Trump's State of the Union speech short on plans, especially on rising Iran tensions: ANALYSIS
He did not explain why America may be on the verge of war.
President Donald Trump's State of the Union speech had genuinely powerful, emotional high points, such as when he recognized a World War II veteran who will turn 100 on July 4th, the National Guardsman who survived the ambush shooting in Washington, D.C., the heroism of two Medal of Honor recipients, and of course the Olympic hockey team.
It was like a high-octane awards show. He gave out two Congressional Medals of Honor, a Presidential Medal of Freedom, a Legion of Merit award and two Purple Hearts.
These inspirational moments were interspersed with brutally harsh attacks on the Democrats in the chamber.
But the Tuesday speech was remarkably short on specifics about what he intends to do with the rest of his term, and how he intends to reassure the majority of Americans who think the country is going in the wrong direction and who are nervous about their futures.
More significant, this speech was given against the backdrop of the largest military buildup in the Persian Gulf region we've seen since the invasion of Iraq -- and the president did not explain why.
He boasted about the airstrikes against Iran last summer, which he said totally obliterated Iran's nuclear program, but he did nothing to explain why the United States military is now preparing for a larger and potentially more drawn-out military campaign, or to explain why America may be on the verge of war with Iran.
Also notable: He said virtually nothing about Ukraine beyond repeating, as he often does, that the war would never have happened if he were president. That's remarkable as the Russian invasion was almost exactly four years ago, and it's one he said he would solve on his first day in office.