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White House releases State of the Union guest list

By Danielle Haynes
President Donald Trump is set to give his State of the Union address at 9 p.m. EST on Tuesday. File Photo by Pat Benic/UPI
President Donald Trump is set to give his State of the Union address at 9 p.m. EST on Tuesday. File Photo by Pat Benic/UPI | License Photo

Feb. 4 (UPI) -- President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump invited more than a dozen Americans -- including members of law enforcement, children and symbols of criminal justice reform -- to the State of the Union address, the White House revealed Monday.

The president is set to give his annual speech before both chambers of Congress at 9 p.m. EST Tuesday. He and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi delayed the event due to the 35-day government shutdown.

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Among the guests invited by the Trumps are:

-- The family of Gerald David and Sharon David, who were killed in their Nevada home in January. President Trump cited their deaths as a reason for stronger border security; an undocumented El Salvadoran man has been charged with murder. The Davids' daughter Debra, granddaughter Heather and great-granddaughter Madison will be at the State of the Union.

-- Matthew Charles, who served 23 years in prison for selling crack cocaine. He was the first prisoner released under Trump's prison reform legislation, the First Step Act.

-- Alice Johnson, who is also a symbol of Trump's criminal justice reform efforts. The president granted her clemency in June after 22 years in prison for a non-violent drug offense.

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-- Grace Eline, who, at the age of 9, was diagnosed with a form of brain tumor called germinoma. Instead of asking for gifts for her birthdays, she has asked for charity donations.

-- Another youngster, Joshua Trump, represents the first lady's anti-bullying efforts. The White House says he's faced taunts from classmates because of his last name.

-- Ashley Evans, who is nearing the one-year, one-month anniversary of becoming sober after years of opioid and substance abuse.

-- Elvin Hernandez, a special agent with the trafficking persons unit of the Department of Homeland Security's Homeland Security Investigations division. The 18-year law enforcement veteran has worked to stop human trafficking and transnational organized crime groups.

-- Another member of law enforcement, Timothy Matson was a member of the Pittsburgh Police Department SWAT team that responded to the mass shooting at the Tree of Life Synagogue that left 11 people dead.

-- A survivor of that shooting, Judah Samet. He also survived the Holocaust before immigrating to Israel and serving as a paratrooper in the military there. He later immigrated to the United States in the 1960s.

-- Roy James, the plant manager of a lumber facility that the White House said was saved by the 2017 tax reform legislation.

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-- Tom Wibberley, whose son, Navy Seaman Craig Wibberley, died in an attack on the USS Cole in 2000.

Last week, a senior administration official told reporters that Trump plans to focus on five key issues in his state of the union -- immigration, trade, infrastructure, healthcare and national security.

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