A bitter feud between President Donald Trump and top Democrat Nancy Pelosi boiled over at his State of the Union speech, with Trump snubbing her outstretched hand and Pelosi ripping apart a copy of his remarks behind his back
WASHINGTON, Feb 5 (NNN-AGENCIES) —President Donald Trump has hailed the “great American comeback” in a speech to Congress on the eve of his expected acquittal in his impeachment trial.
At his annual State of the Union address, Trump struck a tone of optimism as he set out his case for another four years in office.
The Republican president delivered Tuesday night’s nationally televised speech in the Democratic-controlled US House of Representatives, where he was impeached in December.
On the other side of the Capitol, the Republican-led Senate is all but certain on Wednesday to clear the president of corruption charges in a party-line vote.
Before Trump began speaking at the podium in the well of the House, he appeared to ignore a handshake from the chamber’s Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
Pelosi, the president’s implacable political foe and the most powerful elected Democrat, was sitting behind him at the dias.
Republican lawmakers chanted “four more years” as he prepared to speak, urging him on for November’s White House election.
With an upbeat note that contrasted sharply with his lament of “American carnage” in his 2017 inaugural presidential address, Trump told his audience: “The years of economic decay are over.
“The days of our country being used, taken advantage of, and even scorned by other nations are long behind us.
“Gone too are the broken promises, jobless recoveries, tired platitudes, and constant excuses for the depletion of American wealth, power, and prestige.”
The president invited several special guests to the address, including Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido, two military veterans and the brother of a man killed by an undocumented immigrant.
Trump welcomed the Venezuelan visitor with a remark that was also seen as a jab at liberal Democrats, including the left-wing candidates vying to challenge him for the White House, Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren.
“Socialism destroys nations,” said the president. “But always remember, freedom unifies the soul.”
He hammered the point home later in the speech while talking about medical coverage, saying: “We will never let socialism destroy American healthcare!”
As they did last year, many female Democrats – including Pelosi – wore white as tribute to the suffragettes who won the vote for US women in 1920.
Several liberal Democratic lawmakers, including Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York and Maxine Waters of California, boycotted Trump’s address.
A Democratic rebuttal to Trump’s speech will be delivered afterwards by Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer. Congresswoman Veronica Escobar of Texas will follow in Spanish.
As is traditional during the State of the Union, one member of the president’s cabinet does not attend the address.
He or she remains at a secret location to make sure the government could continue should disaster befall the nation’s president, vice-president and other top leaders.
That person, who is known as the designated survivor, was Interior Secretary David Bernhardt on Tuesday night. — NNN-AGENCIES
