Trump seeks 'unity' in State of the Union address

Trump seeks 'unity' in State of the Union address

AFP/File / Fabrice COFFRINIUS President Donald Trump will defend his economic record in his State of the Union address

US President Donald Trump delivers his biggest speech of the year Tuesday, a State of the Union address designed to sell his economic record to skeptics and unite a deeply polarized America.

The primetime address, watched by as many as 40 million Americans, is a once-in-a-year opportunity to speak to the nation and mend his sunken approval ratings.

"I want to see our country united. I want to bring our country back from a tremendous divisiveness," Trump said hours before delivering his keynote speech to a joint session of Congress, at 9:00 pm (0200 GMT).

Over the years, the State of the Union address has lost some of its influence, but it can still shape public debate for weeks to come.

The White House hopes it can also improve Trump's political fortunes.

During his first year, Trump has proven to be one of the most divisive political figures in modern American history, defying norms and sticking to a base-first approach with little attempt to widen his appeal.

But with legislative elections scheduled for November and the probe into his campaign's ties with Russia intensifying, Tuesday's speech may see something of a change in strategy.

"I would love, I would love to be able to bring back our country into a great form of unity," Trump said at the White House, previewing his remarks.

AFP / Brendan SmialowskiA view of the US Capitol a day before Trump's State of the Union address

That softer tone may be borne from political necessity. Trump's approval rating is languishing around 40 percent, according to the RealClearPolitics average, and opposition to his presidency is intense.

At a donor retreat in California this week, Republican strategists warned that an unpopular president and strong enthusiasm among Democrats could spell electoral doom.

If the Republican-controlled Congress were to change hands in November, whispers calling for Trump's impeachment would undoubtedly become screams.

Adding to Republican woes is a steady stream of revelations about the Trump campaign's ties to Russia, which is accused of trying to tilt the 2016 election in Trump's favor.

The eve of Trump's remarks were dominated by the departure of a key figure in that probe, the deputy head of the FBI Andrew McCabe, who had come under sustained public criticism from the president.

The White House also faced blowback for slow-walking lawmakers' demands for sanctions against Russia and welcoming into the country a top Russian spymaker who is under sanction.

- The state of the union is... -

In 94 previous addresses, American presidents have described the state of the union as "good," "strong," "sound" or in the case of a glum Gerald Ford, "not good."

Expect no such moderation from the 71-year-old real estate mogul and reality TV star.

The state of the union is "incredible," said White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders, outlining a speech that will be long on claims of achievement.

Trump is expected to tout a long bull run on Wall Street and improving growth rates, something the White House is calling a "Trump bump" linked directly to the recent "Trump tax cut."

That narrative suffered a setback when stocks suffered their biggest drop in eight months on Tuesday, amid fears of a bubble. But expect Trump to plow on.

Since Trump came to office a year ago, the Dow Jones Industrial Average is up by almost 33 percent. The unemployment rate is at a 17-year low.

- 'America First' -

Tuesday's speech is also expected to touch on the highly charged issue of migration, where Trump continues to play firmly to his base.

Two couples whose daughters were murdered by MS-13, a Salvadoran gang, are among those the White House invited to attend the address in Washington.

His remarks are being crafted in part by aide Stephen Miller, who is known in Washington as a hardliner on immigration and has been pressing for an uncompromising stance.

AFP / Brendan SmialowskiImmigrants brought to the United States as children took part in a press conference with Democratic lawmakers on Capitol Hill ahead of President Donald Trump's State of the Union address

"For many, many years, they've been talking immigration, they never got anything done. We're going to get something done, we hope," Trump said on the eve of the speech.

Trump can also be expected to lift his gaze beyond the United States to what Washington sees as Iran's troublesome activities across the Middle East, as well as North Korea's nuclear and ballistic missile programs.

And trade is expected to be a strong focus, with Trump repeating claims that the current terms of global business are unfair to the world's largest economy.

"The world has taken advantage of us on trade for many years, and as you probably noticed we're stopping that, and we're stopping it cold," Trump said.copy https://www.afp.com