Trump to decry ‘decades of political stalemate’ in State of the Union
Some of the five main issues the president plans to focus on — such as lowering health care and prescription drug costs, infrastructure and pressuring China on trade — enjoy bipartisan support.
But many others have stirred partisan fighting over the past few months, none more so than immigration, which the official said would be a “top priority” of the speech.
Trump teased the possibility he may use the State of the Union as part of his strategy to build a border wall by declaring a national emergency, a move that would inflame Democrats and some Republicans. But the official refused to say whether Trump would do so.
That description garnered a skeptical reaction from Democrats, who said Trump was the one who triggered the shutdown by rejecting a bipartisan budget deal that did not include wall money.
“Break decades of political stalemate? Forge new solutions? You just caused the longest government shutdown in American history. Over a wall,” Democrats on the House Homeland Security Committee tweeted.
Trump is expected to raise other hot-button issues, including the debate over abortion rights fueled by new laws passed by Democratic state governments.
He will also call on Congress to pass his revision of the North American Free Trade Agreement and deliver an update to lawmakers on his plans to withdraw U.S. troops from Syria and wind down the war in Afghanistan.
The Trump administration’s efforts to drive out Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro will also receive a mention in the address. The official said he could not mention other nations, such as North Korea, that might appear in the speech.
The official said the speech will have a “traditional” format that mirrors past speeches, with handpicked guests sitting in the House gallery Trump plans to cite to illustrate his points. The address will be similar in length to last year’s 80-minute speech, the official said, which was the third-longest State of the Union in history.
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