Time to revive ‘great American spirit’
washington — Donald Trump pledged a “renewal of the American spirit” on Tuesday, as he fleshed out his America-first agenda in a more measured presidential tone during a landmark speech to Congress.
Transposing hardline campaign promises into a presidential key, Trump offered the most restrained and detailed explanation yet of his America-first world view.
He criticised threats against Jewish community centres and condemned the seemingly racially-motivated killing of an Indian immigrant, answering calls for him to speak out.
And although the 70-year-old again promised a hard line on illegal immigration, he outlined his policies in less-inflammatory economic terms, winning sustained applause from the Republicandominated Congress.
“By finally enforcing our immigration laws, we will raise wages, help the unemployed, save billions and billions of dollars, and make our communities safer for everyone,” he said.
Putting some policy meat on the bones, he proposed introducing an Australian-style meritbased system to reduce the flow of unskilled workers — and held out the prospect of a bipartisan compromise with Democrats on root-and-branch immigration reform.
But he also stood by his plan to subject travelers from certain countries to extreme vetting, insisting: “We cannot allow a beachhead of terrorism to form inside America.”
His remarks were made amid expectations that a new executive order on immigration could be rolled out within the coming days.
Trump’s initial attempt to bar the entry of visitors from seven Muslim-majority countries has been halted by the courts. Trump’s maiden address to a chamber of lawmakers, Supreme Court Justices, ambassadors and generals, was delivered as the president grapples with multiple crises and faces historically-low approval ratings.
Hailing what he called the “new national pride” sweeping the coun- try, he sought to use the pomp of the occasion and the presidential pulpit to reclaim authority and correct course after 40 difficult days.
Discussing trade, Trump even enlisted the help of Abraham Lincoln, echoing what the first Republican president described as “protective policy.”
“Lincoln was right — and it is time we heeded his words,” Trump said. “I am not going to let America and its great companies and workers be taken advantage of anymore.” Looking abroad, Trump softened his criticism of Nato partners and vowed to work with allies in the Muslim world.
But he offered no apologies for emphasising a world order centered on the nation state.
“My job is not to represent the world. My job is to represent the United States of America,” he said.
“But we know that America is better off when there is less conflict — not more,” he said, promising to “find new friends, and to forge new partnerships, where shared interests align.” In Trump’s longest presidential speech to date, he remained largely on message, reading his planned address almost verbatim.
Some women Democratic lawmakers had dressed in white for the occasion, a nod to the suffragette movement and an echo of the substantial opposition the president’s policies face.
But Trump struck a compassionate tone at times, embracing family-friendly policies like paid parental leave, and even won cautious praise from Democrats for his call for unity. “This was far less dark than the inaugural speech. And he has made an attempt to reach out,” said Democrat John Larson of Connecticut. “But the devil is in the details.,” Larson added. —
By finally enforcing our immigration laws, we will raise wages, help the unemployed, save billions and billions of dollars and make our communities safer for everyone. Lincoln was right — and it is time we heeded his words. I am not going to let America and its great companies and workers be taken advantage of anymore. My job is not to represent the world. My job is to represent the United States of America. But we know that America is better off when there is less conflict. When we ship products, many other countries make us pay very high tariffs, but when foreign companies ship their products into US, we charge them almost nothing. Donald Trump