SALT LAKE CITY — Religion played only a minor role in Tuesday’s State of the Union address, but the speech still held plenty of good news for President Donald Trump’s most fervent religious supporters.
During his remarks, the president promised to end late-term abortion, strengthen religious liberty protections, reduce health care costs and expand access to private schools, goals shared by many people of faith.
“In America, we do not punish prayer. We do not tear down crosses. We do not ban symbols of faith,” he said. “In America, we celebrate faith. We cherish religion.”
In addition to exploring future plans, Trump highlighted past successes, including a historically low unemployment rate. He presented his administration as a champion of workers, parents and American values.
“Our families are flourishing. Our values are renewed. Our pride is restored. And for all these reasons, I say to the people of our great country, and to the members of Congress before me: The State of our Union is stronger than ever before,” he said.
Forty-nine percent of U.S. adults, including 94% of Republicans and 42% of independents, approve of Trump’s job performance, according to a Gallup poll released Tuesday. Additionally, 63% of Americans approve of the way the president is handling the economy.
However, Trump acknowledged there’s still room for improvement. He called on Congress to pass legislation to reduce the cost of prescription drugs, update the immigration system and increase scholarship opportunities for low-income families.
“No parent should be forced to send their child to a failing government school,” he said after asking lawmakers to pass the Education Freedom Scholarships and Opportunity Act, which would offer tax credits to those who donate to scholarship programs.
The legislation, like similar, state-level policies, is controversial, and groups like the National Education Association have argued that it would take resources away from public schools, USA Today reported last week.
Additionally, some legal experts argue that such scholarship programs violate constitutional religious freedom protections, since they enable government money to indirectly fund religious education. The Supreme Court is currently hearing a case on the topic involving a Montana law, as the Deseret News reported last month.
Chief Justice John Roberts and three associate justices attended the State of the Union address.
Trump’s immigration and health care related proposals are also a source of conflict for policymakers and people of faith.
Even religious groups who typically support the president’s policies have questioned whether his efforts to protect national security end up harming more people than they help.
“We respect that there are challenges in assuring traveler documentation and information exchange between countries as a means to ensure the safety of citizens. However, we also believe that ill-conceived nation-based bans such as this injure innocent families,” read a Feb. 2 statement from the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, Catholic Charities and other Catholic groups on the Trump administration’s recent expansion of its travel ban.
During the State of the Union, Trump called attention to guests in attendance whose families have been torn apart by violent, illegal immigrants. He also alluded to some of the criticisms he’s faced on health care and pledged to support the best interests of the American people moving forward.
“We will always protect patients with pre-existing conditions — that is a guarantee. And we will always protect your Medicare and your Social Security,” he said.
White evangelical Protestants, white mainline Protestants, Hispanic Catholics and many other people of faith cite health care as one of the most critical political issues for politicians to address, according to an October report from Public Religion Research Institute.
Overall, the president’s address was positive in tone, and there weren’t any references to the Senate impeachment trial. Trump appeared confident that his approval ratings would continue to climb and that he’d succeed in his 2020 goals.
“Our spirit is still young. The sun is still rising. God’s grace is still shining. And my fellow Americans, the best is yet to come” he said.