Guest Contributor Nick Collette

This is convoluted and random—written in the heat of the moment—but I jotted some notes along the way and wanted to quickly expand on what I found to be a profound speech by Donald J. Trump. I have been an all-too-frequent critic of the President from the right, but anyone who can't admit that the President proved a lot in his State of the Union speech is out of touch with reality. So here goes: -The veterans of WWII were an incredibly touching story that came full circle at the end of the speech. The self sacrifice and determination of America's greatest generation should invoke great appreciation and pride for all America stands for. There's no question that President Trump respects our men and women in uniform, speaking of which: -Endless Wars: I know many of my friends on the right have concerns about withdrawing our troops from foreign engagements, but it's been two decades. Our men and women in uniform have done their job. A sensible transition, whereby Afghanistan's future can be determined by Afghan citizens, is much needed. Kudos to the President for being the most non-interventionist president I've ever seen (okay, I haven't seen much, but still...). -Part of ensuring peace at home and abroad involves both bringing our troops home and bringing an end to this (now) useless partisan investigation by Mueller. It's time. You didn't find collusion. Let's stop wasting tax dollars on it. While the two subjects are seemingly unconnected, The President's point was spot on here. -Alice Johnson, Matthew Charles, and criminal justice reform- This was a heart-wrenching example of why criminal justice reform is critical to stopping the disparity in sentencing that too often disenfranchises and imprisons minorities, because many of these laws were passed at a time in our history that intentionally disenfranchised these communities. Once again, the President was on point in addressing this issue and taking the lead on enacting lasting reform. We still have a lot to do at the state level. -Border Security- It may have taken up a large portion of the speech, but there's not much more that needs to be said: build the wall and protect American citizens from the open border to our South. I applaud the President for continuing to hit the gas pedal on this critical issue and not give into the left wing's attempt to continue to put American lives at risk. -That Chuck Schumer smirk- STRONG. -Why are Democrats so hellbent on leaving our southern border unprotected when in years past they've shown the moral fortitude to actually address this issue? It's absurd, but Republicans shoulder the blame for not addressing this issue when we held both chambers of Congress and the White House. -However, legal immigration is a net positive. Don't let anyone tell you differently. In fact, our economic prosperity depends on it and the President recognizes the need to universally reform our broken immigration system. It was promising to see him directly address that tonight. -Nancy Pelosi's bizarre, and extremely awkward, attempt to keep her minions in order, clap when she's supposed to, and show her resistance for the fringe left causes was... well.. bizarre and awkward. -That Chuck Schumer smirk- Getting even stronger. Does this guy relate to anyone outside of the coastal elites? -And those privileged women (in straight jackets) wearing white... sheesh. -That "Don't sit yet" line- That was actual 4D chess. He made them look like the petulant children they behaved as. And, unsurprisingly, they played right into his hand. -They were wearing white for female economic empowerment (a good cause to fight for, by the way), so he announces economic empowerment for women initiative. Well played, Mr. President. -Tariffs- Frustrating from a free trade perspective, which I unashamedly adopt without conditions. But I get it. It had to have a part in his speech, and I'm just thankful it didn't play a larger part. I do understand that it’s fundamentally unfair for us to pay 25% tariffs on foreign products while other countries pay 5% on our products. Therefore, the reciprocal trade act he referenced is worth better studying. You know, that "what's good for the goose" line. And while this may violate my sincerely held (libertarian) views on global economic policy, I can't pretend this is the mountain us libertarians should die on. Free trade, yes. Fighting unfair trade policies with our own trade policies? It's going to be hard to win that ideological argument. Instead, we should continue to endorse free trade across the globe and push the President in the right direction on this critical issue. -My only thought on high drug costs: We can't wish to address childhood cancer and other tragic conditions, which the President passionately discussed (and rightfully so), while handcuffing drug companies and preventing them from engaging in the research that pays for the critical treatments that address these tragic diseases and disorders. Those high drug costs do serve a purpose in this regard. -Paid parental leave- I can't help but hold fast to my belief that this should be left up to the free market. Government has no role to play here. -Infanticide- The President gave a voice to the voiceless and spoke out against the evil and deranged view of post-birth abortion. Let's call a spade a spade. It's a shame Virginia has to be at the forefront of this debate, but when our disgraced governor endorses infanticide because they have "deformities"... well, what do you expect? Thank you, Mr. President, for standing up for life and speaking out against this scourge on society. -North Korea engagement- Another net positive for the United States. Diplomacy should never be frowned upon when it doesn't put American lives at risk. Engaging North Korea does not. -Venezuela- Nothing short of tragic, but we can’t speak about endless wars and put military action on the table for a country that poses no threat (not that the President did so tonight). I think the President's non-interventionist tendencies will win out here, despite John Bolton's wishes. -"America was born free and will stay free"- Great line. Not much else to say about it. -“America will never be a socialist country.” Even better line. Very telling that the white straight jackets couldn't muster up an applause here. It's no longer a talking point: the Democratic Party endorses socialism. Period. -That Nancy Pelosi smirk... only second to that Chuck Schumer smirk. -Moving the capital of Israel to Jerusalem- a promise kept to the American people. And an important one. -This really is the most non-interventionist president in modern history, at least when it comes to the use of the military. -Did Rand Paul take over the mic? No easy answer to the War on Terror, but responsibly reducing troop levels and eventually ending the nearly two-decades-long wars should be well received by large swaths of the electorate. -Can Supreme Court Justices ever clap? Rhetorical question. -Debbie Wasserman Schultz. What the heck ever happened to her!? Talk about irrelevant. -What a special way to end what was the most presidential speech I've seen in a long time. The WWII veteran who helped liberate the Jewish prisoner was tear jerking. In fact, it may have been the only time I've ever teared up during a political speech. You could see the sincere appreciation on the face of the liberated, and his embrace of the liberator was an incredible moment. Thank you, President Trump, for telling America this amazing story when we needed to hear it most. -Final Take: This is truly an extraordinary nation—the greatest history has ever seen—but, let's just be honest, keeping it will be a challenge because the politicians in Washington are constantly trying to screw it up. President Trump showed that he won't be deterred by "the Swamp," and while I've been a very frequent critic of the President from the right, I must admit that tonight he defined "presidential" and should have made us all proud to be Americans. Even those white straight jackets in the audience. And smirking Chuck Schumer. Well done, Mr. President. P.S. Who in the world thought Stacey Abrams would be the ideal person to deliver the fringe left's rebuttal?

Guest Contributor Nick Collette

Hanover Committee brings the Heat against Chairwoman Dale Taylor

The Truth Behind What’s Really Happening in the 97th District

Chris Peace Supporter Set to Change Method of Nomination at the Last Minute

State of the Union Live Take: