In his final State of the Union address, President Obama defended his administration while offering critiques to the GOP, particularly Donald Trump, stating that Republicans are “peddling fiction” about the health of the U.S.
Obama urged Americans to embrace change and see it as a force for good, and asked the public to bridge political differences. The President criticized the GOP for praying on the public’s fears about the economy, emigrants and Muslims.
The President also touched on several other significant themes, including fair economic opportunities, security, investing in new technology to battle climate change and improving the political system.
Obama also mentioned his administration’s achievements, citing economic gains, a nuclear deal with Iran and healthcare reform. His remarks were largely positive, noting that America can have all that it wants, but reminding the public that we need to work together to achieve it. His address to the nation revealed a president that is still very confident in his political abilities.
Immediately following his address, Republicans griped at Obama’s lack of acknowledgement that Iran had taken 10 U.S. sailors into custody.
Before the next round of voting starts, Obama hopes to work with Congress to tackle unfinished initiatives that are still in the works, including reforms to the criminal justice system.
