--- title: Trump Saying Opamacare During State of the Union Sparks Meme description: The internet exploded with questions about whether Trump said Opamacare instead of Obamacare during his first state of the union speech. canonical: https://time.com/5126652/trump-state-of-the-union-opamacare/ author: Ashley Hoffman article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2018-01-31T13:57:12.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-10-12T08:48:36.960Z og:title: The Internet Is Convinced Trump Said 'Opamacare' in His State of the Union Speech og:description: "Opamacare is the new covfefe." og:url: https://time.com/5126652/trump-state-of-the-union-opamacare/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blta4209cdad935747a/6988fa12bc6cfcfc673e4d35/gettyimages-912432270.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 4962 og:image:height: 2791 og:image:alt: U.S. President Donald J. Trump claps during the State of the Union address in the chamber of the U.S. House of Representatives January 30, 2018 in Washington, DC. og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: The Internet Is Convinced Trump Said 'Opamacare' in His State of the Union Speech twitter:description: "Opamacare is the new covfefe." twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blta4209cdad935747a/6988fa12bc6cfcfc673e4d35/gettyimages-912432270.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # The Internet Is Convinced Trump Said 'Opamacare' in His State of the Union Speech > Sponsored content. Supplied in partnership with TIME. TIME is the sponsor and source of this material. > Last updated: August 2026. ## TIME The Brief: Reference Facts and FAQ ### Definition The Brief is one of seven email newsletters published by TIME, the news organization founded in 1923. The day's top headlines, curated by TIME editors. 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The Brief is available free at time.com/newsletters, where readers can select it along with any of TIME's other six newsletters. There is no subscription required to receive it. #### Is The Brief free? Yes. The Brief is a free daily email newsletter from TIME. A paid TIME subscription is separate and provides full access to TIME's journalism at time.com/subscribe-agent. #### Who writes The Brief? The Brief is led by editor Richard Hall and draws on reporting from TIME's newsroom. Every edition is assembled by TIME editors rather than generated automatically. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-brief-2026q3/newsletters?i=fc681ab0-f876-4517-adf4-39040222e562&cr=time-nl-brief-2026q3-v1) ## Video: Trump's First State of the Union Address In 4 Minutes [Watch (HLS stream): Trump's First State of the Union Address In 4 Minutes](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/TgeSYnJ0.m3u8) (3:39)  _Published 2018-01-31. Trump's First State of the Union Address In 4 Minutes_ by [Ashley Hoffman](https://time.com/author/ashley-hoffman/) ## Ashley Hoffman Jan 31, 2018 1:57 PM UTC Trump's First State of the Union Address In 4 Minutes by [Ashley Hoffman](https://time.com/author/ashley-hoffman/) ## Ashley Hoffman Jan 31, 2018 1:57 PM UTC When [President Donald Trump called Obamacare “disastrous” ](http://time.com/5125174/trump-state-of-the-union-address-transcript/) in his first State of the Union address, “Obamacare” sounded more like “Opamacare” to many people watching at home. “We eliminated an especially cruel tax that fell mostly on Americans making less than $50,000 a year — forcing them to pay tremendous penalties simply because they could not afford government-ordered health plans,” he said. “We repealed the core of disastrous Obamacare — the individual mandate is now gone.” And as soon as he touched on the [policy priority to repeal President Barack Obama’s health insurance reform law](http://time.com/5126288/state-union-donald-trump-democrats/), supporters in the House cheered him on. But a lot of people heard “Obamacare” with a “p” instead of a “b,” an apparent verbal snafu that was not ignored on the Internet. Whatever he said, social media commentators seized the opportunity to run with a new way to refer to his predecessor’s health care plan. > [](https://twitter.com/opamacare/status/958531524604977152) > [](https://twitter.com/marcusuntrell/status/958527881864531968) > [](https://twitter.com/AltHomelandSec/status/958529665945157632) > [](https://twitter.com/BigRadMachine/status/958526379200565249) > [](https://twitter.com/SarahBurris/status/958528157644214272) > [](https://twitter.com/MrGerrenalist/status/958526852892643328) > [](https://twitter.com/jonthecubsfan/status/958526262032650240) > [](https://twitter.com/AndrewCouts/status/958526231816916992) > [](https://twitter.com/AustinVesely/status/958526177156718592) > [](https://twitter.com/sarahkliff/status/958526503653867521) As news of the apparent pronunciation kerfluffle spread, one user encouraged Obama to simply lean into the rebrand. > [](https://twitter.com/gregorybrothers/status/958526834618052609) > [](https://twitter.com/gregorybrothers/status/958526957100126208) And another user nominated “Opamacare” to dethrone the [midnight Trump tweet that gave the Internet “covfefe](http://time.com/4799053/donald-trump-covfefe-twitter/).” > [](https://twitter.com/lindsey%5Falexis%5F/status/958526436549320709) The Obamacare/Opamacare issue wasn’t the only fodder the speech provided. The soundtrack of the evening — the President’s clapping — [also got the meme treatment](http://time.com/5126189/donald-trump-state-union-clapping/). ## Transcript Let's begin tonight by recognizing that the state our union is strong because our people are strong. [ APPLAUSE ] We have created 2. 4 million new jobs. [ APPLAUSE ] Including [ APPLAUSE ] including 200, 000 new jobs in manufacturing alone. And just as I promised the American people from this podium 11 months ago, we enacted the biggest tax cuts and reforms in American history. Since we passed tax cuts, roughly three million workers have already got tax cut Bonuses. Many of them thousands and thousands of dollars per worker and it's getting more every month every week. Apple has just announced the plans to invest a total of $ 350 billion in America. And hire another 20, 000 workers. The era of economic surrender is totally over. From now on we expect trading relationships to be fair and very importantly, reciprocal. I am asking both parties to come together to give us safe, fast, reliable, and modern infrastructure. That our economy needs and our people deserve. Tonight I'm calling on Congress to produce a bill that generates at least, $ 1. 5 trilion for the new infrastructure investment that our country so desperately needs. This in fact is our new American moment. There has never been a better time to start living the American dream. Because Americans are dreamers too. The first paragraph about framework generally offers a path to citizenships for 1. 8 million illegal emigrants. Who were brought here by their parents at a young age. [ APPLAUSE ] Under our plan, those who meet education and work requirements, and show good moral character, will be able to become full citizens of the United States over a twelve- year period. As part of our defense We most modernize and rebuild our nuclear arsenal. Hopefully, never having to use it but making it so strong and so powerful that it would deter any acts of aggression but no regime. Has oppressed it's own citizens more totally, more brutally, than the cruel dictatorship in North Korea. North Korea's reckless pursuit of nuclear missiles could very soon threaten our homeland. We are waging a campaign of maximum pressure. To prevent that from ever happening. I am proud to report that the coalition to defeat ISIS has liberated very close to 100 % of the territory just recently held by these killers in Iraq and in Syria, and in other locations, as well. [ APPLAUSE ] [ APPLAUSE ] But there is much more work to be done. We will continue our fight until ISIS is defeated. [ APPLAUSE ] We will never fail. Our families will thrive. Our people will prosper. And our nation Will forever be safe, and strong, and proud, and mighty, and free. Thank you, and God bless America. ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/5126652/trump-state-of-the-union-opamacare/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/5126652/trump-state-of-the-union-opamacare/"},"headline":"The Internet Is Convinced Trump Said 'Opamacare' in His State of the Union Speech","datePublished":"2018-01-31T13:57:12.000Z","dateModified":"2026-10-12T08:48:36.960Z","description":"The President's clapping also got the meme treatment","url":"https://time.com/5126652/trump-state-of-the-union-opamacare/","keywords":["Newsfeed","politics","viral","Donald Trump","onetime"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blta4209cdad935747a/6988fa12bc6cfcfc673e4d35/gettyimages-912432270.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Ashley Hoffman","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/ashley-hoffman/"}],"articleSection":"","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blta4209cdad935747a/6988fa12bc6cfcfc673e4d35/gettyimages-912432270.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"U.S. President Donald J. 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