Here’s what George H.W. Bush’s speechwriter thought of Donald Trump’s inaugural day speech

Former speechwriter for George H. W. Bush, Mary Kate Cory, breaks down standout moments from Donald Trump’s inauguration speech and why he focused on policy.

U.S. President Donald Trump’s inauguration speech was surprising in a few ways, says a former presidential speechwriter.

Mary Kate Cary, an adjunct professor in the politics department at the University of Virginia, or UVA, and former speechwriter for George H. W. Bush, spoke with CTV News Channel on Tuesday about her key takeaways from the historic address that took place Monday.

Cary said she wasn’t sure what to expect with Trump’s second inauguration speech, noting he had delivered a dark speech about “American carnage” during his first inaugural address in 2017.

But as he began his second presidency Monday, she said he conveyed more optimism. She liked the line “the golden age of America begins right now,” she said.

She also praised the introduction, in which he spoke about the nation that is “proud and prosperous and free,” and signalled that a change is sweeping the country.

Cary said his speech surprised her in another way.

“The thing that was unexpected was him going into this basically legislative laundry list of all the things he had promised that he now is going to enact. Usually, you would save that for the state of the union address in another month or so,” she said.

She later understood why he spoke about his pledges, because just hours after he was sworn in as president, Trump signed executive orders both in the Oval Office and in front of thousands of supporters at Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C.

“I think it was all about him delivering what he had promised,” Cary said. “And I think that was very effective for the people who have voted for him, many of whom were not Trump supporters, but they wanted change, and he was showing that he was willing to enact the change on the spot.”

The best moment? She said his line saying “impossible is what we do best” stands out the most.

“I think that’s the line from the inaugural address that resonated with a lot of people who feel they are in an impossible situation right now,” Cary said.

With Trump being known for making controversial comments, she said some parts of the speech “could come back and bite him,” though she didn’t name examples.

Watch the video above for the full interview.

With files from The Associated Press