President Donald Trump’s speech to Congress Tuesday was one of his better moments since his election. It marked a welcome change of tone since his inauguration just weeks ago, when he painted such a dark, insular picture of America and its role in the world.
There was much to like in the speech — who would argue with his vision for a safe, prosperous and free America? — but it also left a nagging concern that it was just one more campaign speech, full of promises and empty of specifics.
He called for a sharp increase in spending on the military and on our veterans, even as he ended with a fulsome declaration that America seeks peace with all, including, under the right conditions, our enemies. He called for replacing Obamacare with a plan that would give people cheaper insurance, better coverage, more choices, and a continued guarantee that pre-existing conditions will not deny anyone coverage.
He urged Congress to support paid family leave, a step that House Speaker Paul Ryan and many Republicans have refused in the past. He called education the “civil rights issue of our time” — a point many far more liberal voices have made, too. He wants every parent to be able to send their child to any public, private, religious, charter or home school they choose.
These goals are ambitious and on the whole laudatory. But on these issues and a host of others, the president skipped over any sense of how to accomplish what he is calling for. Boosting spending on the military and on veterans and on border security will cost tens of billions of dollars. Where will the money come from?
If it is taken from existing programs across the U.S. government, how will he then also keep his promises to cut taxes for the middle class, help the poor with insurance premiums, help students with tuition, and to keep our air and water clean?
Just eight years ago his predecessor pushed through a huge stimulus plan aimed at putting Americans back to work, and he did so over the objection of every Republican in the House and all but two in the Senate. Now the new Republican president has promised to present legislation that will spearhead $1 trillion in investments in highways, bridges and other infrastructure.
Despite the lack of specifics, Trump did hit some high points. A highlight of the evening was the president’s introduction of the Carryn Owens, the widow of the Navy SEAL who was killed during a raid in Yemen in January. His warm embrace of Owens’ sacrifice drew sustained applause from across the gallery and tears to many eyes.
Trump ended his remarks by calling on Democrats to join with Republicans to address the nation’s ills, urging them to work together even on broad immigration reform. We applaud bipartisanship, but for him to be credible he must find a way to reconcile the rhetoric that has so often alienated critics with his sweeping aspirations.
