Key issues in Trump’s speech
Here is a look at the main areas of focus in US President Donald Trump’s State of the Union address to a joint session of the Congress
THEME OF THE 2020 SPEECH
‘The Great American Comeback’
CORONAVIRUS
Will he make any mention of the new coronavirus? “We’ve offered China help, but we can’t have thousands of people coming in who may have this problem, the coronavirus," Trump said on Sunday
BLUE-COLLAR BOOM
Trump is sure to use the speech to try to remind the country of what he's accomplished. He is expected to talk about what the White House calls a “blue-collar boom”. There have been gains in blue-collar wages under Trump
UKRAINE, IMPEACHMENT
While the Senate trial is still on, will he mention Ukraine? Republicans have started to agree that he “inappropriately” tried to
get political help from that country. The issue puts Republicans in a bind, even though Trump is expected to be cleared at the trial
MIDEAST PEACE
Listen for any mention of foreign policy issues. Trump's Mideast peace plan is a good test. He said his efforts to solve the Israel-palestine conflict
would gain support. If he says nothing about the plan, it could signal that he knows it's in trouble
IRAN
Listen for how harsh Trump is on Tehran in the wake of Iran's bombing that injured US soldiers in Iraq. Will Trump suggest he'll want to talk with the Iranians or signal the door is closed for talks? The White House said to expect Trump's tone to be “forceful”
AFGHANISTAN
Will Trump announce a troop withdrawal? The Taliban want US and other coalition forces to leave. US secretary of state Mike Pompeo says a deal is close, but it won’t happen without a reduction in violence