State of the Union: Donald Trump stresses unity, hope and greatness
Summing up his address, Donald Trump asked Congress to transcend differences and work together to achieve ‘greatness’.
Donald Trump has given a unifying State of the Union address, focusing on bridging divisions and healing wounds. In the speech, which lasted around 90 minutes, he asked for unity on a Mexican wall but stopped short of threatening a national emergency and gave a date for his second summit with Kim Jong-un.
Cameron Stewart 3.00pm: Meet unifer-in-chief
Donald Trump has sounded the right note in his State of the Union speech about bridging divisions, healing wounds and moving forward, but will Americans believe him?
This mercurial president is many things but he is not a natural unifier-in-chief.
2.45pm: Trump resets wall debate
In a unifying State of the Union address, Donald Trump renewed his call for a wall on the southern US border, but without repeating his recent threats to declare an emergency and act unilaterally.
Read the article in full here.
2.30pm: ‘Choose greatness’
Summing up, Mr Trump again urges unity and asks Congress to transcend their differences.
“We must keep America first in our hearts, we must keep freedom alive in our souls, and we must always keep faith in America’s destiny,” he says.
“I ask the men and women of this Congress; look at the opportunities before us. Our most thrilling achievements are still ahead ... our biggest victories are still to come. We have not yet begun to dream. We must choose whether we are defined by our differences or whether we dare to transcend them ... whether we squander our great inheritance or proudly declare we are Americans.
“We do the incredible, we defy the impossible, we conquer the unknown.
“This is the time to search for tallest summit and search for the brightest star.... the time to rekindle the bonds of love.
“I am asking you to choose greatness, no matter the trials, the challenges to come. We must go forward together ... we must keep freedom alive in our souls.”
2.20pm: ‘They do bad, bad things’
Mr Trump says he was right to pull troops out of Afghanistan and said constructive talks with the Taliban are underway. .
“I have accelerated our negotiations to reach a political settlement in Afghanistan. Our troops have fought with unmatched valour ... we are now able to pursue a political solution to this long and bloody conflict.
“As we make progress in these negotiations, we will be able to reduce our troop presence and focus on counter-terrorism,” Mr. Trump said. “Great nations do not fight endless wars”.
He moves on to justify his decision to pull out of the Iran nuclear pact, saying: “My administration has acted decisively to confront the world’s leading state sponse of terror - the radical regime of Iran. They do bad, bad things.”
2.05pm: I will meet with Kim late in Feb
He credits himself for keeping the US out of a “major war” with North Korea. He says he and Kim Jong-un will meet for the second time on Feb 27 - 28 in Vietnam to discuss Pyongyang’s nuclear program. He cited North Korea’s release of U.S. hostages and moratorium on nuclear tests as evidence of progress since the two sides started to engage in talks last year..
He goes on to condemn the Maduro regime in Venezuela, which has turned the country “into a state of abject poverty and despair,” and says the US will stand by opposition leader Juan Guiado. He uses Venezuela to warn of socialism in the US. “We were born free and we will stay free,” he says. “America will never be a socialist country.” As he speaks, Bernie Sanders remains expressionless.
.@realDonaldTrump: If I had not been elected POTUS, we would right now, in my opinion, be in a major war with North Korea. Chairman Kim and I will meet again on February 27th and 28th in Vietnam.
— Sky News Australia (@SkyNewsAust) February 6, 2019
MORE: https://t.co/ykweMevBOK #SOTU pic.twitter.com/7F1x0aCjBc
2.00pm: Ban late term abortions
The House Chamber applauds as Mr Trump asks for support for nationwide parental leave so all parents can take time off work to spend with their children. But he also asks Congress to prohibit late term abortions, saying: “Let us work together to build a culture that cherishes innocent life.”. The Republican side of the house stand to applaud him on this but the Democrats remain seated.
“All children born and unborn are made in the holy image of God,” he says.
1.59pm: Plea for new Nafta
Mr Trump asks parliamentarians to pass the updated North American Free Trade Agreement that his administration negotiated with Canada and Mexico.
He doesn’t say whether he is open to tweaking the pact before sending it to Congress for a vote. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi blocked consideration of another trade agreement during the George Bush administration, and congressional aides and experts following the debate say she could do the same thing with the new Nafta, which the Trump administration calls the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement, or USMCA.
He spruiks House Republican legislation backed by his administration that would give the president the ability to raise tariffs on individual products to match the level of other countries.
1.55pm: More women in jobs
Mr Trump lauds gains in women’s employment and for the first time the Democrats applaud and join chants of “USA.”
“No one has benefitted more from our thriving economy than women, who have filled 58% of the new jobs created in the last year,” he said.
He also noted that the US has “more women serving in the Congress than ever before.
Several Democrats chanted, “On this side. On this side,” before chants of “USA” broke out on both sides of the aisle.
1.45pm: ‘I will get wall built’
As expected, Mr Trump stopped short of threatening to declare a national emergency or to shut down the government again if he does not get his way on the Mexican wall.
“Simply put, walls work and walls save lives,” Mr. Trump said. “So let’s work together, compromise, and reach a deal that will truly make America safe.”
He talked about gangs, drug dealers and human traffickers who he said exploit gaps in border security. He also pointed out one of his special guests, whose parents were recently murdered by a man whom the White House says is an illegal immigrant.
“Not one more American life should be lost because our nation failed to control its very dangerous border,” Mr. Trump said.
He sketched out his proposal for more humanitarian assistance, law enforcement and drug detection and noted that even some Democrats voted for a wall.
“I’ll get it built,” he said, describing it as “a smart, strategic, see-through steel barrier -- not just a simple concrete wall. It will be deployed in the areas identified by border agents as having the greatest need, and as these agents will tell you, where walls go up, illegal crossings go way down.
1.40pm: ‘Republicans and Democrats must join forces’
Mr Trump touted the criminal justice reform bill passed last year as a “groundbreaking” example of bipartisan cooperation on a contentious issue. “They said it couldn’t be done,” he said proudly.
He suggested that this approach could be applied to the thorny immigration debate that has already sparked a five-week government shutdown and could yet prompt another if a deal isn’t reached by February 15. “Now Republicans and Democrats must join forces again,” he said.
However the conservative coalition that backed the criminal justice changes is not currently unified over immigration. Some leading proponents, such as the Faith and Freedom coalition led by Ralph Reed, have called for the president to cut a deal with Democrats that extends protection for immigrant youth brought illegally to the United States as children in exchange for a border security funding deal.
Other conservative activists, invited to the White House during the shutdown, took a very different approach in their conversation with the president, according to people present. They urged him to hold firm in his pursuit of border security funding, but not to negotiate against himself by offering generous protections for unauthorized immigrants that some conservatives characterize as “amnesty.”
The Wall St Journal
1.35pm: ‘Moral duty’ to tackle migration
Mr Trump is tackling the Mexican border and illegal immigration
“As we speak, large, organized caravans are on the march to the United States. We have just heard that Mexican cities, in order to remove the illegal immigrants from their communities, are getting trucks and buses to bring them up to our country in areas where there is little border protection. I have ordered another 3,750 troops to our southern border to prepare for the tremendous onslaught,” Mr. Trump said.
“The lawless state of our southern border is a moral threat. We have a moral duty to create an immigration system that protects the lives and jobs of our citizens, he tells Congress. I want people to come into our country in the largest numbers ever but they have to come in legally,” he says.
“Wealthy politicians push open borders while living their lives behind walls and gates,” he says to applause from the Republican side. “Meanwhile working class Americans are left to pay the price for mass immigration.”
1.30pm: Tribute to Alice Johnson
Now he is talking about Alice Johnson, one of his special guests, a non violent drug offender sentenced to life, to whom he granted clemency last year.
“Last year, I heard through friends the story of Alice Johnson. I was deeply moved. In 1997, Alice was sentenced to life in prison as a first-time non-violent drug offender. Over the next two decades, she became a prison minister, inspiring others to choose a better path Alice’s story underscores the disparities and unfairness that can exist in criminal sentencing and the need to remedy this injustice.”
He thanks her for reminding people “we always have the power to shape our own destiny.”
1.20pm: Focus on strong economy
Mr Trump is focussing on the achievements of his presidency including strengthening the economy with job growth, energy exports and regulations cuts.
The president also praised the “massive tax cut” for working families and the doubling of the child tax credit that Congress enacted in 2017.
“An economic miracle is happening .. and the only thing that can stop it is foolish wars, politics or ridiculous partisan investigations,” he says, referring to the probe into White House links with Moscow.
“We must be united at home to defeat our adversaries abroad.”
1.15pm: ’Reject politics of revenge’
He is stressing the bipartisan theme of his address.
“We can make our communities safer, our families stronger, our culture richer, our faith deeper, and our middle class bigger and more prosperous than ever before,” he said.
“But we must reject the politics of revenge, resistance, and retribution -- and embrace the boundless potential of cooperation, compromise, and the common good. Together, we can break decades of political stalemate. We can bridge old divisions, heal old wounds, build new coalitions, forge new solutions, and unlock the extraordinary promise of America’s future. The decision is ours to make.”
Nancy Pelosi joins parliamentarians in standing to applaud.
1.12pm: D-Day vets, Buzz Aldrin thanked
The first special guests Mr Trump acknowledges are three D-Day veterans. “We salute you,” he tells them.
Apollo 11 astronaut Buzz Aldrin, wearing a Stars and Stripes tie is also thanked and given a standing ovation.
1.08pm: ‘Agenda of the American people’
Mr Trump focuses on unity from the start of his speech. He urges Americans “to have the courage together... victory is not winning for our party, victory is winning for our country.,” he says.
1pm: Trump enters House Chamber
Donald Trump has entered the House Chamber for his speech. He greets Nancy Pelosi politely, telling her: “Hi, Nancy, how are you?”
12.55pm: Ivanka arrives
Ivanka Trump and her husband Jared Kushner have arrived, shortly after a number of senators made a point of walking into the House in bipartisan pairs. Missing from this grouping however was Bernie Sanders, who arrived late to the line-up asking reporters if they’d seen a big group of senators walking by.
Senate walking to the State of the Union in bipartisan pairs. Also the Democratic senate ladies are not wearing white like their House colleagues pic.twitter.com/KWuagxtEw1
— Natalie Andrews (@nataliewsj) February 6, 2019
12.45pm: Motorcade heads to Capitol
Donald Trump’s motorcade has left the White House heading for the Capitol. Tonight’s key visual will be Nancy Pelosi sitting behind Donald Trump along with Vice President Mike Pence.
All 535 members of Congress are invited, along with members of Mr Trump’s Cabinet and the justices of the Supreme Court, led by Chief Justice John Roberts.
The balcony tells its own story. To the left, Mr Trump will nod to first lady Melania Trump and the administration’s guests. Seated elsewhere in the gallery will be invited guests, many chosen to send messages reinforcing each party’s agenda. This year the guests include people who have suffered because of the shutdown and those pushing for tougher immigration laws. -Seated with Mrs. Trump will be a woman freed from federal prison after Trump reduced her life sentence for drug offences and a Delaware boy reportedly bullied because his last name is Trump.
12.30pm: Democrat candidate denies unity
California Senator Kamala Harris, a 2020 Democratic candidate, made a livestream appearance to supporters about an hour before the president’s speech in which she warned the president would exacerbate divisions instead of bringing the country together.
“If last year’s remarks are any guide, we’re in store not for a speech that will seek to draw us together as Americans but one that seeks to score political points by driving us apart,” Ms. Harris said on her Facebook page. “We will hear insincere appeals to unity.”
The senator announced her presidential campaign last month, along with a rally in her hometown of Oakland, Calif., that attracted about 20,000 supporters. Ms. Harris said the president would seek to take credit for the nation’s economy, but she said it masked a number of problems faced by working-class families, including those affected by the lengthy partial government shutdown.
“When you hear claims that the economy is doing great, don’t forget the working and middle class families who are struggling, the teachers who are working two and three jobs and the 800,000 federal workers who recently went 35 days without getting paid,” Ms. Harris said.
She also offered a reference to Mr. Trump’s push to build a wall along the U.S. Southern border.
“The strength of our union has never been found in the walls we build -- it’s in our diversity and our unity and that is our power,” she said.
12.15pm: Early excepts from address
• The agenda I will lay out this evening is not a Republican Agenda or a Democrat Agenda. It is the agenda of the American People.
• In the 20th century, America saved freedom, transformed science, and redefined the middle class standard of living for the entire world to see. Now, we must step boldly and bravely into the next chapter of this Great American Adventure, and we must create a new standard of living for the 21st century.
• Together, we can break decades of political stalemate. We can bridge old divisions, heal old wounds, build new coalitions, forge new solutions, and unlock the extraordinary promise of America’s future. The decision is ours to make.
• Over the last two years, my administration has moved with urgency and historic speed to confront problems neglected by leaders of BOTH parties over many decades.
• We have unleashed a revolution in American Energy the United States is now the number one producer of oil and natural gas in the world.
• After 24 months of rapid progress, our economy is the envy of the world, our military is the most powerful on earth, and America is winning each and every day.
• Last year, I heard through friends the story of Alice Johnson. I was deeply moved. In 1997, Alice was sentenced to life in prison as a first-time non-violent drug offender. Over the next two decades, she became a prison minister, inspiring others to choose a better path Alice’s story underscores the disparities and unfairness that can exist in criminal sentencing and the need to remedy this injustice.
• We have a moral duty to create an immigration system that protects the lives and jobs of our citizens.
• No issue better illustrates the divide between America’s WORKING CLASS and America’s POLITICAL CLASS than illegal immigration. Wealthy politicians and donors push for open borders while living their lives behind walls and gates and guards.
• All Americans can be proud that we have more women in the workforce than ever before...
• To build on our incredible economic success, one priority is paramount: reversing decades of calamitous trade policies.
• Both parties should be able to unite for a great rebuilding of America’s crumbling infrastructure.
• It is unacceptable that Americans pay vastly more than people in other countries for the exact same drugs, often made in the exact same place. This is wrong, unfair, and together we can stop it.
• We stand with the Venezuelan people in their noble quest for freedom
• As a candidate for President, I pledged a new approach. Great nations do not fight endless wars.
• We will not avert our eyes from a regime that chants Death to America and threatens genocide against the Jewish People
‘Visionary look forward’
President Trump will offer a “visionary look forward” in tonight’s speech, the White House has said.
“The president is going to lay out what we’ve accomplished,” press secretary Sarah Sanders told reporters today (AEDT) ahead of the 1pm. address. And Mr. Trump plans to highlight the criminal justice overhaul legislation he signed into law late last year, a bipartisan accomplishment.
As for the president declaring a national emergency to build a border wall, she said, “We’re not going to get ahead of the process.”
The White House had already signaled that Mr. Trump is unlikely to announce such a move, which would inflame partisan tensions and spark dissent even among his Republican Party, instead planning to issue a plea for national unity at a moment of deep partisan divisions.
Mr Trump in recent weeks has repeatedly threatened to do an end-run around both chambers of Congress to pay for a wall on the southern US border, which Democrats have said is unnecessary. People briefed on the speech on Monday night (AET) in the Roosevelt Room came away with the understanding that Mr Trump wouldn’t declare a national emergency during the address. One concern that was aired: that Democrats in the audience would boo, damping the reception for the declaration.
Looking forward to tonight! #SOTU pic.twitter.com/lGKkZeaxUZ
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 5, 2019
Instead, Mr Trump is expected to call for bipartisanship, citing criminal justice reform as an area where both parties were able to work together. The move will be a contrast with his recent assertions that bipartisan efforts to reach a deal on border security are a “waste of time.” Last week, he said there was a “good chance” he would declare a national emergency over immigration, in which he would attempt to divert funds from elsewhere in the administration to pay for a border wall without congressional approval. The move would face immediate court challenges.
At the same time as calling for unity, Mr Trump is expected to criticise Democrats for their opposition to his border wall, pointing out their previous support for other barriers, the person briefed on the address said.
“An appeal to bipartisanship is probably one of the easiest things to do in Washington. It’s one of the hardest things to do in practice,” said Kevin Madden, a longtime Republican strategist.
In a preview of the challenges facing this approach, Mr Trump taunted Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer on Tuesday morning, after Mr Schumer said the Trump administration is “embroiled in chaos and incompetence.” Mr Trump responded: “He’s just upset that he didn’t win the Senate, after spending a fortune, like he thought he would.”
The speech will be Mr Trump’s first joint address to Congress since Democratic election gains and the ensuing new era of divided government, in which the president and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi have already clashed over the wall funding and the timing of the State of the Union address. Most political observers concluded that Mrs Pelosi won the first round, and Mr Trump is expected on Tuesday to try to regain momentum and level the political playing field.
Mrs Pelosi will be sitting behind Mr Trump, alongside Vice President Mike Pence, as the president delivers the address. A CNN poll released Monday found Mrs Pelosi’s approval rating jumped eight points during the recent partial government shutdown to 42%, while polling has shown that Mr Trump has borne the brunt of the blame for the shuttering of government offices for the longest period in US history.
In a January Wall Street Journal/NBC poll, 50% of respondents blamed him for the shutdown, compared with 37% who said Democrats were most responsible. The president’s overall job performance rating remained steady, with 43% approving and 54% disapproving of the job he is doing.
In addition to immigration, Mr Trump’s address is expected to focus on trade, national security, health care and infrastructure — an area where he has said he believes he can work together with Democrats, but one in which his advisers are divided over how to move forward. He has also said he might use the speech to announce the time and place for his second summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.
The White House primarily sees the speech — his second address to the nation on border security in the past month — as key to its efforts to win a public-relations battle in the standoff with congressional Democrats over border-wall funding, which led to the 35-day shutdown that left 800,000 workers without pay for weeks.
“What the administration is saying is we should be working together on these issues,” said Bryan Lanza, a former Trump campaign adviser who has been briefed on the speech. But Mr Trump, he said, will issue a warning: “If you want to do nothing, I’m prepared to go forward alone.”
Drew Hammill, a spokesman for Mrs Pelosi, said on Sunday: “The president knows, bluster aside, that Democrats are committed to securing our borders while upholding our values as a nation. The president should stop undermining bipartisan efforts to do just that.”
One adviser close to the White House said Trump administration officials are split on whether to proclaim a national emergency, and that an internal meeting last week among top White House officials failed to settle the issue, with some top officials questioning whether such a declaration would be effective. Republican senators are also divided on the issue because it could broaden the powers of the executive branch and set a precedent for a future Democratic president.
An early draft of the address also contained a line in which Mr Trump would urge Congress to “pass my proposal” for rebuilding the nation’s infrastructure, an administration official familiar with the drafting process said. When other officials saw the draft, they urged that the line be deleted because Mr Trump doesn’t actually want Congress to pass the only infrastructure proposal his administration has produced.
Mr Trump has continued to tell aides and officials that he “hates” central elements of the infrastructure plan introduced in early 2018, especially public-private partnerships, according to two people familiar with the speech drafts. The plan would have required cities and states to put up at least 80% of the cost of the plan, likely pushing local government into the arms of private financiers.
Mr Trump won’t propose the element missing from any meaningful attempt to make a major overhaul of the nation’s infrastructure, the officials said: a mechanism, such as a tax increase, to raise hundreds of billions of dollars to pay for the projects.
The Wall St Journal
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