'Misleading, Polarizing, Divisive': RI Lawmakers Respond To SOTU

PROVIDENCE, RI — Tuesday night's State of the Union address was one of the most unexpected and unusual in the country's recent history, from Nancy Pelosi ripping up her copy of the speech at the end to the shadow of the never-mentioned, ongoing impeachment trial casting a pall over the evening. Following the speech, Rhode Island's lawmakers took to social media, blasting President Trump and his message.

Senator Jack Reed was the most blunt in his response, calling the address "misleading, polarizing and divisive."

"President Trump tried to use this speech to position himself as the source of our economy’s strength and resilience. The fact is: President Trump inherited a strong economy on the upswing from President Obama and the economy grew at a slower rate in 2019 – 2.3 percent – than it did the year before the Trump tax law was enacted," Reed said. "And last year’s 2.3 percent growth rate matches the average rate over the last decade. That’s hardly a ‘great American comeback,’ and certainly a far, muffled cry from President Trump’s 2017 boast that the economy could grow at an annual rate of four, five, or six percent under his presidency."

Reed went on to criticize Trump for his attack on the Affordable Care Act and public education, adding that the country's economy "can and should be doing better."

"The American people deserve leaders with integrity who will stand up for constitutional principles, not trample on them; and who will expand opportunity for working families, not try to exploit them," Reed concluded. His full statement is linked below.

Senator Sheldon Whitehouse was far more concise in his reaction. Sharing a link about Trump's refusal to shake Pelosi's hand, he had only one thing to say: "How small is this man?"

Congressman David Cicilline, a frequently outspoken opponent of the president, said he was thankful that "this was his last State of the Union," echoing Reed when he added that "the American people deserve better."

"The President did three things tonight. He read off a TelePrompter, he lied through his teeth, and he deepened the divisions in our country," Cicilline said. "The truth is that over the past three years, he has cut taxes for billionaires, weakened environmental protections, and tried to rip away health care from 130 million Americans with pre-existing conditions."