US President Barack Obama used his
final State of the Union address this evening to take on his critics,
particularly those in the Republican Party vying to replace him on the
argument that he has run the country into the ground and they are the
ones to put it back on track.
Although
he did not mention him once by name, he indirectly referenced
Republican frontrunner Donald Trump several times, as he called for an
end to scapegoating.
'Talk
of America’s economic decline is political hot air,' the president
said. 'Anyone making those claims is 'peddling fiction,' he said.
'So
is all the rhetoric you hear about our enemies getting stronger and
America getting weaker. The United States of America is the most
powerful nation on Earth. Period. It’s not even close.'
US President Barack Obama
denounced political and physical assaults on Muslims as he called for
'rational, constructive debates' and indirectly chastised Trump for
following in the footsteps of those 'who promise to restore past glory
if we just got some group or idea that was threatening America under
control.'
'Our
unique strengths as a nation – our optimism and work ethic, our spirit
of discovery and innovation, our diversity and commitment to the rule of
law – these things give us everything we need to ensure prosperity and
security for generations to come,' Obama said
AT A GLANCE: THE KEY MOMENTS IN OBAMA'S FINAL STATE OF THE UNION
ON THE ECONOMY
Anyone claiming that America’s economy is in decline is peddling fiction... America's decline is political hot air.
ON TRUMP
(although he never once uttered his name):
We need to reject any politics that targets people because of race or
religion. This isn’t a matter of political correctness. It’s a matter of
understanding what makes us strong.
ON ISIS
Over-the-top
claims that this is World War III just play into their hands...They do
not threaten our national existence. That’s the story ISIL wants to
tell; that’s the kind of propaganda they use to recruit. We don’t need
to build them up to show that we’re serious, nor do we need to push away
vital allies in this fight by echoing the lie that ISIL is
representative of one of the world’s largest religions. We just need to
call them what they are — killers and fanatics who have to be rooted
out, hunted down, and destroyed.
ON KILLING OSAMA BIN LADEN
If
you doubt America’s commitment — or mine — to see that justice is done,
ask Osama bin Laden. Ask the leader of al Qaeda in Yemen, who was taken
out last year, or the perpetrator of the Benghazi attacks, who sits in a
prison cell. When you come after Americans, we go after you. It may
take time, but we have long memories, and our reach has no limit.
ON AMERICA'S GLOBAL INFLUENCE
The
United States of America is the most powerful nation on Earth. Period.
It’s not even close. We spend more on our military than the next eight
nations combined. Our troops are the finest fighting force in the
history of the world. No nation dares to attack us or our allies because
they know that’s the path to ruin.
ON IMMIGRATION:
Immigrants aren't the reason wages haven't gone up enough; those
decisions are made in the boardrooms that too often put quarterly
earnings over long-term returns.
ON FINDING A CURE FOR CANCER
Last year, Vice President Biden said that with a new moonshot, America
can cure cancer. Last month, he worked with this Congress to give
scientists at the National Institutes of Health the strongest resources
they’ve had in over a decade. Tonight, I’m announcing a new national
effort to get it done. And because he’s gone to the mat for all of us,
on so many issues over the past forty years, I’m putting Joe in charge
of Mission Control. For the loved ones we’ve all lost, for the family we
can still save, let’s make America the country that cures cancer once
and for all.
ON CUBA
Fifty
years of isolating Cuba had failed to promote democracy, setting us
back in Latin America. That’s why we restored diplomatic relations,
opened the door to travel and commerce, and positioned ourselves to
improve the lives of the Cuban people. You want to consolidate our
leadership and credibility in the hemisphere? Recognize that the Cold
War is over. Lift the embargo.
ON CLIMATE CHANGE
Rather than subsidize the past, we should invest in the future —
especially in communities that rely on fossil fuels. That’s why I’m
going to push to change the way we manage our oil and coal resources, so
that they better reflect the costs they impose on taxpayers and our
planet.
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