Reactions are pouring in to the State of the Union address given by President Donald Trump Tuesday night.
The address went on for nearly two hours, beginning with Trump telling the joint session of congress that the state of the union is strong.
The address quickly touted wins he said his administration has delivered, including lower gas prices, a steadier inflation rate and the chance for Americans to own a home getting easier. Trump also noted record highs for stocks over the past year.
KATC spoke with Louisiana Senator Bill Cassidy for his response to the president's speech.
"You put all that together, and he's trying to make life more affordable. I'm with him on that," Sen. Cassidy said. "I'm working with him closely on the healthcare bill. I think he leaned into it."
The president acknowledged security efforts at the U.S.-Mexico border, while also saying the U.S. will "always allow people to come in legally."
With midterm elections on the horizon this November, Trump said a vote for democrats would be a vote to reopen the country's borders.
Other topics the president addressed included tariffs. Last week, the conservative-majority supreme court ruled against his sweeping emergency global tariffs. With the justices listening in the chamber Tuesday, the president said he would keep tariffs in place through "alternative legal statutes" tested over a long time.
"The president uses the tariff as a way to protect businesses and workers," Cassidy said. "The 10 percent tariff he had was rougly equal to what other countries put upon us, so that's kind of equal. The 15 percent tariff—I don't know how long he's going to be able to keep that."
Cassidy also said he's been working with the president's administration to give them other tariff tools that would help make things more predictable.
"Businesses want certainty. They don't want tariffs going up and down," Cassidy said. "I'm trying to give him a tool passed by Congress that can stand up in the courts."
President Trump's one hour and 47 minute speech broke the record for the longest State of the Union address on record.
KATC will also speak with Congressman Cleo Fields to learn his reaction to the address.
