Donald Trump delivers optimistic State of the Union speech
The speech was upbeat, patriotic and optimistic and also extending an olive branch to Democrats.
"Together, we are building a safe, strong, and proud America," Trump said during the hourlong speech. "This is our New American Moment. There has never been a better time to start living the American dream."
Trump continued by reminding that as he has promised the American people 11 months ago, the U.S. ‘enacted the biggest tax cuts and reform in American history'.
"Our massive tax cuts provide tremendous relief for the Middle Class and small businesses. Since we passed tax cuts, roughly 3 million workers have already gotten tax cut bonuses," he stressed.
Trump emphasized that the U.S. has also finally turned the page on decades of unfair trade deals that sacrificed American jobs and nation's wealth.
In his remarks, the U.S. President addressed immigrant communities that, according to him, will be ‘helped by immigration policies that focus on the best interests of Americans'.
"In recent months, my administration has met extensively with both Democrats and Republicans to craft a bipartisan approach to immigration reform. Based on these discussions, we presented the Congress with a detailed proposal that should be supported by both parties as a fair compromise," he said.
Trump also reminded of his pledge to work with America's 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," he admitted.
The U.S. leader took an aggressive stance toward North Korea and its ‘depraved, reckless and cruel' regime. "North Korea's reckless pursuit of nuclear missiles could very soon threaten our homeland, we are waging a campaign of maximum pressure to prevent that from happening," he pointed out.
He also revealed that ‘U.S. warriors in Afghanistan have new rules of engagement'. "Along with their heroic Afghan partners, our military is no longer undermined by artificial timelines, and we no longer tell our enemies our plans," he added.
During his State of the Union speech, Trump vowed that prescription drug prices will come down substantially and his administration will fight the epidemic of drug overdoses and target drug dealers.
He also praised American tech and oil giants Apple Inc. and Exxon Mobil Corp. for their plans to invest billions of US dollars in the U.S.