Washington: President Donald Trump declared during Tuesday’s State of the Union that “we’re winning so much,” saying he’d sparked a jobs and manufacturing boom at home while imposing a new world order abroad – hoping that offering a long list of his accomplishments can counter approval ratings that have been falling.
His main objective was convincing increasingly wary Americans that the economy is stronger than many believe, and that they should vote for more of the same by backing Republicans during November’s midterm elections.
Trump tried early on to appeal to bipartisan patriotic sentiments, dramatically inviting the Olympic gold-medal-winning US men’s hockey team into the House chamber to applause. The team came to the Capitol after an afternoon visit to the White House.
“Our country is winning again. In fact, we’re winning so much that we really don’t know what to do about it. People are asking me, ‘Please, please, please, Mister President, we’re winning too much. We can’t take it anymore,'” Trump said before introducing the team. “‘We’re not used to winning in our country until you came along.'”
The hockey players, wearing their medals and sweaters that said “USA” in large letters, drew a bipartisan standing ovation. Trump pointed to the Democratic side of the chamber and quipped, “That’s the first time I ever I’ve ever seen them get up.”
In another made-for-TV moment, Trump announced he would be awarding the Presidential Medal of Freedom, America’s highest civilian honour, to the hockey team’s goaltender, Connor Hellebuyck.
Trump made a similar surprise announcement in 2020, bestowing the award on conservative radio host Rush Limbaugh during the speech.
Trump championed his immigration crackdowns and slashing of the federal government, as well as his push to preserve widespread tariffs that the Supreme Court just struck down. As he has in the past, he decried states largely run by Democrats, singling out Minnesota.
The president also announced that tech companies involved in artificial intelligence are agreeing to pay higher electricity rates in areas where their data centres are located. Data centres tend to use large volumes of electricity, potentially increasing the cost of power to other consumers in the area.
He drew applause only from Democrats while describing the Supreme Court’s ruling last week striking down many of his signature tariff policies. The president called it “an unfortunate ruling” and said “everything was working well” before the court’s decision.
But Trump said he would plow ahead, using “alternative” laws to impose the taxes on imports and telling lawmakers, “Congressional action will not be necessary.”
He also made a bold prediction, suggesting that some day tariffs would “substantially replace” the modern income tax system. He claimed the tariffs are paid by foreign countries despite evidence that the costs are borne by American consumers and businesses.
“It’s saving our country,” Trump said of tariffs, adding that they were “peace-protecting.”
The Supreme Court justices in attendance were the same who came to Trump’s address to a joint session of Congress last March: Chief Justice John Roberts, as well as Justices Brett Kavanaugh, Amy Coney Barrett and Elena Kagan. Trump greeted the justices and even shook handswith Coney Barrett, after previously slamming her for siding with the majority against Trump’s tariffs – despite him appointing her to the high court in his first term.
Democrats also stood for Trump vowing to crackdown on insider trading by lawmakers, prompting Trump to offer, “I’m very impressed.”
Not everybody applauded, though. Rep Mark Takano, a California Democrat yelled, “How about you first!” Rep Rashida Tlaib, a Michigan Democrat, called out, “You’re the most corrupt president!”
When some heckling continued, Trump proclaimed, “You should be ashamed of yourselves.”
Later he pointed at Democrats and proclaimed, “These people are crazy,” adding, “Democrats are destroying our country.”
Democratic Rep Al Green was escorted from the chamber after he unfurled a sign of protest that read “Black People Aren’t Apes!”
The sign appeared to be a reference to a racist video the president posted that depicted former President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama depicted as primates in a jungle. Green was also removed during Trump’s address to a joint session of Congress last year.
Before he began speaking, Senate Democrats blocked a bill to restore funding to the Department of Homeland Security, pressing for new limits on immigration enforcement that Republicans have opposed.
In response, Trump invited lawmakers from both parties to “protect American citizens, not illegal aliens” and championed proposals to limit mail-in ballots and tighten voter identification rules.
Trump devoted relatively little time in his speech to efforts to bring down the cost of living – despite polling showing that his handling of the economy and kitchen table issues has slipped. Indeed, concerns about the high costs of living helped propel Democratic wins around the country on Election Day last November.
On Tuesday, he blamed his predecessor, former President Joe Biden, along with Democratic lawmakers in the chamber, saying they were responsible for rising prices and health care costs, two issues his political opponents have repeatedly raised against him.
“You caused that problem,” Trump said of affordability concerns. He added a moment later, “They knew their statements were a dirty, rotten lie.”
As is typical, Trump also had some notable off-script moments. Referencing prescription drug prices, Trump said, “So in my first year of the second term – should be my third term – but strange things happen,” prompting at least one chant in the chamber of “Four more years!”
The president also put forward a new plan to give a modest boost to help some Americans save for retirement if they do not have a retirement account through their workplace in which their employer matches contributions to the fund. Starting next year, he said, his administration would let those Americans access the same retirement accounts as federal workers and would match their contribution up to $1,000.
Trump did not offer details about how he would put the program in place and did not indicate if he would ask Congress to pass the program and fund it.
The president boasted of having tamed inflation and said he has the economy humming, given that the Dow Jones Industrial Average recently exceeded 50,000 points for the first time.
Such gains don’t feel tangible to those without stock portfolios, however. There also are persistent fears that tariffs stoked higher prices, which could eventually hurt the economy and job creation. Economic growth slowed in the last three months of last year.
It is potentially politically perilous ahead of November elections that could deliver congressional wins to Democrats, just as 2018’s blue wave created a strong check to his administration during his first term.
Trump spent relatively little time on foreign policy, despite his address coming as two US aircraft carriers have been dispatched to the Middle East amid tensions with Iran.
The president has repeatedly recounted how US airstrikes last summer pounded Tehran’s nuclear capabilities, and laud the raid that ousted Venezuelan President Nicolas Nicolas Maduro, as well as his administration’s brokering of a ceasefire in Israel’s war with Hamas in Gaza.
But he’s also strained US military alliances with NATO, thanks to his push to seize Greenland from Denmark and his failure to take a harder line with Russian President Vladimir Putin in seeking an end to its war in Ukraine.
AP
