ISIS, MS-13 and terrorism: how Donald Trump's State of the Union stands out against presidents past

Trump words face
Credit: Chris Newell for The Telegraph

State of the Union addresses are the president's chance to formally address the key issues facing America as well as an opportunity to push a legislative agenda.

Given the fact that more or less every American president has made multiple State of the Union addresses over the past 228 years, they are a useful barometer to gauge how American priorities have changed over time and provide a narrative to the country's history.

In his first State of the Union address Donald Trump bragged about his economic record, called for more cross-party collaboration, and warned against the threats posed by terrorism and unchecked immigration.

His three most "stand-out*" words relative to those spoken by other presidents were ISIS, MS-13 (the name of a notorious criminal gang, mentioned in reference immigration) and terrorists.

While Trump chose to focus on the perceived threats America faces, Obama's State...

To continue reading this article

Start a 30-day free trial for unlimited access to Premium articles

  • Unlimited access to Premium articles 
  • Subscriber-only events and experiences
  • Cancel any time

Free for 30 days

then only £2 per week

Save 25% with an annual subscription

Just £75 per year

 

Register for free and access one Premium article per week