Rep. Maxine Waters Still Isn't Here For Trump's SOTU Address, While Other Democrats Remain Cautiously Hopeful

President Donald Trump is expected to give the State of the Union address on Tuesday, Feb. 5, a week later than he was supposed to, coming on the heels of the longest shutdown in US history. The lasting impact of the 35-day shutdown is still unclear, and there is always the horrifying notion that the government could close again if an agreement is not reached on border security by Feb. 15. Given the harsh opening to 2019 and the Congressional legislative calendar, is there anything Trump could possibly say in his address to give American’s hope and ensure the American people of the health of the country? “It was horrific that we had a president of the United States that took the hardworking federal employees that we have, the individuals that actually make and keep our government running, and held them hostage for a wall. It is unbelievable that this is our Commander in Chief,” Rep. Brenda Lawrence (D-Mich.) said. “The Democrats are now at the table negotiating border security. That’s what we need. We’ve always wanted that. We do not need a wall. We need to ensure that our border is secure. The president is off track in message, he’s off track in purpose.”