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| Donald Trump speaks to Congress in first presidential address – live | Donald Trump speaks to Congress in first presidential address – live |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| 1.59am GMT | |
| 01:59 | |
| First Lady Melania Trump just entered the chamber - dressed in a sparkling black outfit - followed afterwards by the cabinet. | |
| 1.54am GMT | |
| 01:54 | |
| Ben Jacobs | |
| In excerpts just released, Donald Trump speaks in broad terms about legislative goals like tax reform and Obamacare without engaging in specifics. | |
| He touts “my economic team is developing historic tax reform that will reduce the tax rate on our companies so they can compete and thrive anywhere and with anyone” without details on what this would involve and how it would be paid for. | |
| Trump also calls on Congress “to repeal and replace Obamacare, with reforms that expand choice, increase access, lower costs, and at the same time, provide better healthcare.” | |
| He gives no details about how to accomplish this gargantuan task save that “the way to make health insurance available to everyone is to lower the cost of health insurance, and that is what we will do.” | |
| The president who has been known for sounding dark tones in his speeches, most notably his invocation of “American carnage” in his inaugural address, struck more optimistic notes in the excerpts released tonight. | |
| “America will be empowered by our aspirations – not burdened by our fears,” Trump is expected to proclaim. | |
| However, the excerpts give only an incomplete picture of the president’s full remarks. Trump is scheduled to speak for approximately 80 minutes and the president has long made a habit of ad libbing and riffing off of prepared statements. | |
| 1.48am GMT | |
| 01:48 | |
| As Trump heads to the Capitol, TV cameras catch him rehearsing his speech: | |
| Check this out. Trump practicing his address in the back of the limo. pic.twitter.com/D7EWrlgZlo | |
| 1.46am GMT | |
| 01:46 | |
| 'America will be empowered by our aspirations': White House releases speech excerpts | |
| This just in from the White House, excerpts of tonight’s speech: | |
| Each American generation passes the torch of truth, liberty and justice – in an unbroken chain all the way down to the present. | |
| And we’ve spent trillions of dollars overseas, while our infrastructure at home has so badly crumbled. | |
| We have begun to drain the swamp of government corruption by imposing a 5-year ban on lobbying by Executive Branch Officials – and a lifetime ban on becoming lobbyists for a foreign government. | |
| By finally enforcing our immigration laws, we will raise wages, help the unemployed, save billions of dollars, and make our communities safer for everyone. | |
| As promised, I directed the Department of Defense to develop a plan to demolish and destroy ISIS – a network of lawless savages that have slaughtered Muslims and Christians, and men, women, and children of all faiths and beliefs. | |
| We will work with our allies, including our friends and allies in the Muslim World, to extinguish this vile enemy from our planet. | |
| But to accomplish our goals at home and abroad, we must restart the engine of the American economy – making it easier for companies to do business in the United States, and much harder for companies to leave. | |
| My economic team is developing historic tax reform that will reduce the tax rate on our companies so they can compete and thrive anywhere and with anyone. | |
| At the same time, we will provide massive tax relief for the middle class. | |
| Tonight, I am also calling on this Congress to repeal and replace Obamacare, with reforms that expand choice, increase access, lower costs, and at the same time, provide better Healthcare. | |
| Mandating every American to buy government-approved health insurance was never the right solution for America. | |
| The way to make health insurance available to everyone is to lower the cost of health insurance, and that is what we will do. | |
| Obamacare is collapsing – and we must act decisively to protect all Americans. Action is not a choice – it is a necessity. | |
| So I am calling on all Democrats and Republicans in Congress to work with us to save Americans from this imploding Obamacare disaster. | |
| My administration wants to work with members in both parties to make childcare accessible and affordable, to help ensure new parents have paid family leave, to invest in women’s health, and to promote clean air and clear water, and to rebuild our military and our infrastructure. | |
| True love for our people requires us to find common ground, to advance the common good, and to cooperate on behalf of every American child who deserves a brighter future. | |
| Today is Rare Disease Day, and joining us in the gallery is a Rare Disease Survivor, Megan Crowley. Megan was diagnosed with Pompe Disease, a rare and serious illness when she was 15 months old. She was not expected to live past 5. | |
| On receiving this news, Megan’s dad, John, fought with everything he had to save the life of his precious child. He founded a company to look for a cure, and helped develop the drug that saved Megan’s life. Today she is 20 years old—and a sophomore at Notre Dame. Megan’s story is about the unbounded power of a father’s love for a daughter. | |
| Finally, to keep America safe we must provide the men and women of the United States Military with the tools they need to prevent war and – if they must – TO FIGHT AND TO WIN. | |
| I am sending Congress a budget that rebuilds the military, eliminates the defense sequester, and calls for one of the largest increases in national defense spending in American history. | |
| My budget will also increase funding for our veterans. Our Veterans have delivered for this nation – and now we must deliver for them. | |
| The challenges we face as a nation are great. | |
| But our people are even greater. | |
| And none are greater or braver than those who fight for America in uniform. | |
| But we know that America is better off, when there is less conflict -- not more. | |
| We must learn from the mistakes of the past – we have seen the war and destruction that have raged across our world. | |
| The only long-term solution for these humanitarian disasters is to create the conditions where displaced persons can safely return home and begin the long process of rebuilding. | |
| America is willing to find new friends, and to forge new partnerships, where shared interests align. | |
| Think of the marvels we can achieve if we simply set free the dreams of our people. | |
| Cures to illnesses that have always plagued us are not too much to hope. | |
| American footprints on distant worlds are not too big a dream. | |
| Millions lifted from welfare to work is not too much to expect. | |
| And streets where mothers are safe from fear—schools where children learn in peace—and jobs where Americans prosper and grow—are not too much to ask. | |
| When we have all of this, we will have made America greater than ever before. | |
| The time for small thinking is over. | |
| The time for trivial fights is behind us. | |
| We just need the courage to share the dreams that fill our hearts. | |
| The bravery to express the hopes that stir our souls. | |
| And the confidence to turn those hopes and dreams to action. | |
| From now on, America will be empowered by our aspirations – not burdened by our fears. | |
| 1.41am GMT | |
| 01:41 | |
| Guardian’s own Ben Jacobs is tweeting live updates from within the chamber. | |
| Spotted: Ben Carson and Rick Perry in the visitor's gallery | |
| A lot of Democratic women are wearing white tonight. However, John Conyers seems to be the only member in brown | |
| Loud cheers from the Republican half of the chamber as Mike Pence takes his place on the dais | |
| 1.38am GMT | |
| 01:38 | |
| Veep Mike Pence enters the chamber and gives a big bear hug to Speaker Paul Ryan. | |
| 1.37am GMT | |
| 01:37 | |
| Daughter Ivanka Trump and her advisor husband just left the White House, but not before one of her customary fashion tweets. | |
| Getting ready to leave The White House with @realdonaldtrump as he prepares to address Congress #JointSession pic.twitter.com/vlR1wPHGkK | |
| 1.31am GMT | |
| 01:31 | |
| More random lines of excerpts from Trump’s joint address to Congress tonight, from Fox News. | |
| On Obamacare: | |
| Tonight I’m also calling on this Congress to repeal and replace Obamacare with reforms that expand choice, increase access, lower costs and at the same time provide better health care. | |
| On tax reform: | |
| ...historic tax reform that will reduce the tax rate on our companies so they can compete and thrive anywhere and with anyone... | |
| On immigration: | |
| By finally enforcing our immigration laws, we will raise wages, help the unemployed, save billions of dollars and make our communities safer for everyone. | |
| On national security: | |
| [We] cannot allow a beachhead of terrorism to form inside of America. We cannot allow our nation to become a sanctuary for extremists. | |
| On education: | |
| Education is the civil rights issue of our time. | |
| The two key topics to watch for this evening are Obamacare - and exactly how Trump plans to repeal the policy and what it means for Medicaid - and tax reform, particularly the issue of a border adjustability tax. | |
| 1.24am GMT | 1.24am GMT |
| 01:24 | 01:24 |
| Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders laughed when asked about the excerpt from Trump’s speech which declares “the time for trivial fights is behind us”. | Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders laughed when asked about the excerpt from Trump’s speech which declares “the time for trivial fights is behind us”. |
| This is a man who has been attacking Muslims, he has been attacking Latinos, he has been attacking the media, he has been attacking judges who ruled against him and now he has concluded the time for trivial fights is behind us? Well, I hope he’s right. | This is a man who has been attacking Muslims, he has been attacking Latinos, he has been attacking the media, he has been attacking judges who ruled against him and now he has concluded the time for trivial fights is behind us? Well, I hope he’s right. |
| 1.19am GMT | 1.19am GMT |
| 01:19 | 01:19 |
| Excerpts of Trump speech released | Excerpts of Trump speech released |
| A senior administration official released some intriguing excerpts of Trump’s speech this evening to NBC reporter Kristen Welker. | A senior administration official released some intriguing excerpts of Trump’s speech this evening to NBC reporter Kristen Welker. |
| Excerpts from Trump's address to Congress, via senior administration official to @kwelkernbc pic.twitter.com/ISA9rmUTS1 | Excerpts from Trump's address to Congress, via senior administration official to @kwelkernbc pic.twitter.com/ISA9rmUTS1 |
| “We just need the courage to share the dreams that fill our hearts” is pretty clunky inspiration, but the first two excerpts do focus on the “optimism” that the Trump administration is promising in this speech. | “We just need the courage to share the dreams that fill our hearts” is pretty clunky inspiration, but the first two excerpts do focus on the “optimism” that the Trump administration is promising in this speech. |
| The official said Trump worked on the speech until 6:15, and that it’s a “Trump original”, according to tweets from NBC reporter Kristin Donnelly. | The official said Trump worked on the speech until 6:15, and that it’s a “Trump original”, according to tweets from NBC reporter Kristin Donnelly. |
| 1.00am GMT | 1.00am GMT |
| 01:00 | 01:00 |
| Democrat Eliot Engel, a New Yorker, usually sits on the aisle and shakes the president’s hand after their Congress address, a tradition he’s carried on for 29 years. | Democrat Eliot Engel, a New Yorker, usually sits on the aisle and shakes the president’s hand after their Congress address, a tradition he’s carried on for 29 years. |
| But tonight he won’t, as a protest against Trump. | But tonight he won’t, as a protest against Trump. |
| “Unfortunately, since Jan. 20, the new administration has shown no interest in working with the Congress on both sides to tackle problems, including Russia’s unlawful interference in last year’s election,” said Engel. | “Unfortunately, since Jan. 20, the new administration has shown no interest in working with the Congress on both sides to tackle problems, including Russia’s unlawful interference in last year’s election,” said Engel. |
| “That’s why I’ve decided not to stand on the aisle of the House chamber to shake the president’s hand during this joint session of Congress, as I have done in the past through Democratic and Republican administrations alike.” | “That’s why I’ve decided not to stand on the aisle of the House chamber to shake the president’s hand during this joint session of Congress, as I have done in the past through Democratic and Republican administrations alike.” |
| He spoke on NBC today about his decision: | He spoke on NBC today about his decision: |
| A 29 year tradition ends tonight: "I cant sit idly by and pretend that everything is hunky-dory" https://t.co/WN1DNnFn9X | A 29 year tradition ends tonight: "I cant sit idly by and pretend that everything is hunky-dory" https://t.co/WN1DNnFn9X |
| Fellow aisle fan Sheila Jackson Lee, a Democrat from Texas, also won’t stake out her usual aisle seat in advance and instead will just sit in “any available seat when she arrives,” according to her chief of staff. | Fellow aisle fan Sheila Jackson Lee, a Democrat from Texas, also won’t stake out her usual aisle seat in advance and instead will just sit in “any available seat when she arrives,” according to her chief of staff. |
| Maxine Waters, a Democrat from California, won’t attend the address in protest. | Maxine Waters, a Democrat from California, won’t attend the address in protest. |
| 12.38am GMT | 12.38am GMT |
| 00:38 | 00:38 |
| Tonight Donald Trump will address Congress for the first time since taking office, outlining his vision for the country. His dizzying 40 days in office have included a controversial travel ban squashed by the courts, constant squabbling with the media and diplomatic tussles with traditional allies. | Tonight Donald Trump will address Congress for the first time since taking office, outlining his vision for the country. His dizzying 40 days in office have included a controversial travel ban squashed by the courts, constant squabbling with the media and diplomatic tussles with traditional allies. |
| The speech, which kicks off at 9pm EST, is like a mini state of the union address and will go for over an hour. We’ll be liveblogging the whole affair here. | The speech, which kicks off at 9pm EST, is like a mini state of the union address and will go for over an hour. We’ll be liveblogging the whole affair here. |
| Like any Trump speech, it’ll likely include a wide variety of topics – immigration, healthcare, the military and taxes – and the executive orders signed today about rolling back environmental protections and encouraging women in Stem (science, technology, engineering and math) careers. | Like any Trump speech, it’ll likely include a wide variety of topics – immigration, healthcare, the military and taxes – and the executive orders signed today about rolling back environmental protections and encouraging women in Stem (science, technology, engineering and math) careers. |
| In a contrast to Trump’s gloomy inauguration day “American carnage” speech, the mood this evening is expected to be lighter. | In a contrast to Trump’s gloomy inauguration day “American carnage” speech, the mood this evening is expected to be lighter. |
| “My speech will be a message of optimism, hope, and love for the greatest country in history. I will lay out our agenda for a stronger, freer, and more prosperous America,” Trump said in an email to supporters this afternoon, calling on donations for his re-election. | “My speech will be a message of optimism, hope, and love for the greatest country in history. I will lay out our agenda for a stronger, freer, and more prosperous America,” Trump said in an email to supporters this afternoon, calling on donations for his re-election. |
| But while the administration is touting it as optimistic, advisor Steve Bannon, seen as Trump’s most influential advisor, spoke this week at CPAC about the three “verticals” the Trump administration will focus on, and it’s a less positive affair: national security and sovereignty, economic nationalism, and “deconstruction of the administrative state”. | But while the administration is touting it as optimistic, advisor Steve Bannon, seen as Trump’s most influential advisor, spoke this week at CPAC about the three “verticals” the Trump administration will focus on, and it’s a less positive affair: national security and sovereignty, economic nationalism, and “deconstruction of the administrative state”. |
| Trump is addressing lawmakers, and therefore may focus on more policy than a normal Trump chat, but he noted in the donation email that his speech tonight will be aimed at the masses: | Trump is addressing lawmakers, and therefore may focus on more policy than a normal Trump chat, but he noted in the donation email that his speech tonight will be aimed at the masses: |
| Tonight at 9pm EST I’m going to speak before Congress for the first time. But more importantly, I will be speaking to you – the American people. | Tonight at 9pm EST I’m going to speak before Congress for the first time. But more importantly, I will be speaking to you – the American people. |
| In protest of Trump, female Democrats donned white for the occasion, a nod to the white-frocked suffragette movement. (Remember, Hillary Clinton wore a white suit to accept her nomination at the DNC last June as a tribute to the Suffragettes.) | In protest of Trump, female Democrats donned white for the occasion, a nod to the white-frocked suffragette movement. (Remember, Hillary Clinton wore a white suit to accept her nomination at the DNC last June as a tribute to the Suffragettes.) |
| Keep your eye out tonight as Democratic #WomenWearWhite in support of women’s rights during the #JointSession! pic.twitter.com/4l4TUc79RQ | Keep your eye out tonight as Democratic #WomenWearWhite in support of women’s rights during the #JointSession! pic.twitter.com/4l4TUc79RQ |
| suffragette white for the #JointSession via @RepGraceMeng pic.twitter.com/HNUcwOQsXw | suffragette white for the #JointSession via @RepGraceMeng pic.twitter.com/HNUcwOQsXw |
| Anti-Trump protesters, including TV personality Rosie O’Donnell, are marching on the US Capitol in advance of the speech. | Anti-Trump protesters, including TV personality Rosie O’Donnell, are marching on the US Capitol in advance of the speech. |
| It’ll be a busy evening, stay with us! | It’ll be a busy evening, stay with us! |
| Updated | Updated |
| at 1.01am GMT | at 1.01am GMT |