As you watch the State of the Union speech tonight, pay close attention to President and First Lady Trump’s State of the Union guests. They have been selected carefully to showcase the President’s successes and support his upcoming policy proposals. Here is a cheat sheet on the guests, their backgrounds, and what their presence says about Trump’s policy priorities.
Heroes, Crime Victims, Success Stories
At tonight’s SOTU address, the guests of the Trump family indicate several priority issues. One group consists of manufacturing company owners and employees. Their presence will illustrate the benefits to blue-collar families of the booming economy, return of manufacturing jobs to the Midwest, and the new tax reform.
Another group of guests are first responders – police, fire, rescue officers – who demonstrated extraordinary dedication to their jobs and their communities. A closely related group are the volunteers who have organized disaster relief, service to veterans, or respect for the flag and military service.
Many of the guests are keen reminders of the President’s drive to tackle criminal gangs, the opioid crisis, and the sacrifice and dedication of law enforcement officials. Some of the guests are victims of MS-13, while others are law enforcement officials who have battled the group. The resurgence of MS-13, after it had been eradicated from many communities a decade ago, is often seen as attributable to the high rate of illegal immigration in the final years of the Obama Administration.
The guest list includes many heroes, whose actions in military, law enforcement, and rescue operations have saved many lives. They also demonstrate incredible persistence in the face of adversity, and show the price that has been paid for American liberty. It is an impressive list, and every American would do well to consider what each guest represents. Here is the list, along with some background information on each person.
The Guests and Their Backgrounds
Corey Adams is a skilled welder at Staub Manufacturing Solutions in Dayton, Ohio. He and his wife are new homeowners, and they will invest their extra money from tax reform into their two daughters’ education savings.
Elizabeth Alvarado and Robert Mickens are the parents of Nisa Mickens. Evelyn Rodriguez and Freddy Cuevas are the parents of Kayla Cuevas. Nisa and Kayla had been close friends since elementary school, but in September 2016, the two girls were chased down and brutally murdered. Their deaths were among a string of 17 Long Island murders attributed to MS-13.
After multiple surgeries and therapy, Matthew reenlisted in the Marine Corps – the first blind, double amputee to do so.
Corporal (Ret.) Matthew Bradford joined the Marine Corps straight out of high school and deployed to Iraq in 2006. In 2007, he lost his eyesight and both his legs to an IED. After multiple surgeries and therapy, Matthew reenlisted in the Marine Corps – the first blind, double amputee to do so.
Jon Bridgers founded the Cajun Navy in 2016, as a non-profit rescue and recovery organization to respond to flooding in south Louisiana. In 2017, they provided aid to Texans affected by Hurricane Harvey. He and the Cajun Navy 2016 have helped thousands, and still are helping collect resources for people who lost their homes.
David Dahlberg is a fireman in southern California, stationed at the Pine Canyon Fire Station in the Santa Lucia Ranger District. In July 2017, he saved 62 children and staff members from a raging wildfire that had encircled their camp.
Ryan Holets is a police officer in Albuquerque. In his six years on the force, he has been shot at twice and experienced several near-death encounters. Officer Holets and his wife adopted a baby from parents who suffered from opioid addiction, breaking down walls between drug addicts and police officers to help save lives.
As she drew the woman near, however, Ashlee saw four sets of children’s eyes looking at her as their guardian angel.
Ashlee Leppert serves her country as a technician in the Coast Guard. Last year, she rescued dozens of Americans during hurricanes. While lifting a woman to safety in a helicopter basket, Ashlee saw the woman was clutching a few bags of what looked like clothes. As she drew the woman near, however, Ashlee saw four sets of children’s eyes looking at her as their guardian angel.
His investigations have led to more than 100 arrests of MS-13 gang members
Celestino “CJ” Martinez is a Supervisory Special Agent for the Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations unit. He has devoted much of his career to dismantle transnational criminal organizations, including MS-13. His investigations have led to more than 100 arrests of MS-13 gang members who have been prosecuted for crimes including homicide, assault, and narcotics and weapons trafficking. CJ is a proud veteran, having served honorably in the Air Force and Air National Guard for 22 years.
In November 2017, Staff Sergeant Justin Peck and Chief Petty Officer Kenton Stacy were part of a team helping partner forces clear IEDs from territory liberated from ISIS. After the team had disarmed seven IEDs, CPO Stacy was clearing a hospital building when he was struck by an IED blast and severely wounded. Without hesitation, Sergeant Peck rushed to Stacy’s location on the uncleared, IED-ridden second floor. Staff Sergeant Peck’s actions – including applying a tourniquet, placing an endotracheal tube, and performing CPR – were directly responsible for saving CPO Stacy’s life.
Preston Sharp was visiting his veteran grandfather’s grave in 2015 when he noticed that some veterans’ graves had neither flags nor flowers. To remedy that, he has organized the placement of more than 40,000 American flags and red carnations on soldiers’ graves. It is his goal to honor veterans in all 50 states and to challenge others to join the Flag and Flower Challenge (#FandFChallenge).
Siblings Steve Staub and Sandy Kepingler started Staub Manufacturing Solutions, a metal fabrication company, twenty years ago. Thanks to the “Trump bump,” Staub Manufacturing Solutions has seen an increase in sales, employment, and optimism. They have grown from 23 to 37 employees over the last year and recently expanded by acquiring a new building. Following the tax reform legislation last year, they were able to give all their employees larger than expected Christmas bonuses.
