President Donald Trump said a lot of thing during the State of the Union address last night. At 80 minutes long, his address was the third-longest in the television era. Only Bill Clinton in 1995 (84 minutes) and 2000 (88 minutes) spoke longer. Trump talked about the tax cuts Congress recently passed, and he signed. He spoke of the economy and trade, and of jobs and judges. Typical of a Donald Trump speech, the President even spoke some truth, though often his interpretation of it, often mixed with exaggerations or misrepresentations. And of course, he lied plenty. In some cases (like jobs), these were lies he has been repeating since the 2016 campaign began nearly two years ago. He never said “Muslim” though, much to the dismay of folks playing State of the Union Bingo during the address.
Trump pledged bipartisanship. He made overtures to fence-mending and explicitly sought to erase hard feelings. House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi did not buy into it as reflected by her expression during the speech. Check her amazing look here. But if he were sincere, President Trump could have made great strides towards peace between Republicans and Democrats with two simple, iconic words:
“Thanks Obama.”
And not in the ironic sense.
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But President Trump did not say that. This President spent his first year in office seeking to erase his predecessor. He killed DACA. He tried to kill Obamacare, though he only left it mortally wounded. With Mick Mulvaney’s appointment, he killed the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Trans-Pacific Partnership? Paris Accords? Net Neutrality? He even rolled back Obama’s designations under the Antiquities Act, something no president before him had done. The Washington Post maintains a Trump-tracker on this just as they do on his lies. Seeking to erase President Obama’s accomplishments was disgusting enough. Apparently, President Trump feels he has accomplished that goal, as he has moved to the next. Having erased all he could, the remaining “Obama legacies” are now being converted to “Trump accomplishments.”
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During his address, President Trump laid claim to job growth dating back “to the election” instead of limiting his claims to his term in office. Trump claimed 2.4 million jobs created. Nearly one quarter (23.7%) actually came during the final months of Obama’s second term. Job growth actually slowed under Trump. Trump claimed inflation-adjusted wages were finally going up. They rose 1.1% under Trump. They rose 4.1% under Obama, and have been rising steadily since Bill Clinton was in office. Trump took credit for reductions in black and Hispanic unemployment, specifically saying, “under my policies.” Not only has that been debunked, as the rates have been falling for years, this is the same issue Trump was taken to task for last weekend by Jay-Z. Trump even took credit for auto manufacturers building new plants or expanding existing ones. Sorry, that did not happen under his watch.
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The President told small lies and big lies last night, but his auto industry claims were among the biggest. None of the accomplishments were actually his own. Volkswagen designated a U.S. hub in 2008 (under Obama), so any new build-outs there are not Trump’s to claim. Volvo announced plans to build its first plant in the U.S. way back in 2015 (under Obama). BMW expanded their manufacturing campus here, in 2015 (under Obama). Even the new joint Toyota/Mazda plant has roots to 2015 (under Obama). Yes, Toyota announced the plant after Trump was elected, but Toyota’s President made it clear the election was not a factor, “We’re always considering ways to increase production in the United States, regardless of the political situation.”
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Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) spoke on the Senate floor before last night’s State of the Union address. He had a solid understanding of what the President’s address would, and would not bring.
“The president will be eager to defend the accomplishments of his nascent administration and take credit for a healthy American economy, pointing to low employment, job growth, and a soaring stock market. But the truth is these trends were present before Donald Trump took office. President Trump was handed an already healthy economy by his predecessor. Like many things in his life, he inherited the healthy economy. Here are two words we won’t hear President Trump say tonight about the economy: Thanks, Obama.”
President Trump did not say it at his State of the Union, but the American people will. “Thank you, President Obama.” Trump can work to erase your legacy. He can try to steal credit you are due. But unlike President Trump, we know the TRUTH.
