) vs. Moderate Republicans (Remember, I told you that 66% of Republicans are actually Moderates) which would mean the two ends of the Republican party are about as far apart as regular, old-time Republicans vs. Democrats. Boehner obviously sees it! I think a lot of “Republicans” will see it very soon and either side won’t like it anymore than you will.

@kritiper I agree with you and see this as a good thing as opposed to tow the line regardless of the policies of the Dems. Either way both parties (the DNC moreso than the GOP) make a fatal error in thinking their parties direction will carry the elections. Trump did not have any support from any faction of his own party and still won the election because he swayed nearly the entire base of the independents who right now outnumber either party. But if Trumps speech the other day is any indicator, he has a lot more support of his party than is publicly admitted to. Another potential fatal mistake the DNC is making.

@Cruiser the DNC still has not been able to see which way the wind is blowing…... they will fuck up the 2018 midterm elections because they seem to be unable to see that those they consider their base are disgusted with them and their wealthy benefactors.

@rojo Glad to see you get it. I am just dumbfounded by the direction of the DNC. They apparently learned nothing from the 2016 election or the last 8 years. The Dems have lost over a 1000 seats in the last 8 years and have the least amount of elected seats since the 20’s and they pretend like everything is hunky dory and are continuing on their dead end street efforts to demonize the GOP when all it is doing is making them stronger. The GOP’s message is clear and the DNC….well they have no message other than broadcasting loud and clear we are clueless.

It truly baffles me that there are people who actually follow and witness Trump, yet come away believing him capable of even approximating delivery on a single one of his fantastic promises.

To my mind, the Democrats need do little but monitor the wrecking of the country. The Republicans are now in the position of which they have prayed and dreamed, and we will all get to see EXACTLY what conservative solutions for the nation’s troubles are really all about.

@stanleybmanly He has already achieved 7 of his promises. My mining/industrial division is beyond swamped with orders since his promise to roll back coal mining regulations. My favorite is one he didn’t even promise is the over 10% rise in the DJIA! 21,000! HooYa! Home sales are rebounding to pre crash levels, job creation in January was the highest it’s been in months/years. You need to expand your news source horizons sir as there are lots of very positive things happening and not all have to be promises made by Trump.

@stanleybmanly Yeah, sitting back and watching worked so well last November. No, they need to reconnect and figure out what is going on with non-wealthy America. Also, remember that it doesn’t matter what Trump does (he could be a fucking Russian Stooge up to his eyeballs in debt to them) his base will vote for him anyway.

Those “positive things” merely reflect the momentum of OBAMA’s recovery, and if your business is in any way dependent on the revival of the coal mining industry, you might just as well roll over and die. I’m telling you again that it isn’t the dems who are going bear the greater consequences of the 6 year old behind the wheel.

Ha! @stanleybmanly I knew that would be your answer! lol. If anything this epic in the stock market was to happen under Obama’s tutelage it would have happened long ago. Even a 5th grader knows the power lifter investors had 2 trillion dollars sitting on the sidelines the last 8 years because of the oppressive policies Obama had in place. Trump wins the election, promises regulation reforms and the flood gates opened. Trump has given the investment community a sense of optimism that was lacking under Obama and the market is responding. Plus after Trumps speech there is a sense of confidence the Feds will raise rates and that is driving this enthusiastic response in the markets.

Plus I know first hand how fucked up things are financially as I have had my business money figuratively in a mattress earning a whopping .01% for the last six years SIX YEARS!! Something very wrong when you or anyone cannot find muster to point a finger where the blame for out anemic recovery actually lies.

@rojo the Democrats are in large part useless, simply because the party has for all practical purposes devolved into a watered down version of its Republican counterpart. Despite all conservative ravings, no one with any sense should regard the Democratic Party as meaningful opposition from the left.

@Cruiser I commend your exuberance, and withdraw my dour anticipations. Perhaps you are right. But it seems to me there is sparse evidence indeed
heralding Trump as proof that “happy days are here again”

@stanleybmanly It’s going to take a lot of work. My expectations are on low end of the scale as the Dems already have made it abundantly clear that they will do everything to sabotage his Presidency and now even have Obama sharpening his knives to get back in the fray. I don’t give a rat’s ass about repealing the ACA, my interest is in regulators reform (responsible reform) and tax reform and reforming the tax code. The rest of his promises was red meat for the far right and have little hope of being meaningful in the least.

Hey, @Cruiser lets be fair:

“When Barack Obama was sworn in as the 44th president of the United States on January 20, 2009, the U.S. stock market was in free fall. The financial crisis was in full swing following the collapse of Lehman Brothers and the Standard & Poor’s 500 index, a popular measure of the U.S. stock market, closed at 805 points on Inauguration Day.

Eight years later, the S&P 500 index has risen to 2,274 points after one of the great bull runs in stock market history. With Obama as president, the U.S. stock market, as measured by the S&P 500, returned 235%, or 16.4% annualized.

The Obama stock market trounced the stock market of his presidential predecessor, George W. Bush, which fell 30.6% from January 20, 2001 to January 20, 2009. Bill Clinton’s stock market, however, beat the Obama stock market, returning 264%, or 17.5% annualized.”

From This Forbes article

@rojo We can both cherry pick the low hanging fruit for rest of our lives. My wife is politely reminding me I have much better things to do. ;)

Yeah, I get that a lot too.

@Cruiser you are far too generous in crediting the Democrats for the approaching demise of the Trump era. The Donald is self destructing minus the input of Democrats, the “dishonest press”, Hillary and the panoply of other “enemies” on his lengthening list. The thing to appreciate regarding Trump is that the turmoil surrounding him and his every move, makes meaningful progress toward any goal a hopeless proposition. The man can’t stuff a spoon of cheerios into his mouth without generating controversy. The unwieldy combination of towering arrogance with appalling ignorance makes for guaranteed disruption of the public order as the nation’s business takes a back seat to the exploding crises confronting the executive branch. It doesn’t matter if for example Trump should miraculously emerge intact from the current Russian debacle. There will ALWAYS be some other bungling ineptitude to emerge from the crisis closet of the man who understands neither his government nor his duties and obligations in its functioning. Every embarrassing day that passes just further confirms what’s been evident from the outset, and when the rapidly approaching point is reached where no possible hope or speculation of competence remains, it will fall on the REPUBLICANS to expunge the blight. And by the arrival of that day, marketability of the Republican Party will be securely in the toilet.

There are a lot of pro and con opinions here. But let there be no mistake! There is no law or statute or amendment that says there has to be only 2 political parties. I still think the present predicament is ripe for a third party to make a big break-out and I hope to see one soon. Of course, the Democrats could pull their heads out sufficiently to back the train up to a better, more electable position than just trying to keep Obama’s legacy going. That line has been toed very well and (obviously) overly much.
I suspect that @Cruiser is a Tea Bagger, although he talks, like Trump does, like he’s just another plain-old Republican that wants us all to believe that ALL Republicans, to a man, are on the exact same page. I can’t believe anything Trump says, why would I believe anything @Cruiser says? It’s all part and partial of the same “Republican” propaganda dung heap.

@stanleybmanly AND @kritiper You both have to be working for CNN in some way shape or form as only someone who is obligated to forward that same narrative as you just spewed would write what you just wrote. Sheeesh already.

You, the Tea Party and every ass kissing liberal are still making the same fundamental mistake you/they made 17 months ago when Trump descended down the escalator of Trump Tower and that is to “pooh pooh” this so tumped up “turmoil surrounding him and his every move,”

Hello! He won this God Damned election because of yours and the DNC’s blind ignorance to just how fuckin tired a YUGE majority of the working class is of the shenanigans of the Democratic Party. Go ahead….keep your heads firmly sequestered up your ass for the next 8–16 years if you live that long as it will only make Trump’s job and his successors job that much easier.

The bum won’t last 6 months!

@Cruiser Trump is ill mannered, incompetent, dangerous and I wouldn’t trust him as far as I could throw him. You have explained why you think he won the election but winning doesn’t put him or his cabinet beyond investigation and criticism. He is answerable to those that voted for him and to those that didn’t and if he is uncomfortable with that he is not fit to be president of a free country.

@flutherother I know there is nothing I can say to you to change your prejudiced views of Trump since anything you perceive of this man is choreographed by the far Left faction of the Democratic party and the news media that supports their sore loser narrative. Trump is much more humble and determined to do the right thing for our country and he could and would if you and the far left would just allow him to do the job we elected him to do. IMHO it would honestly benefit you in the long run…really!

Humble? It’s the far left that demeans the braying jackass? It’s the dishonest press that’s making shit up? He’s at it again this morning. Of course the press is clearly dishonest for reporting it, and the evil leftists all treasonous for noticing.

Do you seriously suppose this can be tolerated for 4 years? The man has the sense of a whippoorwill.

I do not dispute Trump’s belief that he has the country’s interests at heart. BUT his beliefs and motives become increasingly immaterial in the face of his BEHAVIOR.

@stanleybmanly You knew this was coming but it is beyond evident that it is the Left that is now the “braying Jackass”...can you tone it down….I am trying to take a nap

sigh…..... you have a point. It’s useless to continue flogging the obvious, and Trump IS President. But whatever the persecution complex tormenting this guy, it makes for some unpleasant and painful consequences for the country. I don’t care what political viewpoint you care to espouse, it’s coming up to a necessary national discussion on ” how to get out of this.”

Trump has just gone off the rails again, accusing Obama of bugging Trump Tower. Not a scintilla of evidence provided. Even if the charge were true, to make it via Twitter without even suggesting any evidence is a horrendous act. We will see how this plays out, but I will eat my hat if there is any factual basis for what Trump is saying.

It looks as if the ongoing investigation into Trump’s Russian connection is starting to rattle him. First Flynn and then Sessions. It is looking more and more as if something went on between Trump and the Russians.

@LostInParadise What constitutes “evidence” to you?

It certainly requires more than an accusing tweet from a man scandalously notorious for his tenuous hold on the truth. This is one individual whose mere word is unacceptable on any matter of importance, and that is a frightful humiliation for the country. I wish I could be consistent in my revulsion, but now I’m actually feeling simply embarrassed for the man, and wishing there were some quiet way out for him. I ask you to go to the top of the page and read this question. Does it matter now however Presidential he may have appeared?

Ummm @stanleybmanly ” I ask you to go to the top of the page and read this question.” I penned this question and your point is?

My point is that it doesn’t matter if you deliver a credible address before the Congress if you snatch crap from your imagination to tweet as fact the following day.

@stanleybmanly I was right….you are on the CNN payroll…you are determined to find fire where there is no smoke. ~

I don’t understand. Are you saying that “Obama bugged my house” is not “fire”?

(Hands @stanleybmanly a shiny new shovel) Keep digging my friend…good luck.

Dig for what? He’s hurling it in our face!

Ha! You can turn your back to the onslaught or mercifully turn off the TV. Perhaps you are a glutton for punishment. Find another hobby or suffer 8 years of paper cuts all over your body. Been there….

Again the 8 years?