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The 2019 State Of The Union, As Told Through Reactions From Members Of Congress
President Donald Trump delivered his second State of the Union (SOTU) address in the House chamber on Tuesday evening. In typical SOTU fashion, throughout his speech, members of Congress showed their agreement or lack thereof with Trump's words by respectively standing and clapping or remaining seated. In addition to using applause to convey their thoughts, though, many members also exhibited some telling facial expressions. Indeed, these State of the Union reaction GIFs show that Trump's speech wasn't necessarily a hit with everyone in the room.
During his speech, which, at 82 minutes, was the longest SOTU since the year 2000, Trump addressed a variety of topics, NBC reported. For example, he repeatedly stressed that he believes border security needs to be strengthened and reiterated his desire to construct a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border, CNN noted.
CNN added that Trump also touted the economic growth that has taken place in the United States while he has been in office. Furthermore, he lambasted what he believes are "calamitous" global trade policies, further delving into a topic which he has frequently — and sometimes controversially — addressed during his time in office, Business Today reported. These represent just a few of the many topics the president covered on Tuesday.
For some in the audience, Trump's thoughts on various policy areas elicited not-so-subtle responses that seemed to indicate their disagreement with the president's assertions. The GIFs below offer a look at some of the best SOTU reactions of the evening.
Bernie Sanders
During his speech, Trump reflected on how he sees the future trajectory of American governance, saying:
Here, in the United States, we are alarmed by new calls to adopt socialism in our country. America was founded on liberty and independence ... We are born free, and we will stay free ... Tonight, we renew our resolve that America will never be a socialist country.
As the HuffPost reported, Senator Sanders of Vermont, who has referred to himself as a democratic socialist, appeared to have a solemn facial expression as he listened to the president's remarks.
Nancy Pelosi
As Trump was discussing the economy, he claimed that the "only thing" that could stop the United States' economic growth "are foolish wars, politics, or ridiculous partisan investigations." If Speaker Pelosi's reaction is any indication, she didn't seem to agree with the president's remarks.
Adam Schiff
Representative Schiff of California also seemed to have a subtle but telling reaction to Trump's comment about "partisan investigations."
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez
At one point during Trump's speech, Congresswoman Ocasio-Cortez of New York looked less than impressed, to say the least.
Kirsten Gillibrand
Senator Gillibrand of New York appeared to sigh after Trump said that the U.S. economy is "considered far and away the hottest economy anywhere in the world." The senator subsequently leaned in to this GIF, sharing it on her own Twitter account and using it to encourage donations to her 2020 presidential exploratory committee. "Agree? Chip in $5 so we can put an end to this," she wrote, along with sharing a donation link.
Kamala Harris
Senator Harris' facial expression as Trump discussed undocumented immigration gave some pretty clear insight into how she felt about his comments.
Overall, Trump's second SOTU address prompted a wide variety of reactions from members of Congress in the audience. These GIFs certainly illustrate that the president's words didn't always resonate with many senators and representatives.
