Trump rolls out own policies in State of the Union Address

The address US President Donald Trump delivered at the US Congress recently acquires extreme importance, especially after the Democrats retained majority in the house.

Compared with the American president's address at the Congress soon after the Republicans won the elections in late 2015, the latest address saw a Trump shaken and much weaker. This is particularly true after the Democratic victory slowed down the fulfillment of Trump's electoral promises.

State of the Union Address

The State of the Union Address is an annual message delivered by the President of the United States to a joint session of the United States Congress at the beginning of each calendar year in office.

The message typically includes a budget message and an economic report of the nation, and also allows the President to propose a legislative agenda and national priorities.

The address fulfills the requirement in Article 11, Section 3, of the US Constitution for the President to periodically "give to the Congress Information of the State of the Union, and recommend to their Consideration such measures as he shall judge necessary and expedient."

Domestic and foreign calculations

Trump is developing feelings of fear from the policies of the Congress as far as his electoral promises are concerned. The US president would have used the fulfillment of these promises in campaigning for himself in the presidential election in 2020.

These feelings of fear are now higher, especially after the Democrats have refused to bankroll Trump's plan to construct a wall on the border with Mexico to stop waves of immigration from the neighboring state. These feelings of fear were manifest in the State of the Union Address, especially when Trump dwelt on domestic issues.

Overcoming internal rifts

Trump focused in his address on wooing the Democrats, especially after they stuck strongly to their position on financing the border wall with Mexico. Trump insisted on the government shutdown, something on which he backpedalled later on. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi rejected, meanwhile, that Trump deliver the State of the Union Address before he cancelled out his decision for the government shutdown.

This led to a political state of freeze between the Republican and Democratic Parties, especially in the light of the war of words that erupted ahead of the mid-term elections. This war of words was commanded by Trump against the leaders of the Democratic Party.

Trump alluded in his speech to his readiness to break the ice and ending old rifts with the Democrats, with the aim of finding solutions to the problems of the American society.

He said, however, that immigration would take center stage in his policies during his presidential term. Trump also tried to focus on common ground with the Democrats, especially the economic situation in the US and the need for improving infrastructure nationwide.

Relations with China

Washington wants to preserve a balanced relationship with China, given the fact that the Asian state is an important partner for the US. It is particularly so as the US tries to tighten the noose around North Korea.

Trump boasted in his State of the Union Address that he succeeded in generating $250 billion in customs duties on Chinese goods entering the American market. He at the same time toned down his rhetoric on Beijing by saying that he only could blame US leaders for allowing the Chinese to exploit American citizens.

Relations with Pyongyang

Trump attributed positive results in peace talks in the Korean Peninsula to efforts made by his administration in this regard. He said these efforts also opened the door for his meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and the release of American hostages in North Korea.

Trump even said that he would meet the Korean leader for a second time on February 27 and 28 in Vietnam.