# 2019 State Of The Union
The 2019 State of the Union was President Donald Trump's February 5, 2019 address to the 116th Congress, best known online for viral moments including Nancy Pelosi's sarcastic clap, Democratic women dressed in white, and 11-year-old guest Joshua Trump falling asleep in the gallery.
## Overview
The 2019 State of the Union refers to President Donald Trump's annual address before the 116th Congress, delivered on February 5, 2019 after a week-long delay tied to the 35-day partial government shutdown[3]. The speech covered immigration, border security, and a pledge that 'America will never be a Socialist country,' a line that drew visible reactions from Senator Bernie Sanders and Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez in the chamber[2].
Online the night became better known for a run of visual moments than for its policy content. The most-shared clip captured House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, seated behind Trump, offering a stiff-armed sarcastic clap that instantly turned into a reaction image[3]. Viewers also fixated on the bloc of female Democratic representatives who wore all-white in honor of the women's suffrage movement, on Trump's crooked tie, and on sixth-grade guest Joshua Trump dozing off in the gallery[3].
## How It Spread
Once the speech began, screenshots of Pelosi's tight-lipped clap spread through Twitter within minutes and stayed in circulation for weeks as a passive-aggressive reaction template. Cameras also cut to Sanders frowning and Ocasio-Cortez sitting expressionless during Trump's anti-socialism line, footage that Fox News built a post-speech story around[2]. Sanders later tweeted a rebuttal arguing people are not truly free without healthcare or housing[2].
The white-clad Democratic women, organized by Representative Lois Frankel of Florida to mark the suffrage centennial, drew a second wave of remixes[3]. Conservative outlets including The Gateway Pundit framed the imagery as a 'wardrobe malfunction' and compared the color choice to Ku Klux Klan attire, while photoshopped versions circulated on r/The_Donald and a Voat 'whatever' forum challenge[4]. Some of the widely reshared pictures actually dated from the 2017 address, when Democratic women first wore white together[3].
Guest Joshua Trump, a Delaware sixth grader invited as part of First Lady Melania Trump's Be Best anti-bullying push, ended the night as the sleeper hit after CBS News tweeted footage of him dozing during the speech[3]. Meanwhile, Georgia's Stacey Abrams delivered the Democratic response live from Atlanta, calling for a 'renewed commitment to social and economic justice' and pushing voting rights to the center of the rebuttal[1].
## How to Use
Reaction shots from the night are still traded as templates. The Pelosi clap is typically dropped into replies as a sarcastic golf clap when someone praises a decision they clearly hate, while the women-in-white photo is often reused around suffrage anniversaries or as a solidarity gag[3].
## Frequently Asked Questions
### What is 2019 State Of The Union?
It is Donald Trump's February 5, 2019 address to the 116th Congress, best known online for viral reaction moments including Nancy Pelosi's sarcastic clap and Democratic women wearing white for suffrage[3].
### Where did 2019 State Of The Union come from?
The speech was delayed from January 29 after Pelosi asked Trump to postpone it during the 35-day partial government shutdown, and was rescheduled for February 5 once Trump signed a bill reopening the government[3].
### What does 2019 State Of The Union mean?
Online the term points less at the policy content and more at the memes that came out of the night, such as Pelosi's clap, the white-dressed Democratic bloc, a sleeping Joshua Trump, and Trump's askew tie[3].
### How do you use 2019 State Of The Union?
The Pelosi clap image is typically posted as a sarcastic reaction to unwanted praise or backhanded compliments, and the women-in-white photo is often reshared during suffrage anniversaries[3].
### Is 2019 State Of The Union still popular?
It is a classic 2019 political moment that gets referenced when reaction images from State of the Union addresses resurface, especially the Pelosi clap and the socialism-line stare from Bernie Sanders[2].
## References
1. [https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2019/02/stacey-abrams-focuses-voting-rights-her-response/582139/]()
2. [https://www.foxnews.com/politics/trump-rejects-socialism-at-sotu-as-expressionless-dems-sit-unmoved]()
3. [https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/events/2019-state-of-the-union]()
4. [https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2019/02/wardrobe-malfunction-democrats-wear-white-gowns-to-sotu-in-wake-of-northam-kkk-scandal/]()
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Source: https://meme.com/memes/2019-state-of-the-union
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