President Donald Trump gave his first official speech to a joint session of Congress last night. Although not formally known as a “State of the Union,” it’s essentially the same.
Here are some of the best quotes from President Trump
“A new chapter of America greatness is now beginning. A new national pride is sweeping across our nation. And a new surge of optimism is placing impossible dreams firmly within our grasp. What we are witnessing today is a renewal of the American spirit.”
“In nine years, the United States will celebrate the 250th anniversary of our founding… It will be one of the great milestones in the history of the world. But what will America look like?… I will not allow the mistakes of recent decades past to define the course of our future.”
“The rebellion started as a quiet focus spoken by families of all colors and creeds … who just wanted a fair shot for their children. For them, the quiet voices became a loud chorus as thousands of citizens now spoke out together… Finally the chorus became an earthquake and the people turned out by tens of millions and they were all united by one very simple and crucial demand: that America must put its own citizens first. Because only then can we truly make America great again.”
“We’re going to stop the regulations that threaten the future and livelihood of our great coal miners. We have cleared the way for the construction of the Keystone and Dakota Access Pipelines, thereby creating tens of thousands of jobs. And I’ve issued a new directive that new American pipelines be made with American steel.”
“We will stop the drugs from pouring into our country and poisoning our youth and we will expand treatment to those who have become so badly addicted.”
“At the same time, my administration has answered the plea … for immigration enforcement and border security. By finally enforcing our immigration laws, we will raise wages, help the unemployed, save billions and billions of dollars, and make our communities safer for everyone.”
“We want all Americans to succeed, but that cant’ happen in an environment of lawless chaos.”
“We will soon begin the construction of a great, great wall along our southern border. As we speak tonight, we are removing gang members, drug dealers and criminals that threaten our community and prey on our very innocent citizens. bad ones are going out as I speak. To any in Congress who do not believe we should enforce our laws, I would ask you … what would you say to the American family that loses their jobs … or loved ones because America refused to uphold its laws and defend its borders.”
“Our obligation is to serve protect and defend the citizens of the United States. We’re also taking strong measures to protect our nation from radical Islamic terrorism.”
“We have seen the attacks at home from Boston to San Bernardino to the Pentagon and yes, the World Trade Center… It is not compassion but reckless to allow uncontrolled entry from places where proper vetting can not occur.”
“We cannot allow our nation to become a sanctuary for extremists. That is why my administration has been working on improved vetting procedures.”
“I have kept my promise to appoint a Justice to the United States Supreme Court … to defend our Constitution. I am greatly honored to have Maureen Scalia with us in the gallery tonight. Her late great husband … will forever by a symbol of American justice.”
“94 million Americans are out of the labor force … 1 in 5 people in their prime working years are not working … In the last eight years the past administration has put on more new debt than nearly all of the other presidents combined. We’ve lost nearly 1/4 of our manufacturing job since NAFTA … Our trade deficit in good with the world last year was nearly $800 billion and overseas we’ve inherited a series of tragic foreign policy disasters. Solving these … will require us to work past our differences of party. It will require us to tap into the American spirit that has overcome every challenge … To accomplish our goals, we must restart the engine of the American economy…”
“I believe strongly in free trade, but it also has to be fair trade. It’s been a long time since we had fair trade. The first Republican president, Abraham Lincoln, warned that the abandonment of the protective policy of the American government would create want and ruin in the country… It’s time we heeded his advice and his ways.”
“I am not going to let America and its great companies and workers be taken advantage of any longer… They have taken advantage of our country no longer.”
“I’m going to bring back millions of jobs, protecting our workers also means reforming our system of legal immigration. The current outdated system depresses wages for our poorest workers and puts great pressure on tax cuts. Nations around the world have a merit-based immigration system. IT’s a basic principle that those seeking to enter a country ought to be able to support themselves financially, yet in America we do not enforce this rule. … Our current immigration system costs American taxpayers many billions of dollars a year. Adopting a merit-based system, … it will save countless dollars, raise workers wages, and help struggling families… enter the middle class and they will do it quickly and they will be very, very happy indeed.”
“To improve jobs and wages for America, to strengthen our nation’s security, and to restore respect for our laws. If we are guided by the wellbeing of American citizens, then I believe Republicans and Democrats … can achieve an outcome that has eluded our country for decades.”
“Dwight D. Eisenhower initiated the last truly great national infrastructure program. The time has come for a new program of national rebuilding. America has spent approximately six trillion dollars in the Middle East, all the while our infrastructure at home is crumbling…”
“I will be asking Congress to approve legislation that produces a $1 trillion investment in infrastructure in the United States… This effort will be guided by two core principles: buy American and hire American.”
“Tonight I am also calling on this Congress to repeal and replace Obamacare… Mandating every American to buy government-approved health insurance was never the right solution for our country. The way to make health insurance available to everyone is to lower the cost … and that is what we are going to do.”
“Remember when you were told that you could keep your doctor and keep your plan. We now know that all of those promises have been totally broken. Obamacare is failing and we must act decisively to protect all Americans.”
“On this and so many other things, Democrats and Republicans should get together and unite for the good of our country and for the good of the American people.”
“An incredible young woman is with us this evening who should serve as an inspiration… Today is rare disease day and joining us in the gallery is a rare disease survivor: Megan Crowley… Megan was not expected to live past five. … Megan’s dad fought with everything he had to save the life of his precious child… He helped develop the drug that saved Megan’s life. Today’s she’ 20-years-old and a sophomore at Notre Dame.”
“Our slow approval … process at the Food and Drug Administration keeps too many advances from reaching those in need. … If we slash the restraints … across our government then we will be blessed with far more miracles just like Megan.”
“Education is the civil rights issue of our time.”
“It’s pure unadulterated division. We have to unify. Police and sheriffs are members of our community. They’re friends and neighbors … and they leave behind loved ones every day who worry about whether or not they will come home… We must support the incredible men and women of law enforcement…”
“And we must support the victims of crime. VOICE: Victims of Immigration Crime Engagement. … We are providing a voice to those who have been ignored by our media.”
“I am sending Congress a budget that builds the military, eliminates the defense sequester, and calls for one of the largest increases in national defense spending in American history. My budget will also increase funding for our veterans.”
“The Bible teaches us there’s no greater act of love than to lay down one’s life for his friends. Ryan laid down his life for his friends and his country, for our freedom, and we will never forget Ryan.”
“We will respect historic institutions, but we will respect the foreign rights of all nations, and they have to respect our rights as a nation also… America respects the rights of all nations to chart their own path. My job is not to represent the world, my job is to represent the United States of America.”
“We want harmony and stability not war and conflict. America is friends today with former enemies. … This history should give us all faith in the possibilities for a better world. Hopefully the 250th year for America will see a world that is more peaceful, more just, and more free.”
“Think of the marvels we could achieve if we set free the dreams of our people… American footprints on distant worlds are not too big a dream. Millions lifted from welfare to work is not too much to expect. And streets where mothers are safe from fear … and jobs where Americans prosper and grow are not too much to ask. When we have all of this we will have made America greater than ever before… We can only get their together, we are one people with one destiny. We all bleed the same blood. We all salute the same great American flag. And we all are made by the same God.”
“The time for small thinking is over. The time for trivail fights is behind us. We just need the courage to share the dreams that fill our hearts … and the confidence to turn those hopes and those dreams into action. From now on America will be empowered by our aspirations, not burdened by our fears. Inspired by the future, not bound by failures of the past, and guided by a vision, not blinded by our doubts. I am asking all citizens to embrace this renewal of the American spirit. I am asking all members of Congress to join me in dreaming big and bold… I’m asking everyone watching … to seize this moment, believe in yourselves, believe in your future, and believe once more in America.”