ROBERT MUELLER/RUSSIA/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “President Donald Trump delivered his first State of the Union address on Tuesday [1-30-18] night, a (very) lengthy speech in which he largely revisited his accomplishments over his first year in office and offered a handful of proposals he’d like to see considered in the coming year.
While it’s important not to over-analyze what the speech means for Trump’s presidency — his first year in office suggests what he says one day means very little for what he will do the next — I did jot down a few takeaways from the address. They’re below…
5. The great unmentioned
Nowhere in Trump’s speech did he address — even obliquely — the special counsel investigation into Russia’s attempted meddling in the 2016 election and possible collusion with members of his campaign. In fact Trump uttered the word ‘Russia’ only once. ‘Around the world, we face rogue regimes, terrorist groups, and rivals like China and Russia that challenge our interests, our economy, and our values,’ he said. It’s not terribly surprising that Trump — in a speech ostensibly about unity and bipartisanship — wouldn’t mention an investigation that is tearing at the heart and soul of political Washington. Still, it was an absence worth noting — particularly given that Trump spoke for 80 minutes and tackled virtually every other subject under the sun.”
-Chris Cillizza, “6 takeaways from Donald Trump’s first State of the Union speech,” CNN Politics, CNN.com, Jan. 31, 2018 09:18am