President Trump: “No state can be allowed to rip children from their parents’ arms”

As anticipated, President Donald Trump’s State of the Union speech on Tuesday evening eclipsed modern-day records with the address lasting 108 minutes — 9 minutes longer than last’s years presentation.

A CNN poll conducted immediately afterwards found that more than 6 in 10 viewers reported a positive reaction.

Similar to last year, Rep. Al Green (D-TX) was thrown out of the chamber for repeatedly interrupting the speech. Several members also attempted to shout down the president during parts of the address but weren’t nearly as persistent or disruptive.

If you didn’t tune in or stay up to watch, what were the most important takeaways, especially for those of us who espouse a socially conservative Christian worldview?

President Trump called on Congress to ban the surgical mutilation of sexually confused children:

In the gallery tonight are Sage Blair and her mother, Michele. In 2021, Sage was 14 when school officials in Virginia sought to socially transition her to a new gender, treating her as a boy and hiding it from her parents. Hard to believe, isn’t it? 

Before long, a confused Sage ran away from home. After she was found in a horrific situation in Maryland, a left-wing judge refused to return Sage to her parents because they did not immediately state that their daughter was their son. Sage was thrown into an all-boys state home and suffered terribly for a long time. But today, all of that is behind them. Sage is a proud and wonderful young woman with a full ride scholarship to Liberty University.

And who can believe that we’re even speaking about things like this? 15 years ago, if somebody was up here and said that, they’d say, “What’s wrong with him?” But now we have to say it because it’s going on all over numerous states. They’re not even telling the parents. But surely we can all agree, no state can be allowed to rip children from their parents’ arms and transition them to a new gender against the parents’ will. Who would believe that we’re even talking about it? We must ban it, and we must ban it immediately.

President Trump welcomed Erika Kirk, the widow of the slain TPUSA founder, Charlie Kirk:

In Charlie’s memory, we must all come together to reaffirm that America is one nation under God. And we must totally reject political violence of any kind. We love religion, and we love bringing it back. And it’s coming back at levels that nobody actually thought possible. It’s really a beautiful thing to see. Above all, unleashing America’s promise requires keeping our communities safe. We have made incredible strides, yet dangerous repeat offenders continue to be released…

Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe, along with his mother, Melanie, were also in the gallery. A member of the Air Force serving with the West Virginia Air National Guard, Staff Sgt. Wolfe was shot in the head last year in Washington, D.C., along with West Virginia Army National Guard Specialist Sarah Beckstrom, who died from her injuries. Guardsman Beckstrom’s parents, Gary and Evalea, were also attending the speech and were thanked and honored by the president.

The president acknowledged the pain, grief and unthinkable loss suffered by Jacqueline Medina, whose 16-year-old daughter was murdered by an illegal alien who had been previously arrested and released. Ms. Medina was seated in the gallery, along with Anya Zarutska. You’ll remember it was Anya’s 23-year-old daughter, Iryna, who was stabbed to death on a Charlotte train by a man who had been arrested and released over a dozen time. Mr. Trump declared:

Tonight, I promise you, we will ensure justice for your magnificent daughter, Iryna.

He continued:

So tonight, I’m inviting every legislator to join with my administration and reaffirming a fundamental principle. If you agree with this statement, then stand up and show your support: The first duty of the American government is to protect American citizens, not illegal aliens.

Only half the room stood up. 

President Trump then called on Congress to pass the “Safe America Act” — legislation that would require voters to show identification before casting their ballot:

Both Republicans and Democrats overwhelmingly agree on the policy that we just enunciated, and Congress should unite and enact this common sense, country saving legislation right now. And it should be before anything else happens.

During last night’s address, President Trump also highlighted his administration’s efforts to lower the cost of prescription medication. To illustrate the commitment, he highlighted a woman struggling with long-term infertility and noting that lower prices for certain drugs put IVF within reach. 

Efforts to make IVF more accessible and affordable may represent a good-faith effort with excellent intentions. But Christians should also be aware that many doctors and fertility clinics recklessly and carelessly destroy and dispose of millions of embryos every single year. Focus on the Family has historically urged caution for married couples pursuing such treatment and opposes this destruction of human life and offersguidelines on how they might reduce the ethical concerns surrounding it. 

President Trump honored 99-year-old World War II veteran Buddy Taggart, and also hailed and feted the U.S. Men’s Olympic hockey team. 

Concluding the evening, the president struck an optimistic and forward-looking posture:

The revolution that began in 1776 has not ended. It still continues because the flame of liberty and independence still burns in the heart of every American patriot, and our future will be bigger, better, brighter, bolder, and more glorious than ever before.