[House Document 116-1]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
116th Congress, 1st Session - - - - - - - House Document 116-1
PRESIDENTIAL ADDRESS BEFORE A JOINT SESSION OF CONGRESS
__________
MESSAGE
from
THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES
transmitting
THE PRESIDENT'S ADDRESS BEFORE A JOINT SESSION OF CONGRESS
[GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]
February 6, 2019.--Message and accompanying papers referred to the
Committee on the Whole House on the State of the Union and ordered to
be printed
______
U.S. GOVERNMENT PUBLISHING OFFICE
89-011 WASHINGTON : 2019
To the Congress of the United States:
Madam Speaker, Mr. Vice President, Members of Congress, the
First Lady of the United States, and my fellow Americans: We
meet tonight at a moment of unlimited potential. As we begin a
new Congress, I stand here ready to work with you to achieve
historic breakthroughs for all Americans.
Millions of our fellow citizens are watching us now,
gathered in this great chamber, hoping that we will govern not
as two parties but as one Nation.
The agenda I will lay out this evening is not a Republican
agenda or a Democrat agenda. It is the agenda of the American
people.
Many of us campaigned on the same core promises: to defend
American jobs and demand fair trade for American workers; to
rebuild and revitalize our Nation's infrastructure; to reduce
the price of healthcare and prescription drugs; to create an
immigration system that is safe, lawful, modern and secure; and
to pursue a foreign policy that puts America's interests first.
There is a new opportunity in American politics, if only we
have the courage to seize it. Victory is not winning for our
party. Victory is winning for our country.
This year, America will recognize two important
anniversaries that show us the majesty of America's mission,
and the power of American pride.
In June, we mark 75 years since the start of what General
Dwight D. Eisenhower called the Great Crusade--the Allied
liberation of Europe in World War II. On D-Day, June 6, 1944,
15,000 young American men jumped from the sky, and 60,000 more
stormed in from the sea, to save our civilization from tyranny.
Here with us tonight are three of those heroes: Private First
Class Joseph Reilly, Staff Sergeant Irving Locker, and Sergeant
Herman Zeitchik. Gentlemen, we salute you.
In 2019, we also celebrate 50 years since brave young
pilots flew a quarter of a million miles through space to plant
the American flag on the face of the moon. Half a century
later, we are joined by one of the Apollo 11 astronauts who
planted that flag: Buzz Aldrin. This year, American astronauts
will go back to space on American rockets.
In the 20th century, America saved freedom, transformed
science, and redefined the middle class standard of living for
the entire world to see. Now, we must step boldly and bravely
into the next chapter of this great American adventure, and we
must create a new standard of living for the 21st century. An
amazing quality of life for all of our citizens is within our
reach.
We can make our communities safer, our families stronger,
our culture richer, our faith deeper, and our middle class
bigger and more prosperous than ever before.
But we must reject the politics of revenge, resistance, and
retribution--and embrace the boundless potential of
cooperation, compromise, and the common good.
Together, we can break decades of political stalemate. We
can bridge old divisions, heal old wounds, build new
coalitions, forge new solutions, and unlock the extraordinary
promise of America's future. The decision is ours to make.
We must choose between greatness or gridlock, results or
resistance, vision or vengeance, incredible progress or
pointless destruction.
Tonight, I ask you to choose greatness.
Over the last 2 years, my Administration has moved with
urgency and historic speed to confront problems neglected by
leaders of both parties over many decades.
In just over 2 years since the election, we have launched
an unprecedented economic boom--a boom that has rarely been
seen before. We have created 5.3 million new jobs and
importantly added 600,000 new manufacturing jobs--something
which almost everyone said was impossible to do, but the fact
is, we are just getting started.
Wages are rising at the fastest pace in decades, and
growing for blue collar workers, who I promised to fight for,
faster than anyone else. Nearly 5 million Americans have been
lifted off food stamps. The United States economy is growing
almost twice as fast today as when I took office, and we are
considered far and away the hottest economy anywhere in the
world. Unemployment has reached the lowest rate in half a
century. African-American, Hispanic-American and Asian-American
unemployment have all reached their lowest levels ever
recorded. Unemployment for Americans with disabilities has also
reached an all-time low. More people are working now than at
any time in our history--157 million.
We passed a massive tax cut for working families and
doubled the child tax credit.
We virtually ended the estate, or death, tax on small
businesses, ranches, and family farms.
We eliminated the very unpopular Obamacare individual
mandate penalty--and to give critically ill patients access to
life-saving cures, we passed right to try.
My Administration has cut more regulations in a short time
than any other administration during its entire tenure.
Companies are coming back to our country in large numbers
thanks to historic reductions in taxes and regulations.
We have unleashed a revolution in American energy--the
United States is now the number one producer of oil and natural
gas in the world. And now, for the first time in 65 years, we
are a net exporter of energy.
After 24 months of rapid progress, our economy is the envy
of the world, our military is the most powerful on earth, and
America is winning each and every day.Members of Congress: the
State of our Union is strong. Our country is vibrant and our
economy is thriving like never before.
On Friday, it was announced that we added another 304,000
jobs last month alone--almost double what was expected. An
economic miracle is taking place in the United States--and the
only thing that can stop it are foolish wars, politics, or
ridiculous partisan investigations.
If there is going to be peace and legislation, there cannot
be war and investigation. It just doesn't work that way!
We must be united at home to defeat our adversaries abroad.
This new era of cooperation can start with finally
confirming the more than 300 highly qualified nominees who are
still stuck in the Senate--some after years of waiting. The
Senate has failed to act on these nominations, which is unfair
to the nominees and to our country.
Now is the time for bipartisan action. Believe it or not,
we have already proven that it is possible.
In the last Congress, both parties came together to pass
unprecedented legislation to confront the opioid crisis, a
sweeping new Farm Bill, historic VA reforms, and after four
decades of rejection, we passed VA Accountability so we can
finally terminate those who mistreat our wonderful veterans.
And just weeks ago, both parties united for groundbreaking
criminal justice reform. Last year, I heard through friends the
story of Alice Johnson. I was deeply moved. In 1997, Alice was
sentenced to life in prison as a first-time non-violent drug
offender. Over the next two decades, she became a prison
minister, inspiring others to choose a better path. She had a
big impact on that prison population--and far beyond.
Alice's story underscores the disparities and unfairness
that can exist in criminal sentencing--and the need to remedy
this injustice. She served almost 22 years and had expected to
be in prison for the rest of her life.
In June, I commuted Alice's sentence--and she is here with
us tonight. Alice, thank you for reminding us that we always
have the power to shape our own destiny.
When I saw Alice's beautiful family greet her at the prison
gates, hugging and kissing and crying and laughing, I knew I
did the right thing.
Inspired by stories like Alice's, my Administration worked
closely with members of both parties to sign the First Step Act
into law. This legislation reformed sentencing laws that have
wrongly and disproportionately harmed the African-American
community. The First Step Act gives non-violent offenders the
chance to re-enter society as productive, law-abiding citizens.
Now, States across the country are following our lead. America
is a Nation that believes in redemption.
We are also joined tonight by Matthew Charles from
Tennessee. In 1996, at age 30, Matthew was sentenced to 35
years for selling drugs and related offenses. Over the next two
decades, he completed more than 30 Bible studies, became a law
clerk, and mentored fellow inmates. Now, Matthew is the very
first person to be released from prison under the First Step
Act. Matthew, on behalf of all Americans: welcome home.
As we have seen, when we are united, we can make
astonishing strides for our country. Now, Republicans and
Democrats must join forces again to confront an urgent national
crisis.
The Congress has 10 days left to pass a bill that will fund
our Government, protect our homeland, and secure our southern
border.
Now is the time for the Congress to show the world that
America is committed to ending illegal immigration and putting
the ruthless coyotes, cartels, drug dealers, and human
traffickers out of business.
As we speak, large, organized caravans are on the march to
the United States. We have just heard that Mexican cities, in
order to remove the illegal immigrants from their communities,
are getting trucks and buses to bring them up to our country in
areas where there is little border protection. I have ordered
another 3,750 troops to our southern border to prepare for the
tremendous onslaught.
This is a moral issue. The lawless state of our southern
border is a threat to the safety, security, and financial well-
being of all Americans. We have a moral duty to create an
immigration system that protects the lives and jobs of our
citizens. This includes our obligation to the millions of
immigrants living here today, who followed the rules and
respected our laws. Legal immigrants enrich our Nation and
strengthen our society in countless ways. I want people to come
into our country, but they have to come in legally.
Tonight, I am asking you to defend our very dangerous
southern border out of love and devotion to our fellow citizens
and to our country.
No issue better illustrates the divide between America's
working class and America's political class than illegal
immigration. Wealthy politicians and donors push for open
borders while living their lives behind walls and gates and
guards.
Meanwhile, working class Americans are left to pay the
price for mass illegal migration--reduced jobs, lower wages,
overburdened schools and hospitals, increased crime, and a
depleted social safety net.
Tolerance for illegal immigration is not compassionate--it
is cruel. One in three women is sexually assaulted on the long
journey north. Smugglers use migrant children as human pawns to
exploit our laws and gain access to our country.
Human traffickers and sex traffickers take advantage of the
wide open areas between our ports of entry to smuggle thousands
of young girls and women into the United States and to sell
them into prostitution and modern-day slavery.
Tens of thousands of innocent Americans are killed by
lethal drugs that cross our border and flood into our cities--
including meth, heroin, cocaine, and fentanyl.
The savage gang, MS-13, now operates in 20 different
American States, and they almost all come through our southern
border. Just yesterday, an MS-13 gang member was taken into
custody for a fatal shooting on a subway platform in New York
City. We are removing these gang members by the thousands, but
until we secure our border they're going to keep streaming back
in.
Year after year, countless Americans are murdered by
criminal illegal aliens.
I've gotten to know many wonderful Angel Moms, Dads, and
families--no one should ever have to suffer the horrible
heartache they have endured.
Here tonight is Debra Bissell. Just three weeks ago,
Debra's parents, Gerald and Sharon, were burglarized and shot
to death in their Reno, Nevada, home by an illegal alien.
They were in their eighties and are survived by four
children, 11 grandchildren, and 20 great-grandchildren. Also
here tonight are Gerald and Sharon's granddaughter, Heather,
and great-granddaughter, Madison.
To Debra, Heather, Madison, please stand: few can
understand your pain. But I will never forget, and I will fight
for the memory of Gerald and Sharon, that it should never
happen again.
Not one more American life should be lost because our
Nation failed to control its very dangerous border.
In the last 2 years, our brave ICE officers made 266,000
arrests of criminal aliens, including those charged or
convicted of nearly 100,000 assaults, 30,000 sex crimes, and
4,000 killings.
We are joined tonight by one of those law enforcement
heroes: ICE Special Agent Elvin Hernandez. When Elvin was a
boy, he and his family legally immigrated to the United States
from the Dominican Republic. At the age of eight, Elvin told
his dad he wanted to become a Special Agent. Today, he leads
investigations into the scourge of international sex
trafficking. Elvin says: ``If I can make sure these young girls
get their justice, I've done my job.'' Thanks to his work and
that of his colleagues, more than 300 women and girls have been
rescued from horror and more than 1,500 sadistic traffickers
have been put behind bars in the last year.
Special Agent Hernandez, please stand: We will always
support the brave men and women of Law Enforcement--and I
pledge to you tonight that we will never abolish our heroes
from ICE.
My Administration has sent to the Congress a commonsense
proposal to end the crisis on our southern border.
It includes humanitarian assistance, more law enforcement,
drug detection at our ports, closing loopholes that enable
child smuggling, and plans for a new physical barrier, or wall,
to secure the vast areas between our ports of entry. In the
past, most of the people in this room voted for a wall--but the
proper wall never got built. I'll get it built.
This is a smart, strategic, see-through steel barrier--not
just a simple concrete wall. It will be deployed in the areas
identified by border agents as having the greatest need, and as
these agents will tell you, where walls go up, illegal
crossings go way down.
San Diego used to have the most illegal border crossings in
the country. In response, and at the request of San Diego
residents and political leaders, a strong security wall was put
in place. This powerful barrier almost completely ended illegal
crossings.
The border city of El Paso, Texas, used to have extremely
high rates of violent crime--one of the highest in the country,
and considered one of our Nation's most dangerous cities. Now,
with a powerful barrier in place, El Paso is one of our safest
cities.
Simply put, walls work and walls save lives. So let's work
together, compromise, and reach a deal that will truly make
America safe.
As we work to defend our people's safety, we must also
ensure our economic resurgence continues at a rapid pace.
No one has benefitted more from our thriving economy than
women, who have filled 58 percent of the new jobs created in
the last year. All Americans can be proud that we have more
women in the workforce than ever before--and exactly one
century after the Congress passed the Constitutional amendment
giving women the right to vote, we also have more women serving
in the Congress than ever before.
As part of our commitment to improving opportunity for
women everywhere, this Thursday we are launching the first ever
Government-wide initiative focused on economic empowerment for
women in developing countries.
To build on our incredible economic success, one priority
is paramount--reversing decades of calamitous trade policies.
We are now making it clear to China that after years of
targeting our industries, and stealing our intellectual
property, the theft of American jobs and wealth has come to an
end.
Therefore, we recently imposed tariffs on $250 billion of
Chinese goods--and now our Treasury is receiving billions of
dollars a month from a country that never gave us a dime. But I
don't blame China for taking advantage of us--I blame our
leaders and representatives for allowing this travesty to
happen. I have great respect for President Xi, and we are now
working on a new trade deal with China. But it must include
real, structural change to end unfair trade practices, reduce
our chronic trade deficit, and protect American jobs.
Another historic trade blunder was the catastrophe known as
NAFTA.
I have met the men and women of Michigan, Ohio,
Pennsylvania, Indiana, New Hampshire, and many other States
whose dreams were shattered by NAFTA. For years, politicians
promised them they would negotiate for a better deal. But no
one ever tried--until now.
Our new U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement--or USMCA--will
replace NAFTA and deliver for American workers: bringing back
our manufacturing jobs, expanding American agriculture,
protecting intellectual property, and ensuring that more cars
are proudly stamped with four beautiful words: made in the USA.
Tonight, I am also asking you to pass the United States
Reciprocal Trade Act, so that if another country places an
unfair tariff on an American product, we can charge them the
exact same tariff on the same product that they sell to us.
Both parties should be able to unite for a great rebuilding
of America's crumbling infrastructure.
I know that the Congress is eager to pass an infrastructure
bill--and I am eager to work with you on legislation to deliver
new and important infrastructure investment, including
investments in the cutting edge industries of the future. This
is not an option. This is a necessity.
The next major priority for me, and for all of us, should
be to lower the cost of healthcare and prescription drugs--and
to protect patients with pre-existing conditions.
Already, as a result of my Administration's efforts, in
2018 drug prices experienced their single largest decline in 46
years.
But we must do more. It is unacceptable that Americans pay
vastly more than people in other countries for the exact same
drugs, often made in the exact same place. This is wrong,
unfair, and together we can stop it.
I am asking the Congress to pass legislation that finally
takes on the problem of global freeloading and delivers
fairness and price transparency for American patients. We
should also require drug companies, insurance companies, and
hospitals to disclose real prices to foster competition and
bring costs down.
No force in history has done more to advance the human
condition than American freedom. In recent years we have made
remarkable progress in the fight against HIV and AIDS.
Scientific breakthroughs have brought a once-distant dream
within reach. My budget will ask Democrats and Republicans to
make the needed commitment to eliminate the HIV epidemic in the
United States within 10 years. Together, we will defeat AIDS in
America.
Tonight, I am also asking you to join me in another fight
that all Americans can get behind: the fight against childhood
cancer.
Joining Melania in the gallery this evening is a very brave
10-year-old girl, Grace Eline. Every birthday since she was 4,
Grace asked her friends to donate to St. Jude Children's
Research Hospital. She did not know that one day she might be a
patient herself. Last year, Grace was diagnosed with brain
cancer. Immediately, she began radiation treatment. At the same
time, she rallied her community and raised more than $40,000
for the fight against cancer. When Grace completed treatment
last fall, her doctors and nurses cheered with tears in their
eyes as she hung up a poster that read: ``Last Day of Chemo.''
Grace--you are an inspiration to us all.
Many childhood cancers have not seen new therapies in
decades. My budget will ask the Congress for $500 million over
the next 10 years to fund this critical life-saving research.
To help support working parents, the time has come to pass
school choice for America's children. I am also proud to be the
first President to include in my budget a plan for nationwide
paid family leave--so that every new parent has the chance to
bond with their newborn child.
There could be no greater contrast to the beautiful image
of a mother holding her infant child than the chilling displays
our Nation saw in recent days. Lawmakers in New York cheered
with delight upon the passage of legislation that would allow a
baby to be ripped from the mother's womb moments before birth.
These are living, feeling, beautiful babies who will never get
the chance to share their love and dreams with the world. And
then, we had the case of the Governor of Virginia where he
basically stated he would execute a baby after birth.
To defend the dignity of every person, I am asking the
Congress to pass legislation to prohibit the late-term abortion
of children who can feel pain in the mother's womb.
Let us work together to build a culture that cherishes
innocent life. And let us reaffirm a fundamental truth: all
children--born and unborn--are made in the holy image of God.
The final part of my agenda is to protect America's
National Security.
Over the last 2 years, we have begun to fully rebuild the
United States Military--with $700 billion last year and $716
billion this year. We are also getting other nations to pay
their fair share. For years, the United States was being
treated very unfairly by NATO--but now we have secured a $100
billion increase in defense spending from NATO allies.
As part of our military build-up, the United States is
developing a state-of-the-art Missile Defense System.
Under my Administration, we will never apologize for
advancing America's interests.
For example, decades ago the United States entered into a
treaty with Russia in which we agreed to limit and reduce our
missile capabilities. While we followed the agreement to the
letter, Russia repeatedly violated its terms. That is why I
announced that the United States is officially withdrawing from
the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty, or INF Treaty.
Perhaps we can negotiate a different agreement, adding
China and others, or perhaps we can't--in which case, we will
outspend and out-innovate all others by far.
As part of a bold new diplomacy, we continue our historic
push for peace on the Korean Peninsula. Our hostages have come
home, nuclear testing has stopped, and there has not been a
missile launch in 15 months. If I had not been elected
President of the United States, we would right now, in my
opinion, be in a major war with North Korea with potentially
millions of people killed. Much work remains to be done, but my
relationship with Kim Jong Un is a good one. And Chairman Kim
and I will meet again on February 27 and 28 in Vietnam.
Two weeks ago, the United States officially recognized the
legitimate government of Venezuela, and its new interim
President, Juan Guaido.
We stand with the Venezuelan people in their noble quest
for freedom--and we condemn the brutality of the Maduro regime,
whose socialist policies have turned that nation from being the
wealthiest in South America into a state of abject poverty and
despair.
Here, in the United States, we are alarmed by new calls to
adopt socialism in our country. America was founded on liberty
and independence--not government coercion, domination, and
control. We are born free, and we will stay free. Tonight, we
renew our resolve that America will never be a socialist
country.
One of the most complex set of challenges we face is in the
Middle East.
Our approach is based on principled realism--not
discredited theories that have failed for decades to yield
progress. For this reason, my Administration recognized the
true capital of Israel--and proudly opened the American Embassy
in Jerusalem.
Our brave troops have now been fighting in the Middle East
for almost 19 years. In Afghanistan and Iraq, nearly 7,000
American heroes have given their lives. More than 52,000
Americans have been badly wounded. We have spent more than $7
trillion in the Middle East.
As a candidate for President, I pledged a new approach.
Great nations do not fight endless wars.
When I took office, ISIS controlled more than 20,000 square
miles in Iraq and Syria. Today, we have liberated virtually all
of that territory from the grip of these bloodthirsty killers.
Now, as we work with our allies to destroy the remnants of
ISIS, it is time to give our brave warriors in Syria a warm
welcome home.
I have also accelerated our negotiations to reach a
political settlement in Afghanistan. Our troops have fought
with unmatched valor--and thanks to their bravery, we are now
able to pursue a political solution to this long and bloody
conflict.
In Afghanistan, my Administration is holding constructive
talks with a number of Afghan groups, including the Taliban. As
we make progress in these negotiations, we will be able to
reduce our troop presence and focus on counter-terrorism. We do
not know whether we will achieve an agreement--but we do know
that after two decades of war, the hour has come to at least
try for peace.
Above all, friend and foe alike must never doubt this
Nation's power and will to defend our people. Eighteen years
ago, terrorists attacked the USS Cole--and last month American
forces killed one of the leaders of the attack.
We are honored to be joined tonight by Tom Wibberley, whose
son, Navy Seaman Craig Wibberley, was one of the 17 sailors we
tragically lost. Tom: we vow to always remember the heroes of
the USS Cole.
My Administration has acted decisively to confront the
world's leading state sponsor of terror: the radical regime in
Iran.
To ensure this corrupt dictatorship never acquires nuclear
weapons, I withdrew the United States from the disastrous Iran
nuclear deal. And last fall, we put in place the toughest
sanctions ever imposed on a country.
We will not avert our eyes from a regime that chants death
to America and threatens genocide against the Jewish people. We
must never ignore the vile poison of anti-Semitism, or those
who spread its venomous creed. With one voice, we must confront
this hatred anywhere and everywhere it occurs.
Just months ago, 11 Jewish-Americans were viciously
murdered in an anti-semitic attack on the Tree of Life
Synagogue in Pittsburgh. SWAT Officer Timothy Matson raced into
the gunfire and was shot seven times chasing down the killer.
Timothy has just had his 12th surgery--but he made the trip
to be here with us tonight. Officer Matson: we are forever
grateful for your courage in the face of evil.
Tonight, we are also joined by Pittsburgh survivor Judah
Samet. He arrived at the synagogue as the massacre began. But
not only did Judah narrowly escape death last fall--more than
seven decades ago, he narrowly survived the Nazi concentration
camps. Today is Judah's 81st birthday. Judah says he can still
remember the exact moment, nearly 75 years ago, after 10 months
in a concentration camp, when he and his family were put on a
train, and told they were going to another camp. Suddenly the
train screeched to a halt. A soldier appeared. Judah's family
braced for the worst. Then, his father cried out with joy:
``It's the Americans.''
A second Holocaust survivor who is here tonight, Joshua
Kaufman, was a prisoner at Dachau Concentration Camp. He
remembers watching through a hole in the wall of a cattle car
as American soldiers rolled in with tanks. ``To me,'' Joshua
recalls, ``the American soldiers were proof that God exists,
and they came down from the sky.''
I began this evening by honoring three soldiers who fought
on D-Day in the Second World War. One of them was Herman
Zeitchik. But there is more to Herman's story. A year after he
stormed the beaches of Normandy, Herman was one of those
American soldiers who helped liberate Dachau. He was one of the
Americans who helped rescue Joshua from that hell on earth.
Almost 75 years later, Herman and Joshua are both together in
the gallery tonight--seated side-by-side, here in the home of
American freedom. Herman and Joshua: your presence this evening
honors and uplifts our entire Nation.
When American soldiers set out beneath the dark skies over
the English Channel in the early hours of D-Day, 1944, they
were just young men of 18 and 19, hurtling on fragile landing
craft toward the most momentous battle in the history of war.
They did not know if they would survive the hour. They did
not know if they would grow old. But they knew that America had
to prevail. Their cause was this Nation, and generations yet
unborn.
Why did they do it? They did it for America--they did it
for us.
Everything that has come since--our triumph over communism,
our giant leaps of science and discovery, our unrivaled
progress toward equality and justice--all of it is possible
thanks to the blood and tears and courage and vision of the
Americans who came before.
Think of this Capitol--think of this very chamber, where
lawmakers before you voted to end slavery, to build the
railroads and the highways, to defeat fascism, to secure civil
rights, to face down an evil empire.
Here tonight, we have legislators from across this
magnificent republic. You have come from the rocky shores of
Maine and the volcanic peaks of Hawaii; from the snowy woods of
Wisconsin and the red deserts of Arizona; from the green farms
of Kentucky and the golden beaches of California. Together, we
represent the most extraordinary Nation in all of history.
What will we do with this moment? How will we be
remembered?
I ask the men and women of this Congress: Look at the
opportunities before us! Our most thrilling achievements are
still ahead. Our most exciting journeys still await. Our
biggest victories are still to come. We have not yet begun to
dream.
We must choose whether we are defined by our differences--
or whether we dare to transcend them.
We must choose whether we will squander our inheritance--or
whether we will proudly declare that we are Americans. We do
the incredible. We defy the impossible. We conquer the unknown.
This is the time to re-ignite the American imagination.
This is the time to search for the tallest summit, and set our
sights on the brightest star. This is the time to rekindle the
bonds of love and loyalty and memory that link us together as
citizens, as neighbors, as patriots.
This is our future--our fate--and our choice to make. I am
asking you to choose greatness.
No matter the trials we face, no matter the challenges to
come, we must go forward together.
We must keep America first in our hearts. We must keep
freedom alive in our souls. And we must always keep faith in
America's destiny--that one Nation, under God, must be the hope
and the promise and the light and the glory among all the
nations of the world!
Thank you. God Bless You, God Bless America, and good
night!
Donald J. Trump.
The White House, February 5, 2019.
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