President Donald Trump’s address to Congress Tuesday night is getting glowing reviews from Republican members of Missouri’s congressional delegation. Northern Missouri Congressman Sam Graves said Trump is doing exactly what he said he would do during the campaign.
“I think the President has a bold vision for America, and he showed that,” Graves told KFEQ Radio in St. Joseph. “Securing the border, unleashing American energy, cutting waste, fraud and abuse, bringing back common sense, (and) reminding bureaucrats that government works for us and not the other way around.”
He also had high praise for the fast pace Trump has set in his second term in the Oval Office. But Graves would like to see even faster action on immigration.
“Illegal immigration is out of control, and he’s finally getting that back into where it needs to be,” he said. “In fact, border crossings fell to the lowest level ever recorded, down 94% from last February under the previous administration. So this stuff needs to happen, and it needs to happen fast.”
Graves also supports the moves by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). He said the new agency led by billionaire Elon Musk is needed to rein in government spending. Meanwhile, the Missouri Democratic Party said in a social media that Republicans are allowing Musk to “strip us to the studs and sell us for parts.”
U.S. Sen. Eric Schmitt, R-Missouri, called the speech “historic” and “a renewal of the American dream.”
“We witnessed a historic address by President Trump before a joint session of Congress where he laid out how our nation will be more safe, more prosperous, and more secure under his administration,” Schmitt said in a written statement. “From his swift action that dramatically reduced the number of illegal crossings at our Southern Border, to his work to prioritize America’s core national interests on the world stage, President Trump is already delivering on his promises.”
Missouri’s two Democratic members of Congress disagree, including U.S. Rep. Emanuel Cleaver, who represents Missouri’s 5th District:
Last night’s address was one of the most divisive and partisan speeches ever delivered by an American president. Rather than focusing on solutions that will help lower costs for Missouri families, the president chose to lie, disparage political opponents, and assuage his own ego.
Democratic U.S. Rep. Wesley Bell, who represents St. Louis and parts of St. Louis County, said in a post on X (Twitter) that, “Trump’s reckless cuts to Medicaid and SNAP would devastate our community, making it harder for families to access essential services.”
Brent Martin of KFEQ Radio in St. Joseph contributed to this report.
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