President Trump will give his much-anticipated first State of the Union address tonight. A White House official has said the president aims for unity after the past year of polarization in Congress and across the country. In light of this, we asked people on campus, “What do you believe our country is doing well, and what are some issues you think need to be addressed?”

“I think the country is doing OK, economically speaking. But there is a lot of tension on social issues. Immigration and foreign relations are on a lot of people’s minds. I think we want to hear specifics.“

–Emily Kriegel 

UI junior

 

“I guess on the surface we’re doing OK. A lot of President Trump’s problems start because of his need to be on social media. I think he needs to be a bit more professional.”

-Tucker Trefz

UI sophomore

“I don’t think I’ve been more stressed about being recalled back into the military than I am right now. I still have friends overseas, and [Trump’s] comments about nuclear warfare are unsettling. I think he needs to be much more professional and less callous.”

–Manny C.

UI junior

“I don’t think the country is doing well. There are a lot of issues, frankly. Health care is a big one. And I’m not a fan of the wall, either. Those are my two biggest complaints.”

–Ann Keenan

Coralville resident

“I feel like as a country, we are doing decent, I guess. The tariffs are a big one for me. I’d like to have some more information on that policy.”

–Andre Stokes

UI junior