Trump appeals for unity in second State of the Union address

U.S. President Donald Trump has appealed for unity among Americans in his second State of the Union address on Tuesday evening at Capitol Hill, urging the two parties to work together and unite the nation.

“Victory is not winning for our party, victory is winning for our country,” he told Congress and Americans.

“The agenda I will lay out this evening is not a Republican Agenda or a Democrat Agenda. It is the agenda of the American people,” Trump said, urging the Republican Party and the Democrats to work together “for a great rebuilding of America’s crumbling infrastructure.”

“We must reject the politics of revenge, resistance, and retribution and embrace the boundless potential of cooperation, compromise, and the common good.”

‘Unprecedented economic boom’

Trump also highlighted the “unprecedented economic boom” his administration achieved after he came into office.

Trump said:

-5.3 million new jobs were created, including 600,000 new manufacturing jobs;

– Unemployment fellto 3.7 percent, the lowestin over half a century;

– Estate tax for small businesses, ranches, and family farms was cut;

– Obamacare’s individual mandatepenalty was repealed.

Trump said the U.S. economy is growing almost twice as fast today as when he took office, praising it as the hottest economy anywhere in the world.

Border wall – ‘I will get it built’

Trump said in the State of the Union address that border issue is a moral one and that the U.S. is committed to ending illegal immigration.

“The lawless state of our southern border is a threat to the safety, security, and financial well-being of all Americans,” Trump said. “We have a moral duty to create an immigration system that protects the lives and jobs of our citizens.”

Besides for illegal immigration, Trump also said the government is to crack down on the human traffickers, cartels and drug dealers that are also part of the border issue.

In his speech, Trump reiterated his determination to build the border wall despite the fact the parties have yet failed to reach a funding deal.

“Where walls go up, illegal crossings go way down,” Trump said.

Strong female work presence

Trump highlighted the strong presence of women in the country’s workforce as 58% of all new jobs created last year were filled by women.

“We also have more women serving in Congress than ever before,” Trump said.

Tuesday night saw a group of Democratic women, including House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, dressed in suffragette whitein support of women’s “hard-earned rights”.

Second Trump-Kim meeting in Vietnam

Trump confirmed during his speech that he will meetDemocratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) leader Kim Jong Un on February 27 and 28 in Vietnam.

But he did not reveal any more details.

U.S. to continue defense buildup

Trump said the U.S. will keep build up its military defense and neverapologize for advancing America’s interests.

“The United States is developing a state-of-the-art missile defense system.”

He mentioned the latest withdrawal from the INF treaty with Russia, saying there might be an option to come up with a differentmultilateral treaty, or perhaps no.

What else did Trump say

Trade: Trump asked Congress to pass the United States Reciprocal Trade Act and new U.S.-Mexico-Canada agreement(USMCA), as a replacement of NAFTA.

Infrastructure: Trump pledged to rebuild America’s “crumbling infrastructure”, to lower the cost of health care and prescription drugs as a priority.

Health: Trump hailed remarkable strides in the fight against HIV, AIDS and called for the effort to fight child cancer in the country. Trump also said he’ll seek help to pass legislation to prohibit the late-term abortion of children.

Venezuela: “We stand with the Venezuelan people in their noble quest for freedom”.

Middle East: Trump said it’s time to bring U.S. soldiers home after years of fight with ISIL and that talks with Afghan groups to reduce U.S. troop presence in Afghanistan and reach a political agreement are ongoing.