State of the Union 2018: Trump calls for unity but pushes GOP agenda of tax cuts tighter borders stronger national security
President Trump gave his first State of the Union address on Jan. 30. Here are the highlights from his speech to Congress.  (Jenny Starrs/The Washington Post)
âOver the last year  we have made incredible progress and achieved extraordinary success â  Trump  said. â. . . Through it all  we have seen the beauty of Americaâs soul and the steel in Americaâs spine.â
1 of 51 Full Screen Autoplay Close Skip Ad Ã  The scene during President Trumpâs first State of the Union  address View Photos After one year in office   Trump  makes  his  first State of the Union speech  which was also  his  second address to a joint session of Congress. Caption After one year in office   Trump  makes  his  first State of the Union speech and  his  second address to a joint session of Congress. Jan. 30  2018 Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.)  center  shakes hands with lawmkakers ahead of the State of the Union speech in the House chamber on Capitol Hill. Jonathan Newton/The Washington Post Buy Photo Wait 1 second to continue.
 Trump  used some of  his  most polarizing language when lamenting crime from MS-13 and other gangs  which  he  blamed on âopen borders.â  He  sought to repurpose the term âdreamerâ by saying American citizens have seen their economic prospects dimmed and personal safety put at risk because of illegal immigration.
âThe United States is a compassionate nation â  he  said. â. . . But as president of the United States  my highest loyalty  my greatest compassion and my constant concern is for Americaâs children  Americaâs struggling workers and Americaâs forgotten communities.â  He  added  in an apparent contrast with undocumented immigrants  âAmericans are dreamers  too.â
 Trump  has set a March deadline to end the Obama-era Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program  which has protected those who applied from deportation  and lawmakers are scrambling to come up with an alternative that can survive the political crosscurrents of both chambers.
The speech came at a crucial moment when  the president  faces a number of challenges: historically bad approval ratings for a chief executive at this point in  his  term  an investigation of Russian meddling in the 2016 election hanging over  his  administration and midterm elections ahead in which Democrats are expected to make significant gains in Congress.
 Trump  pointed to that achievement â which  he  again falsely claimed is âthe biggest tax cuts and reforms in American historyâ â as contributing to a resurgent economy.  He  ticked off growth in jobs  wages  small-business confidence and a stock market that âsmashed one record after another  gaining $8 trillion in value.â
While Republicans cheered throughout  Democrats sat stonily. When  Trump  said the unemployment rate among African Americans was at a record low  for example  members of the Congressional Black Caucus refrained from applauding.
To give their official response  Democratic leaders picked third-term Rep. Joe Kennedy (Mass.)  who marks the third generation of the Kennedy clan to serve in Congress.  He  spoke from a technical-school auto shop in Fall River  Mass.
Other Democrats said  Trump  was particularly divisive in  his  discussion of immigrants and in tying them to crime. âIf you were hoping for a unifying speech tonight  you got the opposite â said Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.). âBetween the long victory lap with Republicans over tax reform to the over-the-top demonization of immigrants   President Trump  picked at pretty much every political scab that exists in Washington today.â
 Trump  made only passing reference to the devastation in Puerto Rico from Hurricane Maria  the federal governmentâs response to which has been widely criticized as inadequate and slow.
 Trump  turned even more than presidents typically do to the stories of guests  seated in the gallery box of first lady Melania Trump  to put human faces on his policies and build the narrative arc of his speech. A president so often preoccupied with self-adulation shone the spotlight on ordinary citizens.
Near the end of the speech  as he talked about the nuclear threat of North Korea â which has escalated under his watch amid heated rhetoric â  Trump  singled out the tragedy of Otto Warmbier  the University of Virginia student who was detained in North Korea and died just after returning home to the United States. In one of the eveningâs emotional high points   Trump  singled out Warmbierâs parents  who sat teary-eyed in the gallery  as âpowerful witnesses to a menace that threatens our world.â
Though  he  did not use âLittle Rocket Man â  his  provocative nickname for North Korean leader Kim Jong Un   he  spoke with toughness and resolve about the threat across the Pacific.
âWe need only look at the depraved character of the North Korean regime to understand the nature of the nuclear threat it could pose to America and to our allies â  he  said.
State of the Union 2018: Trump calls for unity but pushes GOP agenda of tax cuts tighter borders stronger national security
President Trump gave his first State of the Union address on Jan. 30. Here are the highlights from his speech to Congress. (Jenny Starrs/The Washington Post)
âOver the last year  we have made incredible progress and achieved extraordinary success â  Trump  said. â. . . Through it all  we have seen the beauty of Americaâs soul and the steel in Americaâs spine. â
1 of 51 Full Screen Autoplay Close Skip Ad Ã  The scene during President Trumpâs first State of the Union  address View Photos After one year in office   Trump  makes  his  first State of the Union speech  which was also  his  second address to a joint session of Congress. Caption After one year in office   Trump  makes  his  first State of the Union speech and  his  second address to a joint session of Congress. Jan. 30  2018 Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer (D-N. Y.)  center  shakes hands with lawmkakers ahead of the State of the Union speech in the House chamber on Capitol Hill. Jonathan Newton/The Washington Post Buy Photo Wait 1 second to continue. Trump  used some of  his  most polarizing language when lamenting crime from MS-13 and other gangs  which  he  blamed on âopen borders. â  He  sought to repurpose the term âdreamerâ by saying American citizens have seen their economic prospects dimmed and personal safety put at risk because of illegal immigration. âThe United States is a compassionate nation â  he  said. â. . . But as president of the United States  my highest loyalty  my greatest compassion and my constant concern is for Americaâs children  Americaâs struggling workers and Americaâs forgotten communities. â  He  added  in an apparent contrast with undocumented immigrants  âAmericans are dreamers  too. â
 Trump  has set a March deadline to end the Obama-era Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program  which has protected those who applied from deportation  and lawmakers are scrambling to come up with an alternative that can survive the political crosscurrents of both chambers. The speech came at a crucial moment when  the president  faces a number of challenges: historically bad approval ratings for a chief executive at this point in  his  term  an investigation of Russian meddling in the 2016 election hanging over  his  administration and midterm elections ahead in which Democrats are expected to make significant gains in Congress. Trump  pointed to that achievement â which  he  again falsely claimed is âthe biggest tax cuts and reforms in American historyâ â as contributing to a resurgent economy. He  ticked off growth in jobs  wages  small-business confidence and a stock market that âsmashed one record after another  gaining $8 trillion in value. â
While Republicans cheered throughout  Democrats sat stonily. When  Trump  said the unemployment rate among African Americans was at a record low  for example  members of the Congressional Black Caucus refrained from applauding. To give their official response  Democratic leaders picked third-term Rep. Joe Kennedy (Mass. )  who marks the third generation of the Kennedy clan to serve in Congress. He  spoke from a technical-school auto shop in Fall River  Mass. Other Democrats said  Trump  was particularly divisive in  his  discussion of immigrants and in tying them to crime. âIf you were hoping for a unifying speech tonight  you got the opposite â said Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn. ). âBetween the long victory lap with Republicans over tax reform to the over-the-top demonization of immigrants   President Trump  picked at pretty much every political scab that exists in Washington today. â
 Trump  made only passing reference to the devastation in Puerto Rico from Hurricane Maria  the federal governmentâs response to which has been widely criticized as inadequate and slow. Trump  turned even more than presidents typically do to the stories of guests  seated in the gallery box of first lady Melania Trump  to put human faces on his policies and build the narrative arc of his speech. A president so often preoccupied with self-adulation shone the spotlight on ordinary citizens. Near the end of the speech  as he talked about the nuclear threat of North Korea â which has escalated under his watch amid heated rhetoric â  Trump  singled out the tragedy of Otto Warmbier  the University of Virginia student who was detained in North Korea and died just after returning home to the United States. In one of the eveningâs emotional high points   Trump  singled out Warmbierâs parents  who sat teary-eyed in the gallery  as âpowerful witnesses to a menace that threatens our world. â
Though  he  did not use âLittle Rocket Man â  his  provocative nickname for North Korean leader Kim Jong Un   he  spoke with toughness and resolve about the threat across the Pacific. âWe need only look at the depraved character of the North Korean regime to understand the nature of the nuclear threat it could pose to America and to our allies â  he  said.