USA TODAY International Edition
First look at the State of the Union
WASHINGTON – Coming off an appearance on the global stage and facing more problems on the investigative front, President Trump is preparing a State of the Union address designed to outline his vision of a safer and stronger United States, officials said.
While touting the tax cuts he signed into law last year, Trump will also outline a second-year agenda that includes an infrastructure proposal, an immigration plan and a new approach to trade with other countries, said officials who briefed reporters ahead of Trump’s first State of the Union. One added that the U.S. economy was “roaring.”
While most of Tuesday’s prime-time speech will be devoted to domestic issues, the president is also expected to discuss some foreign policy, officials said. They said that includes his plan to have China and other countries pressure North Korea economically to persuade it to give up nuclear weapons.
Officials previewed the themes of the address on the condition they not be named, saying they didn’t want to get ahead of the president’s remarks.
Technically, this is Trump’s first State of the Union; his speech to lawmakers last year was billed an address to Congress because first-year presidents aren’t expected to have a good handle on the state of the nation.
The theme of this year’s speech is a “a safe, strong and proud America,” officials said, and Trump is expected to discuss how the tax cut package he signed in December will spark the economic recovery.
The president made much the same argument during his appearance this week at an economic summit in Davos, Switzerland.
The State of the Union also comes amid a special counsel’s inquiry into Russian efforts to influence Trump’s election in 2016, as well as questions as to whether the president tried to obstruct the investigation.
As for the coming year, Trump plans to discuss a trillion-dollar infrastructure proposal designed to repair the nation’s roads and bridges and to build new ones.
Trump will take the podium in the U.S. House chamber less than a week after his aides unveiled a new immigration plan, including a revival of a program to block deportation of young people brought into the country illegally by their parents.
Democrats are insisting on a program for these “Dreamers” before they support extension of a temporary spending bill that expires Feb. 8. Opposition could lead to a second government shutdown this year.
As for trade, Trump will echo his campaign call for “fair” and “reciprocal” deals, perhaps involving the rewriting of items like the North American Free Trade Agreement with Canada and Mexico.
Trump also discussed trade at Davos, on a trip marred by new revelations in the Russia probe.
The New York Times reported that back in June Trump ordered the dismissal of special counsel Robert Mueller and backed down only after White House Counsel Don McGahn threatened to quit over the move.
Trump denounced the report as “fake news.”
The theme of this year’s speech is a “a safe, strong and proud America,” officials said, and Trump is expected to discuss how the tax cut package will spark economic recovery.