US President, Donald Trump has used his State of the Union address to deliver an upbeat vision of the US economy.
Trump’s speech clocked in at about an hour and 47 minutes, breaking the record for length set by his address to Congress last year.
The US President focused much of the first hour of his speech on the economy, insisting repeatedly that rising costs are no longer a problem. “The roaring economy is roaring like never before,” he said.
He cheered the lower cost of gasoline, mortgage rates, prescription drug prices and the rising stock market,saying, “Millions and millions of Americans are all gaining.”
Also, Trump sought to treat the recent Supreme Court ruling on his tariffs with indifference, insisting that tariff revenues were “saving” the US. He said that the tariffs were paid by foreign countries even as virtually every study concludes that costs have been paid by US firms and consumers.
“As time goes by, I believe the tariffs paid by foreign countries will, like in the past, substantially replace the modern day system of income tax, taking a great burden off the people that I love.”
Donald Trump
The Republican President took aim at Democrats and blamed them for many of the nation’s ills. Trump said that rising health care premiums are “caused by you,” suggested Democrats “are not protecting” Social Security and blamed them for the nation’s affordability crunch. “You caused that problem. You caused that problem,” Trump said while looking at the Democratic side of the room.
Trump also used the speech, which comes less than nine months before the midterms, to reprise his attack on the integrity of US elections.
“I’m asking you to approve the Save America Act to stop illegal aliens and other who are unpermitted persons from voting in our sacred American elections. Cheating is rampant in our elections.”
Donald Trump
Trump said of Democrats, “They want to cheat.”
“They have cheated, and their policy is so bad that the only way they can get elected is to cheat and we’re going to stop it. We have to stop it.”
Donald Trump
Trump Hints On Striking Iran If No Deal Is Reached
Eight months after striking its nuclear facilities, the US President entertained further strikes if Iranian leaders don’t cut a deal.
Trump claimed Iran and its proxies have “killed and maimed thousands of American service members” with roadside bombs. He also said that the Iranian regime had killed “it looks like 32,000 protesters.”
Trump talked about Iran’s nuclear threat and he tried to reconcile striking Iran again with his past claims that he had “obliterated” Iran’s nuclear program just eight months ago.
“They were warned to make no future attempts to rebuild their weapons program, in particular, nuclear weapons. Yet they continue starting it all over. We wiped it out, and they want to start all over again – and are, at this moment again, pursuing their sinister ambitions.”
Donald Trump
Trump concluded by saying he still prefers to cut a deal but Iranians haven’t said what US officials want to hear, which is that they will not build a nuclear weapon.
“My preference is to solve this problem through diplomacy. But one thing is certain, I will never allow the world’s number one sponsor of terror, which they are, by far to have a nuclear weapon. Can’t let that happen.”
Donald Trump
Whether one views the economy through a supportive or critical lens, the US President’s message shows he sees economic performance as both a defining achievement of his tenure and a central argument for continued policy continuity.
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