Here’s what Hawaii’s congressional delegation thought of Trump’s State of the Union

HONOLULU, Hawaii (HawaiiNewsNow) - The president’s State of the Union address was centered around the theme of the “Great American Comeback.”

President Trump touted what he believed were his biggest accomplishments to date. These included a revived American economy, secured borders, and a powerful military.

The president stuck to the script for the most part with no mentions of the impeachment trial or the caucus chaos in Iowa.

Following the speech, Hawaii’s congressional delegation chimed in with their reactions.

In a statement, U.S. Senator Brian Schatz said: “Tonight the president had an opportunity to bring people together during this dark time. Unfortunately, what we heard was the same divisiveness that has defined his presidency. While there may be a chance for compromise on infrastructure, the address offered no real solutions to the challenges we face. Nevertheless, I will continue to look for common ground in the Senate, and fight the administration when they undermine American values.”

U.S. Senator Mazie Hirono said the speech was very “partisan,” which was expected amid a bitterly divided congress.

“There was very little that inspired us to think that this is a president who’s gonna change his tune and bring anybody together,” Hirono said. “We have a president who, when he says something, we sit there and think, ‘Can we trust him?’ That’s because he lies so often.”

Hirono went on to criticize Trump’s praise of work done to improve health care and insurance, and said some statements were far from the reality.

“He told some whoppers, such as he’s protecting people with pre-existing conditions, knowing full well that he’s challenging the ACA which protects people with pre-existing conditions,” Hirono added. “He bragged about how he has brought down the cost of insurance. That’s because they’re pushing junk plans, that hardly cover people’s medical needs that they actually have.”

Rep. Ed Case took to Twitter to express his thoughts. He said in part, “I heard the stump speech of a candidate chasing votes at the expense of even deeper division.”

Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard’s office did not respond to our request for comment, at last check.

This story may be updated.

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