Trump’s bright future for the forgotten people

Donald Trump’s first State of the Union address was the best speech of his presidency.

US President Donald Trump greets supporters after his State of the Union address. Picture: AFP

Donald Trump’s first State of the Union address was the best speech of his presidency.

It central theme was one of optimism, prosperity and opportunity — a message that Trump directed squarely at his American worker heartland, his so-called forgotten people.

He laid out clearly how their economic fortunes are slowly changing for the better with the combination of economic growth, tax-cuts and pro-business policies.

He laced this with much patriotism and call for greater recognition of old fashioned values for hard work.

It was a very American speech from a very American, if unorthodox, President.

It was a reminder of how much better Trump can be and how much more effective his message can be when he sticks to a good script and acts in a presidential manner, far away from his twitter feed.

This speech had none of the partisan rancour that Trump and the Democrats have engaged in lately. Indeed, he called on the Democrats to join him in a $1.5 trillion bill to rebuild the country’s crumbling infrastructure.

He also called for a compromise stand on immigration that gives the Democrats what they want with the status of the so-called Dreamers in return for the border wall and other tough measures.

He did not take unnecessary shots at his enemies, with the exception of rogue states such as North Korea and Iran.

He reaffirmed his “American First” trade stand and his hardline on terrorism, including the decision to keep open the Guantanamo Bay prison.

In short, it was a speech warmly welcomed by his support base.

It will need to do more than that though: it needs to kick-start a rise in his low approval ratings as the mid-term elections in November get closer. The speech was a good start.

Cameron Stewart is also US Contributor for Sky News Australia