WASHINGTON — Depending on the Texas lawmaker you ask, President Donald Trump’s State of the Union address on Tuesday was either “exactly what our country needs” or “deeply fear-mongering” and full of “falsehoods.”

The split reflects the deep partisan divide over a controversial president.

“If I could believe all of what he said was true, then it would be a great speech,” said Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson, D-Dallas.

Democrats, clustered on one side of the House chamber, remained seated for the most part, occasionally grumbling in disapproval as Trump remarked on issues such as health care and immigration.

Republicans, grouped on the other side, gave standing ovation after standing ovation to the president.

“The president was making a very strong case for American greatness and exceptionalism, and I think it was noteworthy that my Democratic colleagues didn’t see fit to stand up and applaud that,” said Rep. Chip Roy, R-Austin.

Trump’s third State of the Union came as the Senate impeachment trial against him reached its climax before Wednesday’s votes to acquit the president. The House impeached Trump in December for articles alleging abuse of power and obstruction of Congress, stemming from the president’s request for Ukraine to open an investigation into former Vice President Joe Biden’s son, Hunter Biden.

It was an open question whether Trump would address the impeachment, but the president ignored it in his speech.

“He could have taken all kinds of shots, but he really did a wonderful job of pointing out so many great things about America through the people that are making it great,” said Rep. Louie Gohmert, R-Tyler. “I’m glad he didn’t mention anything about impeachment.”

But Rep. Lloyd Doggett, D-Austin, said Trump used “baseless boasting, falsehoods and hollow platitudes” in his remarks.

“My optimism is based on a future without Trump, where Americans rise up to throw out this self-serving, reckless president before he becomes a full-fledged tyrant,” Doggett said in a written statement.

The address was bookended by incidents that emphasized the tension in the chamber. When Trump arrived and handed copies of his speech to Vice President Mike Pence and Speaker Nancy Pelosi, the president appeared to ignore the Democrat’s hand as she stretched it out for a handshake. As the address concluded, Pelosi tore her copy of Trump’s speech in two, later calling it “the courteous thing to do considering the alternatives.”

“The Speaker of the House ripping up the speech at the dais tells you a lot about the state of division and the black cloud hanging over the Democratic Party due to the year they spent wasting time denying a crisis on our border and tilting at windmills on impeachment,” Roy said, noting that he didn’t see Trump’s handshake snub.

Rep. Veronica Escobar, an El Paso freshman who gave the Democrats’ Spanish-language response to Trump’s speech, celebrated Pelosi’s decision to tear up the speech, thanking the speaker for “ripping up lies and hate.”

Rep. Kevin Brady, R-The Woodlands, called Trump’s speech “impressive” considering the “toxic environment,” which he expected, having served during Bill Clinton’s impeachment. Clinton delivered an address in January 1999 during his own trial.

“It was a remarkably optimistic speech that paints a bright vision for America’s future,” Brady said. “Despite the president being attacked every single day in office, what he’s delivered for Texas and the American people is really remarkable.”

Rep. Al Green, D-Houston, boycotted the address, saying he didn’t want to legitimize Trump’s remarks.

The lawmaker, one of the House’s earliest impeachment proponents, instead watched from his office. He said Trump failed to “show respect for the country and his transgressions,” as he said Clinton did during his 1999 address.

“It was a campaign rally, which is why I chose not to attend,” Green said. “I have not attended any of the president’s campaign rallies.”