President Trump delivered his first State of the Union address on January 30, 2018 to the 115th United States Congress, government leaders, and the American people.
In his speech, the President recognized many heroes of the past year. Many of them were guests of the President and First Lady Melania Trump.
These special guests represent the work and progress that the Administration chose to highlight during the State of the Union address. As the President rounded out one year in office, his choice of guests was significant. He focused on how the country responded to the flooding and wildfires in 2017, economic growth, crime in America, and military power.
The President also used the opportunity to call on Congress to make what he sees as necessary changes to further the state of our Union. He challenged government leaders to make further improvements to accountability in Washington, tax cuts, border security, and military funding.
“Tonight, I call upon all of us to set aside our differences, to seek out common ground, and to summon the unity we need to deliver for the people we were elected to serve,” the President said.
Stepping up in the face of natural disaster
The first guest that the President recognized in his speech was Jon Bridgers, the founder of the Cajun Navy. The Cajun Navy, founded in 2016, responded to flooding in Louisiana in 2016 and the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey in 2017.
David Dahlberg was also invited as a guest of the President and First Lady. Dahlberg, a firefighter in Santa Maria, is credited with saving 62 children and staff at Circle V Ranch Camp when wildfires engulfed the area in the summer of 2017.
Coastguard Aviation Electronics Technician Ashlee Leppert was in attendance. Leppert helped rescue those in danger during the hurricanes of 2017, including “lifting a woman and four children to safety in a basket.”
The President acknowledge ongoing recovery efforts in areas affected by natural disaster. “To everyone still recovering in Texas, Florida, Louisiana, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, California, and everywhere else—we are with you, we love you, and we will pull through together,” he said.
Furthering the American dream
“This is our new American moment. There has never been a better time to start living the American Dream,” the President said after recognizing the Staub founders Steve Staub and Sandy Keplinger and employee Corey Adams.
Staub Manufacturing Solutions was represented by Corey Adams, a skilled welder, and founders Steve Staub and Sandy Keplinger. Adams and his wife purchased their first home in 2017. President Trump credited the growth of Staub Manufacturing Solutions, and other small businesses like it, to a growing economy and tax reform.
The Holets family were invited guests, including their adopted daughter Hope. Holets and his wife, Rebecca, adopted Hope following Holets’ encounter with her birth mother, a drug addict, while on duty. The Holets family is helping “break down walls between drug addicts and police officers to help save lives.”
Persevering through tragedy
The parents of New York teens Nisa Mickens and Kayla Cuevas, who were murdered by gang MS-13 in 2016, were in attendance as well. Members of MS-13 killed the two girls in Brentwood, New York.
Another special guest has also worked to prevent MS-13 gang violence. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agent CJ Martinez works to “dismantle criminal organizations, resulting in more than 100 arrests of MS-13 gang members.
Fred and Cindy Warmbier, parents of Otto Warmbier, were honored as special guests as well. Otto Warmbier was detained at the airport in North Korea and held as a prisoner for 17 months. 4 days following his release in June 2017, Warmbier died. He had been in a comatose state since April of 2016, although North Korean officials did not inform anyone in the United States about his medical condition until his release.
Ji Seong-ho, a North Korean defector, was also invited. Seong-ho grew up in North Korea during the 1990s and lived through what is known in North Korea as The Arduous March. During this period of famine, many North Koreans died. The exact death toll is unknown because information is scarce, but it is estimate between 240,000 and 3.5 million people died as a result of the famine. Seong-ho escaped to South Korea in 2006. He is now a law student at Dongguk University as well as president of Now Action and Unity for Human Rights, a group focused on raising awareness of human rights conditions in North Korea.
The President also mentioned the June 2017 shooting at baseball practice in Alexandria, Virginia, during which Congressman Steve Scalise and three others were shot. The President thanked the Capitol Police, Alexandria Police, and medical staff that responded to the incident.
“So let us begin tonight by recognizing that the state of our Union is strong because our people are strong,” the President said to applause.
Military heroes
Retired Marine Corps Corporal Matthew Bradford was a special guest at the speech. Cpt (Ret.) Bradford suffered injuries when he stepped on an Improvised Explosive Devise in Iraq. His injuries resulted in the loss of both his legs and his eyesight. Despite his injuries, Bradford reenlisted in the Marine Corps.
Army Staff Sargeant Justin Peck was also recognized in the President’s speech. During a mission in Syria to combat ISIS, Peck rushed into a booby-trapped building to help an injured comrade and performed life-saving triage and CPR.
“Staff Sargeant Peck: All of America salutes you,” the President said as the Bronze Star with a “V” for Valor looked on.
At 12 years old, Preston Sharp was the youngest special guest. He was invited because of his dedication to honoring the military service of veterans. He organized a fundraiser to place American flags on the graves of veterans. Preston’s GoFundMe page, Flags & Flowers for Vets, has placed over 40,000 flags and red carnations on the graves of veterans.
The President contrasted Preston’s patriotism with the recent movement among professional athletes, specifically in the NFL, to kneel or sit during the national anthem. Players have come under criticism from some and praise from others for their actions, which they say are in protest of racially-motivated police actions.
“As long as we have confidence in our values, faith in our citizen, and trust in our God, we will not fail. Our families will thrive. Our people will prosper. And our Nation will forever be safe and strong and proud and mighty and free,” the President concluded.
