As far as the room full of Republicans packed inside the Tech Center brew pub was concerned, President Donald Trump was making the State of the Union great again.

It was standing-room-only Tuesday night at a watch party attended by more than 100 metro-area Republicans, who took over a side room at the CB & Potts in Englewood to witness the president deliver his first State of the Union address before a joint session of Congress.

“This was a fantastic speech,” said Roger Edwards, a Highlands Ranch Republican challenging U.S. Rep. Mike Coffman in the upcoming GOP primary.

The crowd broke into applause every minute or so, and most stood to cheer whenever congressional Republicans gave Trump a standing ovation on screen. Some also jeered when the camera lingered on glowering Democrats in the audience.

“To see the Democrats sit when they should have been standing is so degrading to America,” Edwards said. “What is wrong with these people?”

After the 90-minute address concluded, Edwards said he especially liked the passages dealing with immigration and Trump’s “praise for the fighting men and women, these volunteers, the first responders.”

“These families who have lost children to illegal immigrants, dangerous people, these gangs – all of this stuff has been allowed to happen over a period of time. It has to stop, and thank God President Trump has saved America.”

Beneath one TV, a banner duct-taped to the wall depicted a triumphant Trump, an assault rifle at his side, astride a Trump-branded tank splashing ashore in front of a giant American flag and a flutter of dollar bills, the sky full of exploding fireworks.

Arapahoe County GOP Chairman Rich Sokol declared after the speech that Trump had hit a home run.

“It’s absolutely great for Republicans,” he said. “I thought Trump did a fantastic job tonight. He spoke clearly and directly to the American people, and it was both aspirational – pulling us together as a country, to be one and united – and it was also very personal, with the people in the audience he brought along. I thought it helped us soar with the dreams and also brought us to tears with the tragic stories of some of the visitors. But in the end, we came out united as Americans.”

Like others in the room, Sokol said he was moved when Trump turned attention to his guests as he discussed immigration policy.

“What really resonated with me was the two black couples who lost their daughters to gang members,” Sokol said, adding that he can “relate to their story and the need for personal protection against those who would do us harm.

“For me, I had a tear when he was talking about that.”

Arapahoe County Commissioner Kathleen Conti, a former state lawmaker, pointed to similar points in Trump’s speech.

“You can’t argue with results. He’s got a lot of policies that are designed to put America first, and to put America’s citizens first. It’s not that we don’t have compassion on immigrants, but we need to do so with caution, and have policies that are based on a little bit of logic,” she said, adding that it only makes sense to screen immigrants for known gang activity.

“Like the young girl who was brutally raped? It was a tragedy. Why should people have to get killed for us to figure this out? It’s crazy.”

Conti said she “loved when he talked about being one nation under God again.”

Perhaps the most vigorous audience member – there was some competition – was Republican gubernatorial candidate Steve Barlock, a co-chair of Trump’s Denver County campaign in 2016. When he wasn’t leaping to his feet to applaud, he was pumping his fist in the air or otherwise reacting.

“I thought he was strong, I thought he was fair with the Democrats – he gave them every opportunity to come on board. He’ll still give them opportunities, because, like he said, we work as a country,” Barlock, wearing what looks like a permanent grin, said said after the speech.

Barlock said the “pillars” of Trump’s immigration proposal – a path to citizenship for 1.8 million immigrants brought to the country as children, increased border security and an end to a visa lottery program and a process that encourages close family members to join immigrants – sounded like the basis of an agreement that could bring together congressional opponents.

“If we stick by them, we’ll get something done by the 8th and get a budget done,” he said, referring to the looming expiration of a temporary spending resolution approved by Congress last week along with a promise by some congressional leaders to bring immigration proposals to a vote.