President Donald Trump will give his first State of the Union address on Tuesday, Jan. 30 at the U.S. Capitol. The address has been a tradition since George Washington in order to communicate current conditions of the country and policy proposals for the upcoming year.
“As a young citizen of the United States, I enjoy hearing Trump’s thoughts about America,” sophomore Will Crews said. “I am looking forward to seeing how he handles these pressing issues as the leader of our nation.”
Here are some issues to look out for in this year’s address:
1. Immigration
After a three-day government shutdown regarding a bipartisan on the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), Trump said he was willing to discuss a path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants brought to the U.S. as children, according to the New York Times. The Times also reported Trump stating he would request $24 billion to build a wall on the Mexico border.
2. #MeToo
According to CNN, lawmakers were invited to wear black to the State of the Union address to support the #MeToo and #TimesUp movement against sexual assault and harassment that has forced several members out of government offices in the last several weeks.
3. Trade decisions
Politico reported that the Trump Administration is preparing to reveal a crackdown on trade in the coming weeks, including new tariffs countering China’s, as well as other unfair trade practices.
4. Healthcare
Since his election, Trump has battled the current Affordable Care Act (ACA), also known as Obamacare, set in place during the Obama era. The Washington Post reported that the Trump administration is continuing discussions for a new healthcare plan that will excuse more people from the ACA.
5. Trump
Dr. Jared Dockery, associate professor of history, said he expects Trump’s speech to have continuity from previous years. He said he believes the formality of the address will benefit Trump because the mainstream media has lowered public expectations.
“I would expect President Trump’s speech to be more solid – if less colorful and controversial – than his tweets,” Dockery said. “He tends to be at his best when delivering formal speeches because he is much more likely to stick to a disciplined script rather than delivering inflammatory and tangential tweets.”
The 2018 State of the Union address will be delivered Tuesday, Jan. 30, at 7 p.m. CT. The address will be livestreamed via Youtube and NBCNews.com/SOTU. Follow HUStudentPubs on Twitter for live update throughout the event.
Written by Caitlin Denton and Savanna DiStefano
