In his final State of the Union address to Congress, President Barack Obama called on Americans Tuesday to “fix our political system,” in order to align the country toward the “future we want.”
In what had been billed as an “unconventional” speech, the president talked more about past accomplishments than what he hoped to do in the coming year, falling back on the theme he ran for office on – fixing a broken Washington.
Obama talked about the division and divisiveness in congress and his desire to work on significan legislation with Speaker of the House Paul Ryan (R-Wisc.), then took a swipe at two Republican candidates running for president.
The president called out real estate mogul Donald Trump, though not by name, saying, “When politicians insult Muslims . . . that doesn’t make us safer. That’s not telling it like it is. It’s just wrong.” The president, apparently referencing Trump’s call to ban Muslims from entering the United States, added, “It diminishes us in the eyes of the world.”
In addition, Obama seemed to be talking about Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, also a GOP candidate for president, when he said, “Our answer needs to be more than tough talk or calls to carpet bomb civilians. That may work as a TV sound bite, but it doesn’t pass muster on the world stage.”
Cruz had called for carpet-bombing ISIS strongholds in Syria.
What else did the president say in the speech? Here are the top six moments:
A joke to start
“Tonight marks the eighth year I’ve come here to report on the State of the Union. And for this final one, I’m going to try to make it shorter. I know some of you are antsy to get back to Iowa.”
On leadership across the world
“American leadership in the 21st century is not a choice between ignoring the rest of the world — except when we kill terrorists, or occupying and rebuilding whatever society is unraveling. Leadership means a wise application of military power and rallying the world behind causes that are right.”
The economy
"Anyone claiming that America’s economy is in decline is peddling fiction. What is true — and the reason that a lot of Americans feel anxious — is that the economy has been changing in profound ways, changes that started long before the Great Recession hit and haven’t let up."
Energy and climate
“But even if the planet wasn’t at stake, even if 2014 wasn’t the warmest year on record — until 2015 turned out even hotter — why would we want to pass up the chance for American businesses to produce and sell the energy of the future?” “Gas under two bucks a gallon ain’t bad, either.”
The Islamic State
"As we focus on destroying ISIL, over-the-top claims that this is World War III just play into their hands. Masses of fighters on the back of pickup trucks and twisted souls plotting in apartments or garages pose an enormous danger to civilians and must be stopped. But they do not threaten our national existence. That’s the story ISIL wants to tell ... We just need to call them what they are -- killers and fanatics who have to be rooted out, hunted down, and destroyed."
Regrets from his years as president
“It’s one of the few regrets of my presidency — that the rancor and suspicion between the parties has gotten worse instead of better,” Obama said, according to an advance text of his speech. “There’s no doubt a president with the gifts of Lincoln or Roosevelt might have better bridged the divide, and I guarantee I’ll keep trying to be better so long as I hold this office.”
What he didn’t mention
The president made no mention of the 10 U.S. Navy sailors who were detained Tuesday by Iran after entering the waters near an Iranian naval base. He did not acknowledge the First Lady or any of the guests invited to attend the speech.
After spending nearly all of last week on the topic, including an emotional White House speech and a nationally-televised town hall meeting, he mention gun violence only once during the evening.
South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley gave the Republican response to the speech.
