6 Feb 2019; DW: US President Donald Trump urged unity in his second State of the Union address on Tuesday against a backdrop of deep partisan bickering over a host of issues that are set to dominate his next two years in office.
Despite repeatedly clashing with Democrats who now control the House of Representatives, Trump urged Washington to govern "not as two parties, but as one nation."
The nation needs to "to bridge old divisions, heal old wounds, build new coalitions, forge new solutions and unlock the extraordinary promise of America's future," he said.
"The agenda I will lay out this evening is not a Republican agenda or a Democrat agenda. It is the agenda of the American people."
Trump hails economy
Trump spoke of an "unprecedented economic boom" in the United States, touting low unemployment and rising wages as an immense success for American workers in the world’s "hottest economy."
The president also credited his signature tax cuts for driving economic growth, although economists expect the cuts' impact to fade this year. He also credited his administration with rolling back regulations.
Calling the US economy the “envy of the world," Trump said: "An economic miracle is happening in the United States and the only thing that can stop it is foolish wars, politics or ridiculous partisan investigations."
Trump urged Congress to find a "compromise" on immigration that is "safe, lawful, modern and secure," while reiterating his pledge to build a wall or border fence along the southern border with Mexico.
"In the past, most of the people in this room voted for a wall, but the proper wall never got built. I will get it built," he said. “Simply put, walls work and walls save lives.”
Trump's demands for $5.7 billion (€5 billion) in funding for a border wall triggered a historic partial government shutdown from December 22, 2018 until January 25, 2019. Congress has 10 days to pass a federal budget to avoid another shutdown.
Trump said that if he had not been elected president, the United States would now likely be at war with North Korea over its nuclear and ballistic missile programs.
In a major announcement, Trump said he would meet North Korean leader Kim Jong Un for a second summit on February 27 and 28 in Vietnam.
Trump met with Kim in Singapore in June 2018. The meeting ended with a joint statement in which North Korea agreed to "denuclearize."
