US President Donald Trump Delivers His First State of Union Speech: Here Are The Key Highlights From SOTU Address

Washington, January 31: In his first official State of the Union speech, United States President Donald Trump revisited the accomplishments over his first year in office. He outlined the record-setting accomplishments of his first year and cast an inspiring vision for building a safe, strong, and proud America.  During his address, Trump called on the Congress to advance a 1.5 trillion dollars bill to “rebuild our crumbling infrastructure” and boasted of a strong economy and tax cuts.

Trump said, the people dreamed this country, the people built this country and it is the people who are making America great again. “As long as we have confidence in our values, faith in our citizens, and trust in our God, we will not fail. Our families will thrive. Our people will prosper. And our Nation will forever be safe and strong and proud and mighty and free”, Trump said in his address.

Here are the key highlights of Trump’s first SOTU address:

Trump to Congress:

Trump called on the Congress to advance a 1.5 trillion dollars bill to “rebuild our crumbling infrastructure” in his first official State of the Union speech on Tuesday.” Tonight, I am calling on the Congress to produce a bill that generates at least 1.5 trillion dollars for the new infrastructure investment that our country so desperately needs,” the US President underscored. To fund the bill and “permanently” improve the deficit, Trump said all federal appropriations should be “leveraged by partnering with State and local governments and, where appropriate, tapping into private sector investment.”

Trump on Terrorism

Trump said terrorists are not merely criminals, they are unlawful enemy combatants. And when captured overseas, they should be treated like the terrorists they are. "Last year, I also pledged that we would work with our allies to extinguish ISIS from the face of the Earth... We will continue our fight until ISIS is defeated”, he said.

The US President used the occasion to underscore that he has pretty much eliminated the Islamic State (IS) territory.  “Last year I pledged that we would work with our allies to extinguish ISIS from the face of the earth. One year later, I’m proud to report that the coalition to defeat ISIS has liberated almost 100 percent of the territory once held by these killers in Iraq and Syria. But there is much more work to be done. We will continue our fight until ISIS is defeated”, Trump said.

Trump on jobs and employment:

In his address, Trump said since the 2016 election, 2.4 million new jobs were created. He said that the US economy did add an average of 171,000 positions per month in 2017. He said the recession officially ended in June 2009, and from that point to the end of Obama's second term, job growth was 159,000 per month, less than during Trump's first year in office.

Trump on Cuba’s Guantanamo Bay:

Trump, in his first official State of the Union speech that he has signed an executive order to keep the detention facility at Cuba’s Guantanamo Bay open. “I just signed, prior to walking in, an order directing Secretary Mattis, (who is doing a great job thank you), to reexamine our military detention policy, and to keep open the detention facilities in Guantanamo Bay,” Trump said.

Trump dwelled upon on how “in the past,” the United States (US) “foolishly released hundreds of dangerous terrorists, only to meet them again on the battlefield — including the ISIS leader, al-Baghdadi.”

Trump on North Korea

During his address, Trump took a swipe on North Korea underscored the “cruel dictatorship” in the reclusive country. “No regime has oppressed its own citizens more totally and more brutally than the cruel dictatorship in North Korea,” Trump said. The US President also used the occasion to highlight how North Korea’s “reckless pursuit” of nuclear missiles could threaten the former’s country soon.  Last year, North Korea test launched at least three intercontinental ballistic missiles, including a Hwasong-15 in late November, that raised concerns in the U.S. defence community.

Trump on tax cuts:

The United States President touted his 2016 tax overhaul as the "biggest tax cuts and reforms in American history. “Since we passed tax cuts, roughly 3 million workers have already gotten tax cut bonuses – many of them thousands of dollars per worker”, he said. Trump said the legislative package passed in December was more far-reaching than some had expected Republicans to pass. However, it did not change the U.S. tax code as fundamentally as the 1986 tax reform approved under former President Ronald Reagan.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jan 31, 2018 11:59 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).