Trump speech reveals state of the union
Washington, Jan. 31: President Donald Trump appealed Tuesday for national unity and strong borders in his first State of the Union address, calling for “one American family” after a year marred by acrimony, division and scandal.
Delivering his biggest speech of the year, this most polarising of Presidents sought to put the spotlight on a robust economy, while pointedly calling on a packed joint session of Congress to enact tough curbs on immigration.
“Tonight, I call upon all of us to set aside our differences, to seek out common ground, and to summon the unity we need to deliver for the people we were elected to serve,” he said in his State of the Union address, the third longest on record at one hour 20 minutes.
A bullish Trump said he was “extending an open hand” to Democrats to work together, but added that, reversing an Obamaera directive to close the controversial detention camp.
Summoning all the pageantry of his office, in a scripted speech which mixed oratory with praise for inspirational American heroes in the First Lady’s gallery, Mr Trump made a coherent, though controversial case for his presidency, declaring there had never been a better time to live the American dream.
Yet from his vantage point at the dais in the House of Representatives, the split screen nation that is America in 2018 was writ large.
To his left, Republicans stood, applauded and sometimes cheered each new pronouncement. To his right, Democrats mostly sat stony faced, channeling the fury of millions who believe Mr Trump has defiled the American presidency, and on occasion were unable to resist groans, or heckles of protest.
Washintgon, Jan. 31: Rogue regimes, terrorist groups and rivals like China and Russia are challenging American interests, economy and values, President Donald Trump warned and promised to rebuild America’s military might to deter any “acts of aggression”.
In his first State of the Union address, Trump said his administration is restoring America’s strength and standing abroad. “Around the world, we face rogue regimes, terrorist groups, and rivals like China and Russia that challenge our interests, our economy, and our values,” Trump said in his 80- minute speech.
He said America needed unmatched power to tackle these challenges. “In confronting these dangers, we know that weakness is the surest path to conflict, and unmatched power is the surest means of our defence,” he said.