Hice: In a year under Trump, a safe and strong US Rep. Jody Hice (R-GA) penned an op-ed today in The Covington News reflecting on President Trump's first State of the Union and the President's extensive list of first-year accomplishments. "President Trump spoke from the heart, and I'm thankful that he continues to tackle some of the nation's most pressing issues head-on as we work to improve the lives of Americans across the country," Rep. Hice wrote. Click here to read more. ------------ Charles Hurt writes in The Washington Times that "President Trump has officially transformed himself from merely a great American president into a historic world leader keeping lit the torch of freedom for all people around the world." Hurt argues that "in two speeches this week, Mr. Trump proved himself the greatest champion of freedom since Ronald Reagan. He has become the strongest voice today for 'that shining city upon a hill.'" ------------ Former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich writes in The Hill that "many people, including me, were shocked by the open hostility of congressional Democrats to President Trump's State of the Union address." Gingrich notes that "in recent polls, independents are shifting away from the Trump-haters toward President Trump. In the CBS poll released immediately after his speech, 75 percent said they favored the address." ------------ In The Daily Signal, Texas Public Policy Foundation President Brooke Rollins writes about how 2018 could become a banner year for criminal justice reform in America. "Recently, the president chaired a remarkable gathering of leading thinkers and policymakers in the criminal justice field," she says. "What we discussed, and what the president committed to, was nothing less than a transformative vision for our nation's approach to criminal justice." ------------ "The parents of two Long Island teenagers killed at the hands of MS-13 returned from Washington D.C. where they attended the State Of The Union address as guests of the president," CBS New York reports. "We cannot imagine the depth of your sorrow, but we can make sure that other families never have to endure this pain," President Trump said in his address. "It's just an experience that no words can explain. You just felt that what we are doing is being recognized, being heard," parent Evelyn Rodriguez said.