# 2020 State of the Union speech **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [February 5, 2020, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2020-state-of-the-union-speech/847516 "2020-02-05T01:46:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2020, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2020-state-of-the-union-speech/847516/1 "2020-02-05T01:46:33Z")
[C-SPAN stream is already live](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qK9Ft80SMmc) even tho we have 15 minutes or so before the official start of the event. This thread is for those of us watching and/or listening as the event happens and for discussion of the event afterwards. ---
**Author:** ![JKellyMap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jkellymap/32/15880_2.png) [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2020, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2020-state-of-the-union-speech/847516/2 "2020-02-05T01:49:13Z")
Thanks for taking one for the team! ---
**Author:** ![jsc1953](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5daacb/32.png) [@jsc1953](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jsc1953)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2020, 2:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2020-state-of-the-union-speech/847516/3 "2020-02-05T02:11:30Z")
Trump refused to shake Pelosi’s hand. We’re off to good start. Jerk. ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2020, 2:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2020-state-of-the-union-speech/847516/4 "2020-02-05T02:12:46Z")
Who is that fat old guy with the pocket full of money that they keep showing? Clapping and cheering. (I am not making this up) ---
**Author:** ![dasmoocher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/dbc845/32.png) [@dasmoocher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dasmoocher)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2020, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2020-state-of-the-union-speech/847516/5 "2020-02-05T02:14:05Z")
What’s the over/under on how many false statements that Trump makes? I think I saw a stat that last year he made one every two minutes. In the first few minutes, Trump seems to already made some. ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2020, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2020-state-of-the-union-speech/847516/6 "2020-02-05T02:15:18Z")
He seems to be sticking to the script. Boring and uninformative (to be fair, all presidents stick to the prepared speech and those were boring and uninformative too). Trump’s no fun unless he can make things up as he goes along. The real mystery is how they got Trump to stick to the script. ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2020, 2:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2020-state-of-the-union-speech/847516/7 "2020-02-05T02:16:44Z")
> [@dasmoocher](#): > > What’s the over/under on how many false statements that Trump makes? Wait for the fact checkers; he’s starting with bunch o’ Claims o’ Greatness. ---
**Author:** ![dasmoocher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/dbc845/32.png) [@dasmoocher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dasmoocher)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2020, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2020-state-of-the-union-speech/847516/8 "2020-02-05T02:20:12Z")
> [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > Wait for the fact checkers; he’s starting with bunch o’ Claims o’ Greatness. And how bad it was under Obama. What’s the chance he brags about how much his tariffs have brought into the treasury? ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2020, 2:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2020-state-of-the-union-speech/847516/9 "2020-02-05T02:34:02Z")
Space Force! “Very important.” Cut to kid who wants to go to space. Raucous applause all around. It’s the important things… ---
**Author:** ![Drum\_God](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drum_god/32/44_2.png) [@Drum\_God](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drum_God)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2020, 2:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2020-state-of-the-union-speech/847516/10 "2020-02-05T02:37:06Z")
> [@Whack-a-Mole](#): > > Space Force! “Very important.” Cut to kid who wants to go to space. Raucous applause all around. > > It’s the important things… Even Pence giggled when Trumpy mentioned “Space Force”. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2020, 2:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2020-state-of-the-union-speech/847516/11 "2020-02-05T02:37:13Z")
Just a fact check. The economic expansion has been on for decade. The last three years of the Obama administration produced more jobs than the first three years of the Trump administration. Unemployment fell from 10.2 to 4.7 under Obama. It’s fallen another 1.2 percent under Trump. ---
**Author:** ![JRDelirious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jrdelirious/32/9531_2.png) [@JRDelirious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRDelirious)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2020, 2:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2020-state-of-the-union-speech/847516/12 "2020-02-05T02:37:22Z")
> [@Whack-a-Mole](#): > > Space Force! “Very important.” Cut to kid who wants to go to space. Raucous applause all around. > > It’s the important things… “He wants to look down on the world” … probably resonates with Trump’s way of looking at the rest of humanity. ---
**Author:** ![jsc1953](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5daacb/32.png) [@jsc1953](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jsc1953)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2020, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2020-state-of-the-union-speech/847516/13 "2020-02-05T02:38:28Z")
> [@dasmoocher](#): > > What’s the over/under on how many false statements that Trump makes? > > I think I saw a stat that last year he made one every two minutes. In the first few minutes, Trump seems to already made some. The NY Times is doing live commentary with real-time fact checking. So far (9:36 ET) it’s 3 false, 2 “needs context”, 5 true, 2 exaggerated. ---
**Author:** ![Drum\_God](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drum_god/32/44_2.png) [@Drum\_God](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drum_God)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2020, 2:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2020-state-of-the-union-speech/847516/14 "2020-02-05T02:39:52Z")
Why is this little girl and her mom and others sitting on the steps in the gallery?? WTF? ---
**Author:** ![JRDelirious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jrdelirious/32/9531_2.png) [@JRDelirious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRDelirious)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2020, 2:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2020-state-of-the-union-speech/847516/15 "2020-02-05T02:47:52Z")
Wait, the Border Wall and Health Care are both one same thing? ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2020, 2:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2020-state-of-the-union-speech/847516/16 "2020-02-05T02:53:06Z")
Melania is awarding Limbaugh the Medal of Freedom right there during the speech. Holy crap. ---
**Author:** ![JRDelirious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jrdelirious/32/9531_2.png) [@JRDelirious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRDelirious)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2020, 2:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2020-state-of-the-union-speech/847516/17 "2020-02-05T02:53:24Z")
Oh please… Oh, whatevs, it’s idiocracy. And going into full pander mode to the righty tighties. ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2020, 2:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2020-state-of-the-union-speech/847516/18 "2020-02-05T02:53:59Z")
I’ve long thought the “Presidential Medal of Freedom” was bullshit and barely worth a photo op. This nails it. Rush Limbaugh gets it during a SOTU address? (To be clear, I thought a lot of past recipients didn’t deserve it either but this clinches it.) ---
**Author:** ![Kolak\_of\_Twilo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kolak_of_twilo/32/73_2.png) [@Kolak\_of\_Twilo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kolak_of_Twilo)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2020, 2:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2020-state-of-the-union-speech/847516/19 "2020-02-05T02:54:22Z")
> [@ThelmaLou](#): > > Melania is awarding Limbaugh the Medal of Freedom right there during the speech. Holy crap. Yeah. That made me puke in my mouth a little. ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2020, 3:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2020-state-of-the-union-speech/847516/20 "2020-02-05T03:00:29Z")
Wow…Trump is offering a whole slew of populist items. Things he has had zero interest in doing so far (infrastructure, high speed internet to rural areas, etc.). [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2020-state-of-the-union-speech/847516.md?page=2)