Under fire, Trump seeks unity
STATE OF THE UNION US president’s speech comes amid a tense standoff with Dems over the border wall issue
WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump will call for “unity” and “comity” in his State of the Union address on Tuesday amid a tense standoff over a Mexico border wall that he has vowed to build and which has put his presidency on a collision course with Democrats determined to block its funding.
Previewing the address over the past few days, White House aides have indicated the US president will lay out a “visionary” and “aspirational” path for the nation, and talk about achievements of his administration, specially on the economic front. “The economy is on fire” - as an official said.
Trump, who will call upon the Congress for unity, is likely to say - as White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said in interview on Fox New on Monday - “We can either work together and get great things done or we can fight each other and get nothing done.”
White House adviser Kellyanne Conway told reporters earlier on Monday that the US pres- ident will use the address to “call for an end to the politics of resistance, retribution and call for more comity”.
Since Democrats took control of the House of Representatives in January, Trump has faced a determined opposition that was missing in his first two years in office, resulting in the longest federal government shutdown in US history - essentially because of the deadlock over the border wall.
In his speech, immigration will be one of the five major areas that Trump will focus on. And of course, the border situation will get attention. Also, he could address other matters related to immigration, such as the H-1B visa.
Four other key areas that Trump is likely to touch upon are diplomacy and military issues - he might announce the date for his second summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un - and the wars in Afghanistan and Syria; building infrastructure; healthcare; and finally, trade, which could see him talk about the tariff war with China that has remained unresolved despite talks.