Trump fleshes out his agenda
PUTTING AMERICA FIRST: 57% OF AMERICANS RESPONDED POSITIVELY, ACCORDING TO POLL
This was far less dark than the speech at his inauguration – Democrat John Larson.
President Donald Trump pledged a “renewal of the American spirit” on Tuesday, as he fleshed out his nationalist agenda in 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 again promised a hard line on illegal immigration, but he couched those policies in economic rather than xenophobic terms.
“By finally enforcing our immigration laws, we will raise wages, help the unemployed, save billions and billions of dollars, and make our communities safer,” he said.
Putting some policy meat on the bones, he proposed introducing an Australian-style merit-based system to reduce the flow of unskilled workers and held out the prospect of a bipartisan compromise with Democrats on rootand-branch immigration reform.
On trade, Trump said: “I am not going to let America and its great companies and workers be taken advantage of any more.”
Looking abroad, Trump vowed to work with allies in the Muslim world. “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”.
“This was far less dark than the inaugural speech. And he has made an attempt to reach out,” said Democrat John Larson. According to a CNN instant poll, 57% of Americans who tuned in said they had a very positive reaction to the speech.
Trump promised to provide “massive” tax relief for the American middle class and to repeal his predecessor’s landmark Obamacare health reform.
He outlined plans for rebuilding America’s creaking infrastructure, for high-stakes tax and healthcare reform.
He also plans to hike defence spending by $54 billion. On all these issues Trump offered little detail about how to meet his promises without worsening the country’s nearly $20 trillion national debt. – AFP