Northwest lawmakers react to Trump's address to Congress

Contributing sentiments towards policy:

81% : "I think Trump knows he is in a very good power position.
80% : When Trump entered the chamber, Republicans greeted him with thunderous applause and a long standing ovation, while only a few Democrats stood and clapped politely for a few seconds.
69% : "Donald Trump is all about theater and drama, and so he delivered pretty much what we expected him to deliver.
64% : " The freshman congressman - who met Trump for the first time as the president left the chamber and mentioned their mutual friend, the late WSU football coach Mike Leach - said the tone in the House chamber reminded him of Parliament in the United Kingdom, where lawmakers routinely trade barbs with the prime minister.
62% : "Now it is our time to take up the righteous cause of American liberty, and it is our turn to take America's destiny into our own hands and begin the most thrilling days in the history of our country," Trump said later.
56% : " Schaefer said Trump also made effective use of the guests he invited to the gallery, which presidents often strategically use to highlight their agenda.
56% : Reflecting the unprecedented level of power he has given to the world's richest man, whose companies hold billions in federal contracts, Trump dedicated a lengthy part of the night to highlighting Musk's work.
54% : Rep. Mike Simpson, R-Idaho Falls, said in a statement that Trump is "working at an unprecedented pace" and "has wasted no time putting Americans first.
53% : Rep. Michael Baumgartner, R-Spokane, said after the address that while he disagreed with a few things Trump said and was concerned about the impact of the tariffs on Eastern Washington, "I thought it was a good night for America.
53% : The cap, which violated the House floor's dress code, bore the message, "Trump was right about everything.
48% : When the president repeated his pledge to end federal taxes on overtime pay - in addition to tips and Social Security income - Rep. Russ Fulcher, a Republican who represents North Idaho and has introduced legislation to eliminate federal tax on overtime income, mimicked Trump's signature thumbs-up gesture.
44% : Trump extended no such olive branches, doubling down on divisiveness and seeming to relish the raucous atmosphere.
44% : " With decorum during recent presidential addresses declining, Schaefer said the White House likely anticipated a combative crowd, at least from those in the minority, something Trump used to his advantage.
41% : Trump also halted U.S. aid to Ukraine on Tuesday, days after he clashed with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in an extraordinary scene in the Oval Office, following a series of statements by the American president that echoed the position of Russia, whose forces invaded Ukraine three years earlier.
40% : Meanwhile, most Democrats stayed seated, with many holding small signs that read "protect veterans," "Musk steals" and "save Medicaid.
39% : The yearly event serves as a sort of non-choreographed collective performance by lawmakers, who communicate their support or disapproval through their applause and cheers - or lack thereof.
38% : "President Trump is trying to deliver an unprecedented giveaway to his billionaire friends.
38% : " Clayton said the president also missed an opportunity to win over the broader American public, something he said he thinks Trump will need to do "to be the type of president he aspires to be." "I think he missed a chance to reach out to people who are undecided people, who are independents, who want to see change, but they want to see it in a more thoughtful and a less partisan and antagonistic way," Clayton said.
37% : "The American people know who President Trump is," Baumgartner said.
37% : As Trump began his speech by proclaiming, "America is back," GOP lawmakers leapt up, whooping and pumping their fists.
34% : " In an awkward exception to the otherwise constant applause from Republicans, Trump criticized the CHIPS and Science Act, which Congress passed in 2022 with wide bipartisan support to boost U.S. manufacturing and research.
31% : " Republicans laughed as Trump rattled off a list of foreign aid programs had halted, including assistance to the African nation of Lesotho, which the president claimed that "no one has ever heard of.
30% : " When R Green stood and shouted at Trump, "You have no mandate to cut Medicaid," Republicans drowned him out by chanting "USA! USA!" and one GOP lawmaker shouted, "Sit your ass down!" After Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., directed the security staff of the Sergeant at Arms to remove Green from the chamber - to cheers from Republicans - a Democrat loudly demanded that Johnson direct Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., to remove the red hat she was wearing.
30% : She also warned of Musks' actions that could violate Americans' privacy and decried deep cuts in government workforce.
29% : Roughly 30 minutes into his speech, Trump turned to the gallery above the House floor and recognized Elon Musk, the billionaire entrepreneur he has deputized to slash government spending and shrink the federal workforce through mass layoffs.
28% : " "President Trump was supposed to have been elected because of the cost of living," she said, but he spent little time in his address talking about lowering costs, instead going on what she called "bizarre tangents." "Nothing he said was surprising to me," Strickland said.
26% : When Trump declared that "unelected bureaucrats" would no longer control the government, Democrats laughed incredulously and pointed at Musk.
12% : "Between tariffs, Medicaid cuts, and forest service cuts, my district is going to be very hurt by this administration," Schrier wrote in a text message, then she quoted Trump.
5% : " In another line he has frequently repeated before and after winning the 2024 election, Trump called former President Joe Biden "the worst president in American history.

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