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Presidential address: Trump promises 'a great, great wall' in speech to Congress – live Presidential address: Trump promises 'a great, great wall' in speech to Congress – live
(35 minutes later)
2.34am GMT 3.09am GMT
02:34 03:09
“We must create a level playing field for American companies and workers,” says Trump. Trump is beginning to wrap up the speech, with some very flowery language calling on “cures to illnesses” and “one people, with one destiny”.
“Currently, when we ship products out of America, many other countries make us pay very high tariffs and taxes -- but when foreign companies ship their products into America, we charge them almost nothing.” Think of the marvels we can achieve if we simply set free the dreams of our people.
He noted that he recently met with Harley Davidson, who brought five motorcycles to the White House. Cures to illnesses that have always plagued us are not too much to hope.
“And they wanted me to ride one and I said ‘no thank you,” said Trump, an ad lib that didn’t appear in his prepared remarks, which were released by the White House shortly after he began speaking. American footprints on distant worlds are not too big a dream.
2.30am GMT Millions lifted from welfare to work is not too much to expect.
02:30 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.
While Republicans might be on their feet clapping, Democrats are not. When we have all of this, we will have made America greater than ever before. For all Americans.
This reaction by @NancyPelosi is EVERYTHING #SOTU @Shareblue pic.twitter.com/nW9Qf8tSZS This is our vision. This is our mission.
But we can only get there together.
We are one people, with one destiny.
We all bleed the same blood.
We all salute the same great American flag.
And we are all made by the same God.
And when we fulfill this vision; when we celebrate our 250 years of glorious freedom, we will look back on tonight as when this new chapter of American greatness began.
3.07am GMT
03:07
Trump’s comments on the place of the US and the presidency in the world are interesting, noting:
My job is not to represent the world. My job is to represent the United States of America.
The line gets a lot of applause. He continues noting that the US does not want international conflict and that the best thing for “humanitarian disasters is to create the conditions where displaced persons can safely return home and begin the long process of rebuilding.”
We want peace, wherever peace can be found. America is friends today with former enemies. Some of our closest allies, decades ago, fought on the opposite side of these World Wars. This history should give us all faith in the possibilities for a better world.
Hopefully, the 250th year for America will see a world that is more peaceful, more just and more free.
3.06am GMT
03:06
Video: Trump on repealing the Affordable Care Act
3.05am GMT
03:05
As expected, Trump speaks positively about NATO - although he notes financial issues.
We strongly support NATO, an alliance forged through the bonds of two World Wars that dethroned fascism, and a Cold War that defeated communism.
But our partners must meet their financial obligations.
And now, based on our very strong and frank discussions, they are beginning to do just that.
“And I can tell you the money is pouring in,” adds Trump, an ad-lib from the prepared remarks.
3.02am GMT
03:02
Carryn Owens is in tears as the Chamber gives her and her late husband a standing ovation.
Trump notes that the clapping just “broke a record” because it went so long.
“Ryan laid down his life for his friends, for his country, and for our freedom –- we will never forget Ryan,” says Trump.
3.00am GMT
03:00
Fact-checking Trump's speech, #5 on jobs, poverty and healthcare
Alan Yuhas
Trump: “Ninety-four million Americans are out of the labor force.”
Fact-check: This is a vastly exaggerated claim that seems to rely on the roughly 94 million civilians who are 16 or older and not in the labor force: retired people, high school and college students, people with a disability, etc. The unemployment rate in January was 4.8%, or about 7.5 million people who are looking for work but can’t find it.
Trump: “Over 43 million people are now living in poverty, and over 43 million Americans are on food stamps.”
Fact-check: Trump is correct that about 43 million Americans are classified as living in poverty, according to the Census Bureau, after a small decline last year. He is also correct about 43 million people using food stamps, according to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. That number reached as high as 47.6 million people in 2013, during the slow recovery.
Trump: “More than 1 in 5 people in their prime working years are not working.”
Fact-check: This appears to be a rephrasing of Trump’s claim about 94 million people out of the workforce; if so, he seems to suggest that disabled people, senior citizens and people under 18 are in their “prime working years”.
Trump: “We have the worst financial recovery in 65 years.”
Fact-check: This claim is true only because the 2008 financial crisis was the worst economic collapse in American history except for the Great Depression, when people starved to death and moved constantly in search of work. In 1933, 25% of all workers and 37% of all non-farm workers were out of work. After the 2008 financial crisis, the US lost 8.7m jobs – in October 2010, unemployment reached a peak of 10%. The recession itself lasted 18 months, officially.
Trump: “Obamacare is collapsing.”
Fact-check: The Affordable Care Act’s healthcare program does have problems, but it is not “collapsing” or in the much warned “death spiral” in which rising costs push healthy people out of the market, ever increasing fees and then pushing companies out as well. But healthcare premiums are increasing at varying rates around the country, on average by 22%, making an unstable market state-to-state. Rates were increasing before the law was enacted, however, and about 30 million people are enrolled in the program.
3.00am GMT
03:00
Now it’s on to the military and veterans, pet topics for Trump.
“I am sending the 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,” says Trump.
“My budget will also increase funding for our veterans.
“Our veterans have delivered for this Nation –- and now we must deliver for them.”
In attendance tonight is Carryn Owens, the widow of a US Navy Special Operator, Senior Chief William “Ryan” Owens, who died in a raid in Yemen in January, shortly after Trump’s inauguration.
2.58am GMT
02:58
Trump announces 'victims of immigration crime' office
Trump announces that he has “ordered the Department of Homeland Security to create an office to serve American Victims. The office is called VOICE –- Victims Of Immigration Crime Engagement.”
The news was not greeted by cheers, but by rumblings. One of Trump’s election arguments for tighter border control was because of the supposed huge numbers of immigrant criminals.
“We are providing a voice to those who have been ignored by our media, and silenced by special interests,” said Trump.
He has four guests in attendance - Jamiel Shaw, Susan Oliver, Jenna Oliver, and Jessica Davis - who had loved ones killed by undocumented immigrants (Trump calls them “illegal immigrants”).
Trump doesn’t clarify if VOICE only applies to crimes perpetrated by undocumented or all immigrants.
2.54am GMT
02:54
Trump starts on education, framing it as a race issue.
Education is the civil rights issue of our time.
I am calling upon members of both parties to pass an education bill that funds school choice for disadvantaged youth, including millions of African-American and Latino children. These families should be free to choose the public, private, charter, magnet, religious or home school that is right for them.
He then notes that he has a guest here this evening, a young woman who failed third grade twice before switching to a private school and ending up a college graduate.
2.52am GMT
02:52
Fact-checking Trump's speech, #4
Alan Yuhas
Trump: “We’ve lost more than one-fourth of our manufacturing jobs since NAFTA was approved, and we’ve lost 60,000 factories since China joined the World Trade Organization in 2001.”
Fact-check: According to a study by Ball State University’s Center for Business and Economic Research, slightly more than 10% of the manufacturing jobs lost since the 1970s were due to trade deals such as Nafta. The study estimated that 88% of factory jobs lost since the 1970s were taken by automation.
Economists still debate the effect of the deal on jobs. In 2015, the Congressional Research Service wrote that the “net overall effect” was “relatively modest”. “Nafta did not cause the huge job losses feared by the critics or the large economic gains predicted by supporters.”
A 2012 report by the OECD found that manufacturing jobs did flee the US after the deal was signed, but also noted the broader shift toward a service economy.
Trump is correct that China has benefited from trade deals, such as the “most favored nation” status that Bill Clinton renewed for the country. But it too has started to feel the effects of robots replacing humans in the workforce.
UpdatedUpdated
at 2.31am GMT at 2.52am GMT
2.30am GMT 2.51am GMT
02:30 02:51
“I have also imposed new sanctions on entities and individuals who support Iran’s ballistic missile program, and reaffirmed our unbreakable alliance with the State of Israel,” says Trump. Even the Republicans seemed unsure about Trump’s $1 trillion infrastructure plan, according to Ben Jacobs in the chamber.
He then notes that he has nominated Judge Neil Gorsuch to fill the empty seat in the Supreme Court bench. Republicans are awkwardly standing up for the infrastructure program and seeming very confused
Five justices are attending this address this evening. Maureen Scalia, wife of the late Antonin Scalia, is also there, and Trump pays tribute to the conservative judge. 2.50am GMT
“He will forever be a symbol of American justice,” says Trump. 02:50
2.27am GMT Trump calls on both sides of Congress to work together to repeal Obamacare, as well as other issues he believes should be non-partisan:
02:27 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.
Big claps from the crowd when Trump declares: “we are also taking strong measures to protect our nation from radical Islamic terrorism.” 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.
He notes attacks in France, Belgium and in the United States. The first mention of Trump’s interest in accessible childcare and paid family leave was made in daughter Ivanka’s speech at the RNC, but no further detail or information has been released about the policy.
It is not compassionate, but reckless, to allow uncontrolled entry from places where proper vetting cannot occur. Those given the high honor of admission to the United States should support this country and love its people and its values. Ironically, Trump’s call for “clear water” comes on the same day Trump signed an executive order to review Obama’s “Waters of the United States”, a regulation to ensure clean drinking water.
We cannot allow a beachhead of terrorism to form inside America -- we cannot allow our Nation to become a sanctuary for extremists. 2.45am GMT
“That is why my Administration has been working on improved vetting procedures, and we will shortly take new steps to keep our nation safe -- and to keep out those who would do us harm,” says Trump, possibly a heads up about an updated travel ban executive order, after his last one was stopped by the courts. 02:45
2.26am GMT Trump speaks about repealing the Affordable Care Act but doesn’t provide any clear details on what will replace the system.
02:26 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.
Fact-checking Trump's speech The closest he gets to explaining exactly what will replace Obamacare are five “principles the should guide the Congress”.
First, we should ensure that Americans with pre-existing conditions have access to coverage, and that we have a stable transition for Americans currently enrolled in the healthcare exchanges.
Secondly, we should help Americans purchase their own coverage, through the use of tax credits and expanded Health Savings Accounts –- but it must be the plan they want, not the plan forced on them by the Government.
Thirdly, we should give our great State Governors the resources and flexibility they need with Medicaid to make sure no one is left out.
Fourthly, we should implement legal reforms that protect patients and doctors from unnecessary costs that drive up the price of insurance – and work to bring down the artificially high price of drugs and bring them down immediately.
Finally, the time has come to give Americans the freedom to purchase health insurance across State lines –- creating a truly competitive national marketplace that will bring cost way down and provide far better care.
2.44am GMT
02:44
Video: Trump on immigration and national security
2.42am GMT
02:42
Fact-checking Trump's speech, #3 on taxes and job creation
Alan YuhasAlan Yuhas
Trump: “We’ve defended the borders of other nations while leaving our own border wide open for anyone to cross and for drugs to pour in and at a now unprecedented rate.” Trump: “Right now American companies are taxed at one of the highest rates anywhere in the world.”
Fact-check: The US’s borders are not “wide open for anyone to cross”, with sections of wall and fencing along the southern border, 21,000 Customs and Border Patrol agents, and a recent history of aggressive deportation. Barack Obama deported a record more than 2.5 million people since he took office, including a record 438,421 people in 2013. The US also has extremely strict vetting for visa applicants and refugees, forcing people to go through multiple rounds of interviews, background checks and medical screenings. Fact-check: The US is not even in the top 30 highest-taxed nations in the world, according to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. The OECD’s most recent data ranks the US 31st of 34 industrialized nations for tax revenue as a percentage of GDP – far behind Denmark, Britain, Germany and Luxembourg. The US ranks 17th for corporate tax revenue, and 19th for tax revenue per capita. The US is not the tax friendliest country in the world, according to the accounting firm KPMG, but it does rank in the top 10.
Trump: “We’ve spent trillions and trillions of dollars overseas while our infrastructure at home has so badly crumbled.” Trump: “We will create massive tax relief for the middle class.”
Fact-check: Trump does not specify what spending he’s referring to – though the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq have cost an estimated $4.79tn, according to a study by Brown University’s Watson Institute for International and Public Affairs published last year. The authors wrote that the sum is “so large as to be almost incomprehensible.” Fact-check: Trump’s tax plan cuts taxes for all American but, by a wide margin, disproportionately helps the wealthiest Americans. According to a conservative thinktank, the Tax Foundation, his plan would save wealthy Americans millions of dollars and add $5.3tn to the national debt. Half of Trump’s tax cuts would go to the top 1% of earners, the thinktank said, and most families below the top 20% of earners would have income gains of less than 1%.
Trump is correct that US infrastructure, in general, is in dire need of repair and reconstruction. In 2013, the American Society of Civil Engineers reported that the government needs to spend roughly $1.4 trillion over the next decade, or $3.6tn by 2020, to overcome the shortfall in infrastructure funding. With intransigence in Washington DC, the last infrastructure bill to be signed was a $305bn bill by Barack Obama in 2015. Trump: “Since my election, Ford, Fiat Chrysler, General Motors, Sprint, Softbank, Lockheed, Wal Mart, and many others have announced they will invest billions and billions of dollars in the United States and will create tens of thousands of new American jobs.”
2.24am GMT Fact-check: Bloomberg has dissected Trump’s claims about job creation at length; most cases predated Trump, do not actually create jobs, or have nothing to do with him.
02:24 General Motors committed $1bn to its US factories just before Trump’s inauguration; it earlier committed $2.9bn before any votes were cast. The company’s plan to “create” around 7,000 jobs includes preserving some jobs that already exist. Walmart announced an expansion in October, before the election, and later said the plan includes 10,000 jobs. Amazon announced an ambitious plan for 100,000 jobs, but has been hiring thousands of people every month for over a year. IBM announced 25,000 jobs in December under a plan it says was made before the election. Chrysler “announced” 2,000 jobs in January that were stipulated by a contract signed in 2015.
Now it turns to immigration and national security, with Trump bringing up the wall. Crediting Trump, Ford promised 700 jobs and a $700m investment; Bayer promised 3,000 jobs and an $8bn investment; and Lockheed Martin promised 1,800 jobs. Carrier has said it agreed to keep 700-800 jobs in the US that were set to transfer to Mexico, and has credited Trump with its decision; the company is still sending about 1,000 other jobs to Mexico.
“By finally enforcing our immigration laws, we will raise wages, help the unemployed, save billions of dollars, and make our communities safer for everyone. We want all Americans to succeed –- but that can’t happen in an environment of lawless chaos. We must restore integrity and the rule of law to our borders. In all, these amount to about 200,000 hypothetical jobs announced in recent months, a total that amounts to 0.1% of the almost 150 million people working in the US.
“For that reason, we will soon begin the construction of a great, great wall along our southern border,” he says, noting that “bad ones” are being removed from the country as he speaks. Updated
“To any in Congress who do not believe we should enforce our laws, I would ask you this question: what would you say to the American family that loses their jobs, their income, or a loved one, because America refused to uphold its laws and defend its borders?” at 3.01am GMT
2.21am GMT 2.42am GMT
02:21 02:42
When Trump mentions the construction of the Keystone and Dakota Access Pipelines, cheers can be heard from the chamber. Armed authorities removed Dakota Access Pipeline protesters in a military-style takeover just last week. Just before mentioning Obamacare, Trump called on Congress to invest $1 trillion in infrastructure. Although that might seem non-partisan, Democrats didn’t welcome it.
“And I’ve issued a new directive that new American pipelines be made with American steel,” adds Trump, and some Republicans give a standing ovation. Looks like Trump has blown Dem support for infrastructure package. He just called for $1T infra bill and no cheers from Dems.
2.19am GMT 2.41am GMT
02:19 02:41
“Drain the swamp” gets a shout out, with Trump declaring: Now on to Obamacare.
We have begun to drain the swamp of government corruption by imposing a five year ban on lobbying by executive branch officials –- and a lifetime ban on becoming lobbyists for a foreign government. “Tonight, I am also calling on this Congress to repeal and replace Obamacare,” says Trump.
That line which gets a rowdy applause from lawmakers. The Republican side of the chamber jumps to their feet and cheers. The Democrats all remain seated, with some female politicians in white suits seen giving the thumbs down to Trump’s comments.
2.18am GMT 2.37am GMT
02:18 02:37
Trump touts the country’s economic progress since his inauguration. Trump calls on Dems and Republicans to “work together” on immigration reform.
Since my election, Ford, Fiat-Chrysler, General Motors, Sprint, Softbank, Lockheed, Intel, Walmart, and many others, have announced that they will invest billions of dollars in the United States and will create tens of thousands of new American jobs. I believe that real and positive immigration reform is possible, as long as we focus on the following goals: to improve jobs and wages for Americans, to strengthen our nation’s security, and to restore respect for our laws.
The stock market has gained almost three trillion dollars in value since the election on November 8th, a record. We’ve saved taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars by bringing down the price of the fantastic new F-35 jet fighter, and will be saving billions more dollars on contracts all across our government. If we are guided by the well-being of American citizens then I believe Republicans and Democrats can work together to achieve an outcome that has eluded our country for decades.
We have placed a hiring freeze on non-military and non-essential federal workers. 2.37am GMT
2.18am GMT 02:37
02:18 Fact-checking Trump's speech, #2 on immigration and taxes
2.16am GMT Alan Yuhas
02:16 Trump: “By finally enforcing our immigration laws, we will raise wages, help the unemployed, save billions of dollars, and make our communities safer for everyone.”
Trump then speaks of “mistakes of recent decades” including crumbling infrastructure, neglected inner cities and a shrinking middle class, before addressing his election as a “rebellion” by citizens. Fact-check: The economic benefit of Trump’s immigration plans are uncertain. A fair amount of research suggests that immigration is good for the economy, and some US industries rely heavily on employees with visas (such as tech) or undocumented workers (such as agriculture).
Then, in 2016, the earth shifted beneath our feet. The rebellion started as a quiet protest, spoken by families of all colors and creeds -– families who just wanted a fair shot for their children, and a fair hearing for their concerns. If enacted, Trump’s plans would also have cost taxpayers billions. Trump’s promised wall would cost Americans about $21.6bn; Mexico has flatly refused to pay for it and Trump has not explained how he could force the country to do so. Aggressive deportation plans could cost billions more, especially if Trump greatly expands the number of federal employees in Homeland Security and the number of private prison contractors.
But then the quiet voices became a loud chorus -- as thousands of citizens now spoke out together, from cities small and large, all across our country. Trump: “We’ve saved taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars by bringing down the price of a fantastic, and it is a fantastic, new F-35 jet fighter.”
Finally, the chorus became an earthquake – and the people turned out by the tens of millions, and they were all united by one very simple, but crucial demand, that America must put its own citizens first ... because only then, can we truly MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN. Fact-check: The negotiations between the Pentagon and Lockheed Martin about the price of the F-35 began before Trump’s inauguration; on December 19, after Trump tweeted, but before he met with the company’s CEO, the air force announced a significant decrease in the jet’s price.
2.14am GMT Trump: “Where proper vetting cannot occur … we cannot allow a beachhead of terrorism to establish itself in America.”
02:14 Fact-check: Trump’s suggestion that the US’s vetting methods cannot account for the systems of countries abroad has flipped the nature of vetting from how it actually happens. The system, among the most intensive screening process in the world for refugees, relies on US agencies, not those of countries abroad, to vet applicants. People who want to come to the US must pass multiple background checks and interviews with several agencies, as well as medical checks, fingerprint and photo screenings. The process takes 18-24 months.
Trump notes that in nine years, the country will celebrate its 250th anniversary. Updated
“But what will America look like as we reach our 250th year? What kind of country will we leave for our children?” he asks. at 3.02am GMT
2.13am GMT
02:13
Trump begins joint address to Congress
Trump begins his speech addressing members, before noting FLOTUS, who then gets a standing ovation from Republicans.
In a perhaps surprising move, Trump begins by acknowledging Black History Month, civil rights and “the work that still must be done.”
He then notes the recent “vandalism of Jewish cemeteries, as well as last week’s shooting in Kansas city.
He notes that it “reminds us that while we may be a Nation divided on policies, we are a country that stands united in condemning hate and evil in all its forms.”
“I’m here tonight to deliver a message of unity and strength and it’s a message deeply delivered from my heart.”
2.09am GMT
02:09
Speaker Paul Ryan hits his gavel for silence.
“I have the high privilege and the distinct honor of presenting to you the president of the United States,” declares Ryan.
More cheering ensues.
2.07am GMT
02:07
The cheering continues!
Trump approaches the podium and shakes hands with Paul Ryan and Mike Pence.
2.07am GMT
02:07
Rosie O’Donnell protests Trump before speech
David Smith
Actor Rosie O’Donnell unleashed an angry tirade against Donald Trump outside the White House on Tuesday, branding her old foe a liar and a bully.
“This is not Russia,” she shouted to more than a hundred rain soaked protesters on Tuesday night. “To Donald Trump and his pathetic band of white privileged criminal businessman, I would like to say to him: Nyet, sir! Nyet! Nyet! Nyet!”
O’Donnell went on furiously: “No we won’t, we’ve seen what you’ve done, sir. We have seen your connections with Russia. The game is over. The internet rules. All media is universal. The truth matters even if our major media companies will not call him a liar. We will!”
She then led the crowd in chants of: “He lies! He lies! He lies!”
The 54-year-old performer added: “And it’s about time they all started saying that instead of, ‘It appears as if he hasn’t been speaking the truth.’ Cut it down to the lowest common denominator like he does.”
O’Donnell and Trump have a feud dating back seven years. When Trump was asked at a 2015 Republican primary debate about his use of language like “fat pigs,” “dogs,” “slobs” and “disgusting animals” to describe some women, he replied: “Only Rosie O’Donnell.”
On Tuesday she parodied Trump’s voice - “it’s a bigly good idea” - and then referred to the US navy Seal killed in a recent raid in Yemen. “Well, tell that to Ryan Owens’ father, sir. How dare you, Donald Trump? This is America, it is not yours, it is not corporately owned. It is of the people, by the people and for the people. And we the people will not stand for it.
“He has degraded and bullied people his entire career. The president of the United States has been accused of rape many, many times. Report that. That’s the fact Jack! That’s how we’re going to go from now on, down and dirty like Donald Trump.” O’Donnell was repeating unsubstantiated rape allegations against Trump. Multiple women have accused Trump of sexual assault and misconduct, including groping, but a lawsuit filed by a woman accusing him of rape was withdrawn twice, and Trump’s ex-wife Ivana Trump recanted her statement that he had raped her while they were married.
The “resistance” event, ahead of Trump’s first speech to Congress, heard speeches from groups representing civil liberties, military veterans, Muslims and nurses. People held umbrellas in one hand and placards in the other, with slogans including, “He lies”, “Investigate Trump”, “Read the constitution” and “We don’t love Trump’s hate”.
Will Fischer, a marine and member of VoteVets, an organisation representing more than half a million military veterans across America, called on Congress to vote on getting information from the Department of Justice on the president’s ties to Russia. “I’m a marine, I’m a combat veteran and I want to see Donald Trump investigated,” he said.
This prompted chants of “Lock him up! Lock him up!” - an inversion of the “Lock her up!” shouts about Hillary Clinton heard at Trump’s campaign rallies.
Fischer added: “We want to know the truth. Did Donald Trump break the law? Did Donald Trump violate the constitution? Did Donald Trump put our national security at risk?”
Rabbi Jason Kimelman-Block, director of Bend the Arc Jewish Action, told the gathering that his child’s school had just received a bomb threat. “The Jewish community is reeling right now... Mr President, fire Steve Bannon!”
Larry Cohen of Our Revolution said: “We don’t take the word ‘resistance’ lightly. We know what it means. It means when they come for an immigrant I’ll stand there and they’ll have to take me first... What we will do, Donald Trump, as you attack, we will stand up and fight back.”
2.05am GMT
02:05
To the annoucement of “Mr Speaker, the president of the United States,” Trump enters the chamber.
He’s wearing a navy and white striped tie. He shakes hands with members on both sides of the aisle and is smiling and pointing to the crowd.
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.