The 2018 State of the Union Address was given by the 45th President of the United States, Donald Trump, on Tuesday, January 30, 2018, at 9 p.m. EST in the chamber of the United States House of Representatives. It is addressed to the 115th United States Congress. It is Trump’s first State of the Union Address and his second speech to a joint session of the United States Congress. U.S. Representative Joe Kennedy III and Virginia Delegate Elizabeth Guzmán will be giving the Democratic Party’s response in English and Spanish respectively.
Article II, Section 3, Clause 1 of the United States Constitution states that the president “shall from time to time give to the Congress Information of the State of the Union, and recommend to their Consideration such measures as he shall judge necessary and expedient.” On November 30, 2017, House Speaker Paul Ryan sent an invitation to the President to deliver a “State of the Union address before a joint session of Congress on Tuesday, January 30, 2018, in the House Chamber.” The speech will be Trump’s first State of the Union address and his second speech to a joint session of Congress.
On January 26, 2018, a senior administration official told reporters that “the tone [of the address] will be one of bipartisanship and it will be very forward looking.” The official said that the theme of Trump’s speech would be “building a safe, strong, and proud America.” Five major policy issues to be discussed by the president are: the economy, infrastructure, immigration, trade, and national security.[6] More specifically, Trump is expected to tout the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 and echo his campaign call for “fair” and “reciprocal” trade deals.
Senior policy adviser Stephen Miller and staff secretary Rob Porter took the lead in writing the speech. The full draft of the speech was completed two weeks before the State of the Union Address, but it was still being edited with reviews and suggestions from Cabinet secretaries and senior White House aides. National Security Advisor H. R. McMaster, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, and Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis offered feedback on the national security portion of the speech.
The State of the Union Address was given at 9 pm EST on January 30, 2018. Distribution of the tickets for the event was delayed due to a spelling error. John Roberts, the Chief Justice of the United States, and Associate Justices Stephen Breyer, Neil Gorsuch, and Elena Kagan will be the only justices of the Supreme Court of the United States in attendance for the speech. The other five justices were absent. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg will not be attending the address. Instead, she will be participating in a “fireside chat” at Roger Williams University School of Law with U.S. Circuit Judge Bruce M. Selya, which was scheduled in August 2017. U.S Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue was named the designated survivor and will be at an undisclosed location during the address so that, in case of a catastrophe, the continuity of government is upheld.
A group of female Democratic members of Congress plan to wear black outfits to the address in solidarity with movements protesting sexual harassment and assault in numerous industries. Members of the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) will wear red pins to honor Recy Taylor, a black woman who was gang raped by six white men in 1944.
On January 5, 2018, U.S. Representative Earl Blumenauer announced that he would be in his district rather than attend the State of the Union Address. In light of reporting that Trump called Haiti, El Salvador, and several nations in Africa “shithole countries”, Representative John Lewis announced on January 12 that he was not planning on attending the address. Joining Lewis in the boycott, Representative Maxine Waters said, “[Trump] does not deserve my attention.” Representative Frederica Wilson became the fourth member of Congress to boycott the address on January 14, calling Trump a racist and liar. On January 15, Representative Pramila Jayapal announced she too was boycotting the address because of “racism and hatred” from Trump. On January 17, CBC chairman Cedric Richmond said that the group was pondering a potential boycott or demonstration of the address. The press secretary of Representative Barbara Lee said she would not attend the address, which was decided before Trump’s disparaging remarks were reported.
On January 26, Representative Jan Schakowsky announced she was not going to attend the address, citing the travel ban, Trump’s response to the violence at the Unite the Right rally, and his use of vulgar language to refer to African nations as reasons for her boycott. Representative Gregory Meeks announced on January 28 that he would be boycotting, saying, “I cannot give this man, who does not respect me, the respect to be in that audience.” The spokesperson for Representative Albio Sires said, “The congressman is not attending the State of the Union because many of his constituents are offended by the president’s rhetoric and behavior.” On January 29, Representatives Bobby Rush and Danny Davis announced they were boycotting the address.
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