07 February 2019 - Democratic Congresswomen Wore White to the State of the Union Address
On Trump's big night, Democratic congresswomen in white stole the spotlight
Aaron Kall (The Hill, 06/02/2019)
Since President Donald Trump's State of the Union address was an 82-minute production, there are plenty of contenders for the most memorable moment of the evening. Holocaust and Tree of Life Synagogue shooting survivor Judah Samet was acknowledged from the crowd, while Trump conducted a moving rendition of "Happy Birthday" in his honor. Adorable 10-year-old New Jersey cancer survivor Grace Eline was recognized on camera as well. In addition to battling the disease, she has also raised $40,000 for the fight against cancer. Special guests Matthew Charles and Alice Johnson were both overcome with joy and served as icons for the bipartisan criminal justice reform legislation passed by Congress in late 2018.
Ultimately, there were way too many guests present for one in particular to stand out and be remembered for years to come. On policy matters, Trump was scattershot over the course of the evening. In one sequence, he transitioned from paid family leave to abortion, and then — even more awkwardly — to military spending levels. This tell-tale sign that multiple advisers with differing ideologies contributed to the speech, left it with no strong common theme or message. Years from now, Trump's 2019 address will be remembered for the Democratic Congresswomen who wore white and the moment they briefly abandoned their fight.
Trump Delivered Address. Democratic Women Sent a Message Too.
Maya Salam (The New York Times, 06/02/2019)
Women have never held as much power in the United States government as they do now, and on Tuesday night it showed as President Trump delivered his State of the Union address surrounded by a historic number of women.
Present, of course, were the 131 women elected to serve in the Senate and House, many of whom were seated together and dressed in all white. White is the color of the women’s suffrage movement, and it was worn to represent issues like reproductive rights and equal pay, my colleague Sheryl Gay Stolberg, a Times congressional correspondent, reported.
Why Women Wear White, A Brief History Of Political Fashion
Julia Brucculieri (The Huffington Post, 06/02/2019)
Dozens of women members of the House of Representatives made a powerful statement on Tuesday night when they attended President Donald Trump’s State of the Union address wearing white.
The shade is a nod to the suffrage movement and female activists who fought for women’s right to vote. Last week, Rep. Lois Frankel (Fla.), chair of the House Democratic Women’s Working Group, urged female lawmakers to wear white for Trump’s speech to “honor all those who came before us and send a message of solidarity that we’re not going back on our hard-earned rights.”
And send a message, they did. Photos from the address show a visually striking image of women all in white, a statement that’s difficult to ignore.
Remarks by President Trump in State of the Union Address
(The White House, 06/02/2019)
We meet tonight at a moment of unlimited potential. As we begin a new Congress, I stand here ready to work with you to achieve historic breakthroughs for all Americans.
Millions of our fellow citizens are watching us now, gathered in this great chamber, hoping that we will govern not as two parties but as one nation. (Applause.)
The agenda I will lay out this evening is not a Republican agenda or a Democrat agenda. It’s the agenda of the American people.