President Donald Trump delivered the longest State of the Union address of the television age Tuesday, declaring “a turnaround for the ages” as he tried to sell Americans on his economic program ahead of crucial midterm elections later this year.
The speech had all the ceremony, confrontation and chaos that have come to define the event in an era of narrow congressional majorities and partisan polarization. Democratic Representative Al Green was ejected from the chamber for disrupting the speech. Trump invited the gold-medal-winning men’s Olympic hockey team into the gallery amid chants of “USA! USA! USA!” He awarded several medals honoring veterans and active-duty service members.
And in more than 1 hour 47 minutes, the longest State of the Union in history, the president delivered a rally-like speech punctuated less by policy proposals than by political attacks.
For instant reaction and analysis, Bloomberg Balance of Power hosts Joe Mathieu and Kailey Leinz speak with:
- Bloomberg White House correspondent Jeff Mason
- Rick Davis, Partner at Stonecourt Capital and Bloomberg Politics Contributor & Jeanne Sheehan Zaino, Democracy Visiting Fellow at Harvard Kennedy School's Ash Center and Bloomberg Politics Contributor
- US Interior Secretary Doug Burgum
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