“Republicans inside the White House and around the country spent Wednesday amplifying a clip that they hope will become a campaign salvo in this year’s midterm elections,” the Washington Post reports.“The moment, about an hour into President Donald Trump’s State of the Union speech on Tuesday, was conceived by Trump and his top advisers as a trap for Democratic lawmakers, asking them to stand if they agree that ‘the first duty of the American government is to protect American citizens, not illegal aliens.'”“The effort to highlight the contrast between Republicans’ robust clapping and Democrats’ decision to stay in their seats began immediately on social media and carried into Wednesday, as House Republicans’ campaign arm held meetings to discuss how they could use the moment in ads.”