President Trump issued an executive order as he gave his State of the Union address, rescinding a 2009 order in which former President Barack Obama promised to close the Guantanamo Bay detention facility in Cuba.
In his speech, he said: "In the past, we have foolishly released hundreds of dangerous terrorists, only to meet them again on the battlefield -- including the ISIS leader, al-Baghdadi. So today, I am keeping another promise. I just signed an order directing Secretary (Jim) Mattis to re-examine our military detention policy and to keep open the detention facilities at Guantanamo Bay.
As White House officials promised, Trump's first State of the Union address has so far been fairly conventional and uplifting, avoiding the personal attacks Trump frequently launches at his critics. Nonetheless, much of the applause in the House chamber has been one-sided, with many Democrats refusing to clap, even when Trump mentioned the effects of his tax plan and elimination of regulations.
Most African-American members of Congress in the House chamber appeared to stay seated, as Trump said, "African-American unemployment stands at the lowest rate ever recorded." Trump's approval rating among African-Americans was at 15 percent in December, according to a SurveyMonkey poll.