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I did not watch it. I've seen bits and pieces quoted, extolled on social media or critiqued by bloggers. I've heard it hailed as wonderful and full of prayers and Scripture by some at church and how this indicates God's coming blessings.
Now I'm wondering what some of you thought. I'm especially interested in anyone who likes/supports/or has positive hopes for this administration, to "translate" some of the rhetoric for us. What do you hope it means or portends? Or, as assumed, considering this corner of the WWW, Anabaptist perspectives are welcomed as well.
And if you need a reference, here's a transcript (with an interesting annotation/commentary system as well)

In a bit I may bring up a part that I found interesting for a more narrowed-focus discussion.

I didn't hear it, and would not put much stock in whatever was said. Simply does not matter to me. I hope the best for the President and this country.

My wife and I both read through it. My first impression was that it read like a string of short unrelated statements. (Perhaps Mr. Trump's preference for tweeting has hindered his ability to communicate ideas that exceed 140 characters. Or perhaps modern media has rendered most Americans incapable of handling statements much longer than 140 characters and Mr. Trump communicates accordingly.) The statement that disturbed me the most was when he said, "When you open your heart to patriotism, there is no room for prejudice." I would argue that it is the exact opposite (Hitler anyone?).

Nevertheless, I like RZehr don't concern myself too much with what Trump will or won't do. I simply pray for him to execute the office with humility and wisdom that we might live quiet and peaceful lives.

Adam wrote:The statement that disturbed me the most was when he said, "When you open your heart to patriotism, there is no room for prejudice." I would argue that it is the exact opposite (Hitler anyone?).

My that was pretty quick in the discussion for Godwin's law to take effect. Could we have a gentleman's agreement on mennonet to leave Hitler and the Nazis out of our frequently used arsenal of arguments and analogies? I say frequently used, because there are cases where the analogy might be appropiate.

For those unfamiliar with Godwin's law see,

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Godwin's_law

EdselB wrote:

Adam wrote:The statement that disturbed me the most was when he said, "When you open your heart to patriotism, there is no room for prejudice." I would argue that it is the exact opposite (Hitler anyone?).

My that was pretty quick in the discussion for Godwin's law to take effect. Could we have a gentleman's agreement on mennonet to leave Hitler and the Nazis out of our frequently used arsenal of arguments and analogies? I say frequently used, because there are cases where the analogy might be appropiate.

For those unfamiliar with Godwin's law see,

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Godwin's_law

I had never heard of Godwin's law before, Edsel. Allow me to restate my comment in deference to your stated preference.

The statement that disturbed me the most was when he said, "When you open your heart to patriotism, there is no room for prejudice." I would argue the opposite and say: the more we open our heart to patriotism, the more we are likely to be prejudiced against those of other countries. Whereas the more we open our hearts to the Kingdom of God, the more we are likely to show no prejudice. There are past examples in history where an increased emphasis on patriotism lead people toward prejudice and not away from it, particularly in Germany during World War II.

For the record, I was not saying that Trump was like Hitler. Rather I was making the comparison to the time period in Germany during World War II when increased patriotism lead to increased prejudice. And I was making that comparison to demonstrate that the statement Trump made was fallacious. In that sense I think the historical reference is appropriate because if we do not learn from past history we are doomed to repeat it (even if not on the same scale). However, I can see how someone could misinterpret what I intended by my comments and conclude that I was comparing Trump to Hitler. And as much as I think Trump is unfit for the office of the presidency, I do agree with you that the comparison to Hitler is not appropriate, even though there may be some similarities in terms of populism and inspiring hatred and racism.

I think we should not be surprised that America's President thinks patriotism for America is good.

I watched it and thought it was little different from most political speeches including those of his predecessor. Many lofty and difficult to fulfill promises and emotional statements.

RZehr wrote:I didn't hear it, and would not put much stock in whatever was said. Simply does not matter to me. I hope the best for the President and this country.

X2. Didn't hear it. Hope and pray for the best. My discipleship to Christ is outside of politics.

EdselB wrote:

Adam wrote:The statement that disturbed me the most was when he said, "When you open your heart to patriotism, there is no room for prejudice." I would argue that it is the exact opposite (Hitler anyone?).

My that was pretty quick in the discussion for Godwin's law to take effect. Could we have a gentleman's agreement on mennonet to leave Hitler and the Nazis out of our frequently used arsenal of arguments and analogies? I say frequently used, because there are cases where the analogy might be appropiate.

For those unfamiliar with Godwin's law see,

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Godwin's_law

Very true. Good catch.

One might think that statement would support prejudice if we did not recognize the reality of the USA. It is not a homogeneous culture like Germany was. The line before that talks about all bleeding the same color. While I would not have used the militaristic imagery he did, I understood what he was trying to convey.

I also was pretty surprised by his speak. He was talking to his supporters mostly. He made some small attempts, like this reference to be inclusive, but seemed to accept that his speech would not turn hearts. He also seems determined, as we have seen the past several days, to honor the promises made on the campaign trail. While I may not agree with all those promises, it is quite refreshing to see an elected official try to make good on their promises.

All in all, I thought his speech slapped at the republicans as much as the democrats. He seems determined to reduce federal government and return as much as possible back to the states. Hmm, seems like the 10th Amendment is finally being considered.

So I would say that is actually the opposite of a Hitler who always worked to gain power. On the contrary, he seems determined to dismantle that power and return it to the states and the people. I suspect we will see federal taxes go down and state taxes will go up. I am okay with that.

I watched it with a few (non-Mennonite) conservative-leaning mid-western seniors at a retreat we were hosting, and the "America first" section got the most positive response.

I think this resonated with them because they felt that we have "given away the farm." We have been too soft in relationships to outside entities, too generous with our tax dollars to causes outside of our boarders, taken advantage of in most external accords/treaties, too restrictive with regulations and taxes that have burdened our businesses and families, and rather squishy and PC when it comes to both internal and external threats (terrorism, crime, morality, etc.). A no-nonsense and strong-handed "America first" ideal seems to correct most of that...and these folks hope it will bring increased security and prosperity to middle America.

As you might imagine, viewing the speech from an Anabaptist perspective...I saw things differently - but then I often do.