Similar to years past, the 2020 State of the Union launched with Paul D. Irving’s (the current Sergeant at Arms of the U.S. House of Representatives), voice echoing through the chamber. President Donald J. Trump entered the United States Capitol Building at approximately 9p.m. on Feb. 4, to not only address Congress, but the people of the United States on the country’s current standing.

The President discussed topics such as the southern border, the coronavirus and the environment during this hour and twenty-minute speech, largely emphasizing on the United States’ overall accomplishments. Statistics were not the only thing that shocked the American people. Several surprises took place throughout Trump’s address, with Nancy Pelosi throwing one in at the end. Here is a recap of the 2020 State of the Union.

Trump’s entering of the chamber sprouted two different responses. The Democratic party remained seated, throwing in a few rounds of applause, while the Republican party cheered on their feet and chanted “four more years.” At this point, the concept of bipartisanship remained absent from the event.

To kick off his speech, Trump said, “three years ago we launched the great American comeback,” announcing the theme of the address.

“In just three short years, we have shattered the mentality of America’s decline,” continued Trump, before sharing the achievements of the country we call home.

With the first topic of the night being the economy, President Trump discussed the growth of the U.S. economy. According to the President, jobs are booming, the unemployment rate is at its lowest in over half a century and the stock markets continue to soar.

John Ziegler, a freshman political science major, spent his Tuesday evening watching Trump’s State of the Union.

“[Trump] really emphasized the economy, something I think he has done well with,” shared Ziegler. “I was sitting here with PolitiFact. There were some falsies, but that is going to come with a lot of speeches.”

Ziegler is not necessarily a fan of Donald Trump but understands the importance of keeping up with the progress of our country, which was the main purpose of Trump’s address.

After talking about the country’s economic state, the President continued to discuss numerous topics revolving around the United States and the administration.

The wall continues to be built at the southern border, along with the increase of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Since the beginning of his term, President Trump made it clear that the fight against illegal immigration was one of his main priorities. His address confirmed that he is not willing to back down quite yet, as he announced, “if you come here illegally, you will now be promptly removed from our country.”

From the joining of the “One Trillion Trees Initiative,” to the United States’ fight against the coronavirus, the rest of the address covered multiple areas of interest, suggesting that Trump and his administration work hard for the American people.

Trump also took advantage of this event by surprising everyone. It all started with the gifting of a scholarship to fourth grade student Janiyah Davis. Trump believes “no parent should be forced to send their child to a failing government school,” most likely backing this decision.

President Trump continued his giving by surprising Army spouse Amy Williams and her two children with an unexpected appearance by her husband and their father, who was recently deployed to Afghanistan.

Rush Limbaugh, a popular conservative talk show host, also received the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the “highest civilian honor.”

After addressing the nation, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi threw in one last surprise. While most of the audience stood and applauded Trump, Pelosi raised her copy of Trump’s speech high in the air and tore it in half. Some call her a hero for standing up to the Trump Administration, while others call her out for disrespecting the people mentioned in the address.

Julian Smith, another Point Park student, believes that Pelosi’s actions were uncalled for. He shared, “I thought there was no need for it. You can disagree with him but to just rip it up? It didn’t really make sense.”

Smith is not alone. Point Park freshman Caitlin Wiscombe was also outraged by Pelosi’s actions.

“Pelosi is quick to address the fact that Trump is without class and how he needs to be held accountable for what he has done wrong, yet by ripping up the speech she is being a hypocrite. Her decision to rip up the President’s State of the Union Address is without class,” explained Wiscombe.

At the end of it all, this specific address to the nation was unique. It is not common for a president to perform unannounced actions during his speech. It is also uncommon for the speech to be torn up at the speech’s conclusion. Although it is unclear who will address the nation during next year’s State of the Union, it will be interesting to see if he or she follows Trump’s footsteps.