WACO, Texas (KXXV) — All eyes were on Tuesday night’s State of the Union address as President Donald Trump outlined his priorities for the nation, touching on the economy, immigration and the upcoming March primary elections.
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The address is now the longest State of the Union speech in U.S. history.
Reaction in Waco was mixed.
“I thought it was great. You know, he hit on a lot of different things,” said Skyler Wachsmann, a Republican resident in Waco.
Bruce Allen, a Democratic resident in Waco, said he stopped watching before the speech ended.
“I just couldn't continue watching it. I did watch the summaries of it and I don't think he addressed the important issues,” Allen said.
During the address, Trump highlighted his economic agenda, defended his immigration crackdown and turned his attention to the next election cycle.
Allen criticized the president’s handling of the economy.
“As far as the economy, I don't think anybody feels like the cost of living is going down, their bills are going down, their rent is going down, or that he's done anything about that. I think the tariffs have been a travesty for our economy,” Allen said.
Wachsmann said immigration stood out to him.
“Immigration – It's the most important issue of our time. I thought that was important for him to talk about, and he did lay it right on the feet of the Democrats. It was like, ‘Hey, stand up if you agree. Sit down if you don't agree that protecting American citizens is the first priority.’ And they didn't stand, and so they were telling you, ‘No, that's not our highest priority,’” Wachsmann said.
Despite political differences, both residents pointed to moments during the speech that drew bipartisan applause, including recognition of American athletes and service members.
“You don't usually have the gold medal-winning USA hockey team, so that was awesome. That was amazing. You know, everyone in that room was on their feet applauding,” Wachsmann said.
“Great moments of honoring our heroes in our nation. People have done great service to our nation. I think that's really great, and I think that all of our Olympic athletes have done great things for us this year and I'm very proud of them,” Allen added.
