clock menu more-arrow no yes mobile
Help keep Vox free We're 66% of the way to reaching our goal for our September campaign to support our clear and accessible policy coverage. Will you help us get there by making a gift today?
President Trump delivers the State of the Union address in the chamber of the US House of Representatives on February 5, 2019.
Doug Mills-Pool/Getty Images

Filed under:

The State of the Union in pictures: from women in white to a napping Trump guest

Democratic women and a sleepy little boy stole part of the show.

By Kainaz Amaria and Emily Stewart

President Donald Trump delivered his second official State of the Union address on Tuesday. The speech was billed as a bipartisan one, though it comes amid a moment of division in Washington, DC: The president and Congress are no closer to striking a deal on immigration, government funding, and his border wall than they were just a couple of weeks ago, when they called a temporary truce to end the longest government shutdown in US history.

Trump touched on a number of topics during his State of the Union speech, including immigration, abortion, HIV, the economy, and jobs. He also announced another summit with North Korea.

Some of his claims were misleading or false. For example, he claimed that he would prioritize protecting patients with preexisting conditions, even though his administration is asking a federal court to roll back the Affordable Care Act’s protections for people with preexisting conditions. He also exaggerated progress he claims to have made on Iran. As Vox’s Ezra Klein wrote, Trump in his speech “imagined the president he hasn’t been.”

The evening wasn’t all about Trump — the record number of women in Congress, most of them Democrats, were a striking image, wearing all white in solidarity and in honor of the suffragists. One of the Trump family’s guests was also spotted taking a nap, stealing some of the show.

President Trump arrives to deliver the State of the Union address in the chamber of the US House of Representatives.
Doug Mills-Pool/Getty Images
First lady Melania Trump is greeted by the House as she’s surrounded by special guests of President Trump.
Mandel Ngan/AFP/Getty Images
President Trump addresses a joint session of Congress.
J. Scott Applewhite/AP
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Vice President Mike Pence applaud President Trump at the State of the Union address.
Doug Mills-Pool/Getty Images
Democratic women lawmakers chose to wear white to the speech as a symbol of solidarity and a nod to the suffragist movement.
Alex Wong/Getty Images
Democratic lawmakers cheer during President Trump’s State of the Union address.
Alex Wong/Getty Images
Democratic members cheered when President Trump noted the high numbers of women joining the workforce.
Alex Wong/Getty Images
Alice Marie Johnson, a former prisoner who was granted clemency by President Trump last year, is applauded at the State of the Union.
Alex Wong/Getty Images
Apollo 11 astronaut Buzz Aldrin salutes as he is recognized by President Trump and applauded by the audience.
Saul Loeb/AFP/Getty Images
World War II veteran Herman Zeitchik (center), surrounded by other special guests, is acknowledged by the audience.
Mandel Ngan/AFP/Getty Images
Timothy Matson (center), surrounded by Trump family members, is acknowledged by the audience.
Mandel Ngan/AFP/Getty Images
First lady Melania Trump with Grace Eline and Joshua Trump, special guests of President Trump, during the State of the Union address. Joshua appears to be catching a quick nap.
Mandel Ngan/AFP/Getty Images
President Trump shakes hands with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell as he departs the chamber of the US House of Representatives after delivering the State of the Union on February 5, 2019.
Doug Mills-Pool/Getty Images

The news moves fast. Catch up at the end of the day: Subscribe to Today, Explained, Vox’s daily news podcast, or sign up for our evening email newsletter, Vox Sentences.

Will you join us?

Our biggest supporters are our readers — and we’re so grateful to everyone who has made a contribution during our September campaign. We’re less than 1,000 contributions away from reaching our goal for the month, which in turn will allow us to say yes more often when our incredible journalists come to us with questions they want to answer and projects they want to pursue. Will you make a contribution before the month ends and support our policy coverage through 2024 and beyond?

Yes, I'll give $5/month

In This Stream

State of the Union 2019: President Trump gives annual address amid border wall fight

View all 61 stories
Future Perfect

40 years ago today, one man saved us from world-ending nuclear war

Politics

The Republican vs. Republican feud behind the government shutdown fight, explained

Supreme Court

The Supreme Court just told Alabama to shut up and listen

View all stories in Politics

Sign up for the newsletter Sign up for Vox Recommends

Get curated picks of the best Vox journalism to read, watch, and listen to every week, from our editors.