Analysis Interpretation of the news based on evidence, including data, as well as anticipating how events might unfold based on past events.
The words that hadn’t been said in a State of the Union until Trump said them
Excerpts from President Trump’s February 2020 speech

And we will always protect your Medicare, and we will always protect your Social Security. Always. The American patient should never be
blindsided
by medical bills. That is why I signed an executive order requiring price transparency.
Three years ago, the barbarians of ISIS held over 20,000 square miles of territory in Iraq and Syria. Today, the ISIS territorial
caliphate
has been 100 percent destroyed, and the founder and leader of ISIS -- the bloodthirsty killer known as Al-Baghdadi -- is dead.
We are coordinating with the Chinese government and working closely together on the
coronavirus
outbreak in China. My administration will take all necessary steps to safeguard our citizens from this threat.
And that's why, last month, at my direction, the U.S. military executed a
gruesome
spree of deadly violence. He viciously shot one man going about his daily work.
We have launched ambitious new initiatives to substantially improve care for Americans with
kidney
disease, Alzheimer’s, and those struggling with mental health. And because Congress was
America is the place where anyone can rise. And here, on this land, on this soil, on this continent, the most incredible dreams come true. This nation is our canvas, and this country is our
masterpiece
We look at tomorrow and see unlimited frontiers just waiting to be explored.
We don't tear down crosses. We don’t ban symbols of faith. We don’t
muzzle
preachers and pastors. In America, we celebrate faith. We cherish religion. We lift our voices in prayer
Soleimani was the Iranian regime's most ruthless butcher, a monster who murdered or wounded thousands of American servicemembers in Iraq. As the world’s top terrorist, Soleiman
orchestrated
the deaths of countless men, women, and children. He directed the December assault
A few weeks ago, I signed a bill promoting Charles McGee to Brigadier General. And earlier today, I pinned the stars on his shoulders in the
Oval
Office. General McGee, our nation salutes you. Thank you, sir. From the pilgrims to the founders
I pinned the stars on his shoulders in the Oval Office. General McGee, our nation salutes you. Thank you, sir. From the
pilgrims
to the founders, from the soldiers at Valley Forge to the marchers at Selma
of science and medicine, laid down the railroads, dug out the canals, raised up the
skyscrapers
— and, ladies and gentlemen, our ancestors built the most exceptional
local authorities released him. Days later, the criminal alien went on a gruesome
spree
of deadly violence. He viciously shot one man going about his daily work. He approached
Their systems are totally out of control, costing taxpayers vast and
unaffordable
amounts of money. If forcing American taxpayers to provide unlimited free health care to illegal aliens sounds fair to you
pro-family, pro-growth, and, most of all, pro-American. Thank you. We are advancing with
unbridled
optimism and lifting our citizens of every race, color, religion, and creed very, very high
17 states to help more children, many of which have reduced or eliminated their
waitlists
altogether. And I sent the Congress a plan with a vision to further expand access to high-quality

And we will always protect your Medicare, and we will always protect your Social Security. Always. The American patient should never be
blindsided
by medical bills. That is why I signed an executive order requiring price transparency.
Three years ago, the barbarians of ISIS held over 20,000 square miles of territory in Iraq and Syria. Today, the ISIS territorial
caliphate
has been 100 percent destroyed, and the founder and leader of ISIS -- the bloodthirsty killer known as Al-Baghdadi -- is dead.
We are coordinating with the Chinese government and working closely together on the
coronavirus
outbreak in China. My administration will take all necessary steps to safeguard our citizens from this threat.
And that's why, last month, at my direction, the U.S. military executed a
gruesome
spree of deadly violence. He viciously shot one man going about his daily work.
We have launched ambitious new initiatives to substantially improve care for Americans with
kidney
disease, Alzheimer’s, and those struggling with mental health. And because Congress was
America is the place where anyone can rise. And here, on this land, on this soil, on this continent, the most incredible dreams come true. This nation is our canvas, and this country is our
masterpiece
We look at tomorrow and see unlimited frontiers just waiting to be explored.
We don't tear down crosses. We don’t ban symbols of faith. We don’t
muzzle
preachers and pastors. In America, we celebrate faith. We cherish religion. We lift our voices in prayer
Soleimani was the Iranian regime's most ruthless butcher, a monster who murdered or wounded thousands of American servicemembers in Iraq. As the world’s top terrorist, Soleiman
orchestrated
the deaths of countless men, women, and children. He directed the December assault
A few weeks ago, I signed a bill promoting Charles McGee to Brigadier General. And earlier today, I pinned the stars on his shoulders in the
Oval
Office. General McGee, our nation salutes you. Thank you, sir. From the pilgrims to the founders
I pinned the stars on his shoulders in the Oval Office. General McGee, our nation salutes you. Thank you, sir. From the
pilgrims
to the founders, from the soldiers at Valley Forge to the marchers at Selma
of science and medicine, laid down the railroads, dug out the canals, raised up the
skyscrapers
— and, ladies and gentlemen, our ancestors built the most exceptional
local authorities released him. Days later, the criminal alien went on a gruesome
spree
of deadly violence. He viciously shot one man going about his daily work. He approached
Their systems are totally out of control, costing taxpayers vast and
unaffordable
amounts of money. If forcing American taxpayers to provide unlimited free health care to illegal aliens sounds fair to you
pro-family, pro-growth, and, most of all, pro-American. Thank you. We are advancing with
unbridled
optimism and lifting our citizens of every race, color, religion, and creed very, very high
17 states to help more children, many of which have reduced or eliminated their
waitlists
altogether. And I sent the Congress a plan with a vision to further expand access to high-quality

And we will always protect your Medicare, and we will always protect your Social Security. Always. The American patient should never be
blindsided
by medical bills. That is why I signed an executive order requiring price transparency.
Three years ago, the barbarians of ISIS held over 20,000 square miles of territory in Iraq and Syria. Today, the ISIS territorial
caliphate
has been 100 percent destroyed, and the founder and leader of ISIS -- the bloodthirsty killer known as Al-Baghdadi -- is dead.
We are coordinating with the Chinese government and working closely together on the
coronavirus
outbreak in China. My administration will take all necessary steps to safeguard our citizens from this threat.
And that's why, last month, at my direction, the U.S. military executed a
gruesome
spree of deadly violence. He viciously shot one man going about his daily work.
We have launched ambitious new initiatives to substantially improve care for Americans with
kidney
disease, Alzheimer’s, and those struggling with mental health. And because Congress was
America is the place where anyone can rise. And here, on this land, on this soil, on this continent, the most incredible dreams come true. This nation is our canvas, and this country is our
masterpiece
We look at tomorrow and see unlimited frontiers just waiting to be explored.
We don't tear down crosses. We don’t ban symbols of faith. We don’t
muzzle
preachers and pastors. In America, we celebrate faith. We cherish religion. We lift our voices in prayer
Soleimani was the Iranian regime's most ruthless butcher, a monster who murdered or wounded thousands of American servicemembers in Iraq. As the world’s top terrorist, Soleiman
orchestrated
the deaths of countless men, women, and children. He directed the December assault
A few weeks ago, I signed a bill promoting Charles McGee to Brigadier General. And earlier today, I pinned the stars on his shoulders in the
Oval
Office. General McGee, our nation salutes you. Thank you, sir. From the pilgrims to the founders
I pinned the stars on his shoulders in the Oval Office. General McGee, our nation salutes you. Thank you, sir. From the
pilgrims
to the founders, from the soldiers at Valley Forge to the marchers at Selma
of science and medicine, laid down the railroads, dug out the canals, raised up the
skyscrapers
— and, ladies and gentlemen, our ancestors built the most exceptional
local authorities released him. Days later, the criminal alien went on a gruesome
spree
of deadly violence. He viciously shot one man going about his daily work. He approached
Their systems are totally out of control, costing taxpayers vast and
unaffordable
amounts of money. If forcing American taxpayers to provide unlimited free health care to illegal aliens sounds fair to you
pro-family, pro-growth, and, most of all, pro-American. Thank you. We are advancing with
unbridled
optimism and lifting our citizens of every race, color, religion, and creed very, very high
17 states to help more children, many of which have reduced or eliminated their
waitlists
altogether. And I sent the Congress a plan with a vision to further expand access to high-quality
As President Trump focused more sharply on his administration’s accomplishments, his third official State of the Union address added a few soaring words to its lexicon. He referred to the building of “skyscrapers” and to “unbridled” optimism, and reached to describe the whole country as a “masterpiece.” No president had used those words before in more than 200 such addresses to Congress dating back to 1790.
Yet Trump also managed a few new grisly words when talking about violence, most notably describing a “gruesome spree,” two words that had never made their way into an address.
[President Trump’s 2020 State of the Union address, annotated]
In order for a word to count, any word that shares the same root has to be new as well — no president had said “skyscraper” or “unbridle” before Tuesday night either. We’ve also removed names, places, contractions and acronyms.
Words that hadn’t been said in a State of the Union (or annual address) until this president said them
Every president adds some new words to the presidential lexicon. Below are the “new words” for the past 28 presidential addresses under Trump, Barack Obama, George W. Bush and Bill Clinton. In 2015, Obama became the first president to say “bisexual,” “lesbian” and “transgender.” In 2002, Bush introduced words such as “bioterrorism,” “caves,” “jihad” and “firefighter.”
President Trump Hover on a word to see how it was used
2017
Dethroned
Etched
Footprints
Imploding
Intel
ISIS
Lawn
Motorcycles
Obamacare
Quarterback
Softbank
Sophomore
Vile
Walmart
2018
Amputations
Booby
Cajun
Crutches
Legend
Mazda
Motto
Opioid
Paramedics
Respiration
Revving
Spine
Timelines
Tormentors
Toyota
Unaccustomed
2019
Bloodthirsty
Chilling
Fentanyl
Freeloading
Heartache
Hurtling
Kissing
Outspend
Rekindle
Sadistic
Screeched
SWAT
Womb
2020
Blindsided
Caliphate
Coronavirus
Gruesome
Kidney
Masterpiece
Muzzle
Neonatal
Orchestrated
Oval
Overseen
Pharmaceutical
Pilgrims
Skyscrapers
Spree
Takeover
Unaffordable
Unbridled
Waitlists
Warfighters
President Obama Hover on a word to see how it was used
2009
Agribusiness
Biofuels
Broadband
CEOs
Gutted
Laundry
Pandemic
Peels
Reimagined
Retooled
Sputters
2010
Bankrolled
Childcare
Cops
Honey
Meltdown
Numbing
Obesity
Offshore
Online
Outsized
Postpartisan
Relitigating
Schoolyard
Scorekeeper
Shuttered
Silly
Spectrum
Strapped
Supermajority
Swifter
Taunts
Workforce
2011
Biomedical
Bookkeeping
Click
Counterterrorism
Download
Driveways
Handheld
Hindu
Latino
Malpractice
Refighting
Reset
Roofers
Saltwater
Shingles
Stranglehold
Textbook
Turf
2012
Antifraud
Bashing
Billionaire
Counterfeit
Fiasco
Giveaways
Grandmother
Hike
Lightweight
Mercury
Outsource
Payday
Payoffs
Phony
Redesign
Robotics
Runaround
Siemens
Spun
Stairs
Startups
Trajectory
Versa
Watchdog
2013
Bang
Brinksmanship
Budged
Bump
Classmates
Eviction
Freak
Gals
Grueling
Gunman
IBM
Majorette
Outgunned
Rebounding
Ribbon
Scares
Scorecard
Scraping
Servicemembers
Sikh
Spikes
Sticker
Superstorm
Swipe
Wildfires
2014
Asthma
Barkeep
Bone
Caregivers
Centrifuges
Coma
Costco
Detainee
Dialed
Dishes
Dough
Insourcing
Malls
Microsoft
Mired
Pizza
Playbook
Pristine
Punch
Smartphones
Stadium
Typhoon
Unclogging
Underwater
Upside
Verizon
2015
Basest
Bisexual
Bluster
Bounce
Bustling
Checklist
Churning
Crisscross
Curve
CVS
eBay
Fake
Gaffes
Gotcha
Gutter
Hype
Incarceration
ISIL
Lesbian
Microcosm
Newlyweds
Overjoyed
Prosthetics
Prouder
Reenergized
Remaking
Resurfaced
Screw
Scrimped
Showdowns
Spacecraft
Splurge
Stereotypes
Tesla
Transgender
Unstoppable
2016
Antsy
Boardrooms
Brochure
Headwinds
Marathon
Millennia
Moonshot
Partiers
Pickup
Quagmire
Recipe
Rooftops
Scapegoat
Streak
Unpatriotic
Vandalized
President Bush Hover on a word to see how it was used
2001
Brownfields
Dip
Grocery
Input
Overbearing
Profiling
Repaint
Retirees
Waitress
2002
Agile
Anthrax
Bioterrorism
Caves
Daddy
Diagrams
Firefighter
Firefighters
Flaunt
Hamas
Hezbollah
Jihad
Nonnegotiable
Splinter
Timebombs
Unelected
2003
Antiretroviral
Benchmark
Botulinum
Canister
Cataloged
Crate
Dripping
Ebola
Fingerprints
Fumes
Hydrogen
Mom
Mustard
Oxygen
Respiratory
Sarin
Scavenger
Screeners
Sensors
Shadowy
Uncovered
Vial
Virus
2004
Activist
Baathist
Biotechnology
Computerizing
Condescending
Crescent
Deck
Junk
Manhunt
Mastermind
Shortcuts
Shuffling
Steroids
Taliban
Thugs
Unwavering
2005
Adulthood
Asbestos
Ethanol
Grid
Incoherent
Reprocessing
2006
Complicit
Debris
Dots
Egregious
Hindsight
Multiparty
Nanotechnology
Roadside
Switchgrass
Treatable
Unravel
2007
Biodiesel
Chant
Chest
Diesel
Disney
Grooming
Hometown
Humvee
Islamist
Madam
Mosque
Muslim
Pot
Quartet
Regrouping
Scenario
Shia
Shoreless
Shrapnel
Spill
Sunni
Tallest
Transparency
Unkept
Worksite
2008
Bite
Caskets
Derail
Finery
Gavel
Homefront
Hotel
Jubilant
Kurds
Newfound
Nonpublic
Overwatch
Reprogram
President Clinton Hover on a word to see how it was used
1993
Aerospace
Cows
Gridlock
Jumpstarting
Lifelong
Nonviolent
Reinventing
Rethink
Storefronts
Underemployment
1994
Agonizing
Aneurysm
Blinking
Boss
Bricklayer's
Buck
Cerebral
Epic
Fraying
Garnish
Grassroots
Handshake
Lick
Limousines
Millimeter
Misread
Naysayers
Nuns
Perks
Pink
Seams
Semiautomatic
Sportsmen
Superhighway
Teleprompter
Trimmed
Wheelchair
1995
Antipregnancy
Ashtray
Bailout
Buddies
Bunch
Childbearing
Congresswoman
Copays
Cosigning
Crazy
Downsizing
Freeways
Grenades
Helium
Horrendous
Hugged
Ignite
Lapel
Longtime
Media
Mindless
Mohair
Reverend
Softball
Toys
Twilight
Typewriter
Unmarried
1996
Antiterrorism
Athletes
Childrearing
Fend
Hook
Movies
Peddle
Purple
Rogue
Rubble
Software
Synagogues
Upbringing
1997
Alzheimer's
Antidrug
Burger
Checkup
Curfews
Decoding
Fireworks
Flextime
Genetic
Greenhouse
HIV
Internet
Landmines
Mammograms
Mastectomy
Monsanto
Noncitizens
Ovarian
Respite
Script
Sprint
Waterfronts
1998
Anthem
Cafes
Cloning
Cohosted
Crimefighting
Cyberspace
Cystic
Deadbeat
Diabetes
Eulogized
Fibrosis
Fundraising
Groundbreaking
Hubs
Interconnected
Keyboard
Lethal
Parkinson's
Pathbreaking
Roadmap
Salmonella
Scribble
Snipers
Soot
Spangled
Surf
Symphony
Tattered
Toxins
Untargeted
1999
Arthritis
Baseball
Chemotherapy
Downpayment
Emphysema
Forebears
Gender
Headache
Heartbroken
Mountaintop
Mug
Outperform
Sixfold
Stalkers
Stave
Swearing
Tames
Trailers
Untapped
2000
Afterschool
Automakers
Boomers
Clapped
Claps
Coastlines
Defuse
Fatherhood
Gay
Grander
Hackers
Hottest
Lifeline
Mentors
Microchips
Molecular
Narcotraffickers
Palms
Punchline
Retina
Roadless
Showroom
Skier
Supercomputers
Superefficient
Teardrop
Therapies
Tithe
Uninsured
Unlivable
Unwed
Harry Stevens contributed to this report.
About this story
Historical speech transcripts from the American Presidency Project. 2018 State of the Union transcript from White House press office. 2019 and 2020 transcripts from the Federal Document Clearing House. Some historical “joint addresses” were delivered as a written message, not a speech.
For our analysis, we identified words that shared the same root using a stemmer implementation from NaturalNode. There are some transcription errors and the stemming algorithm is imperfect, so it’s possible (likely, even!) that there are previously unused words that we’ve missed.
Originally published Jan. 30, 2018.