• US President Donald Trump (C) delivers his State of the Union address to a joint session of the US Congress in the House chamber of the US Capitol in Washington, DC, USA. EPA
    US President Donald Trump (C) delivers his State of the Union address to a joint session of the US Congress in the House chamber of the US Capitol in Washington, DC, USA. EPA
  • Speaker of the US House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi rips a copy of US President Donald Trump's speech after he delivered the State of the Union address at the US Capitol in Washington, DC. AFP
    Speaker of the US House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi rips a copy of US President Donald Trump's speech after he delivered the State of the Union address at the US Capitol in Washington, DC. AFP
  • President Donald Trump turns away as Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi reaches out to shake his hand as he arrives to deliver his State of the Union address to a joint session of the US Congress in the House Chamber of the US Capitol in Washington, US. Reuters
    President Donald Trump turns away as Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi reaches out to shake his hand as he arrives to deliver his State of the Union address to a joint session of the US Congress in the House Chamber of the US Capitol in Washington, US. Reuters
  • Sgt Townsend Williams (right) waves alongside his daughter and his wife Amy (left) after returning from deployment in Afghanistan on during the State of the Union address at the US Capitol in Washington, DC. AFP
    Sgt Townsend Williams (right) waves alongside his daughter and his wife Amy (left) after returning from deployment in Afghanistan on during the State of the Union address at the US Capitol in Washington, DC. AFP
  • Rep. Jackie Speier ( D-CA) leads HR3 chant during US President Donald Trump's State of the Union address to a joint session of the US Congress in the House Chamber of the US Capitol in Washington, US. Reuters
    Rep. Jackie Speier ( D-CA) leads HR3 chant during US President Donald Trump's State of the Union address to a joint session of the US Congress in the House Chamber of the US Capitol in Washington, US. Reuters
  • Carl Mueller (C) holds a photo of his daughter, Kayla, as his wife Marsha (L) looks on during the State of the Union address in the chamber of the US House of Representatives in Washington, DC. Getty Images
    Carl Mueller (C) holds a photo of his daughter, Kayla, as his wife Marsha (L) looks on during the State of the Union address in the chamber of the US House of Representatives in Washington, DC. Getty Images
  • Radio personality Rush Limbaugh stands after being awarded the Medal of Freedom by First Lady Melania Trump during US President Donald Trump State of the Union address at the US Capitol in Washington, DC. AFP
    Radio personality Rush Limbaugh stands after being awarded the Medal of Freedom by First Lady Melania Trump during US President Donald Trump State of the Union address at the US Capitol in Washington, DC. AFP
  • Kelli Hake, the widow of a US soldier killed in Iraq in 2008, atends the State of the Union address with her son, Gage Hake, in the chamber of the US House of Representatives in Washington, DC. Getty Images
    Kelli Hake, the widow of a US soldier killed in Iraq in 2008, atends the State of the Union address with her son, Gage Hake, in the chamber of the US House of Representatives in Washington, DC. Getty Images
  • Sgt Townsend Williams (R) kisses his wife Amy (C) after returning from deployment in Afghanistan as First Lady Melania Trump applauds during the State of the Union address at the US Capitol in Washington, DC. AFP
    Sgt Townsend Williams (R) kisses his wife Amy (C) after returning from deployment in Afghanistan as First Lady Melania Trump applauds during the State of the Union address at the US Capitol in Washington, DC. AFP
  • Stephanie Davis and her daughter Janiyah, attend the State of the Union address in the chamber of the US House of Representatives in Washington, DC. Getty Images
    Stephanie Davis and her daughter Janiyah, attend the State of the Union address in the chamber of the US House of Representatives in Washington, DC. Getty Images
  • US President Donald Trump delivers his State of the Union address during a joint session of congress in the House chamber of the US Capitol in Washington, DC, USA. EPA
    US President Donald Trump delivers his State of the Union address during a joint session of congress in the House chamber of the US Capitol in Washington, DC, USA. EPA
  • House impeachment manager and Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerry Nadler (D-NY) sits in his seat reading a pocket copy of the U.S. Constitution as he he waits for the start of U.S. President Donald Trump's State of the Union address to a joint session of the U.S. Congress in the House Chamber of the US Capitol in Washington, US. Reuters
    House impeachment manager and Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerry Nadler (D-NY) sits in his seat reading a pocket copy of the U.S. Constitution as he he waits for the start of U.S. President Donald Trump's State of the Union address to a joint session of the U.S. Congress in the House Chamber of the US Capitol in Washington, US. Reuters
  • Retired US Air Force Col. Charles McGee, who served with the Tuskagee Airmen, salutes during the State of the Union address with his great- grandson Iain Lanphier in the chamber of the US House of Representatives in Washington, DC. Getty Images
    Retired US Air Force Col. Charles McGee, who served with the Tuskagee Airmen, salutes during the State of the Union address with his great- grandson Iain Lanphier in the chamber of the US House of Representatives in Washington, DC. Getty Images
  • US President Donald Trump, center, looks toward US Vice President Mike Pence, right, and Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, a Democrat from California, left, during a State of the Union address to a joint session of Congress at the US Capitol in Washington, DC. Bloomberg
    US President Donald Trump, center, looks toward US Vice President Mike Pence, right, and Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, a Democrat from California, left, during a State of the Union address to a joint session of Congress at the US Capitol in Washington, DC. Bloomberg
  • Fred Guttenberg, father of Parkland school shooting victim Jaime Guttenberg, is ejected after shouting during US President Donald Trump's State of the Union address to a joint session of the US Congress in the House Chamber of the US Capitol in Washington. Reuters
    Fred Guttenberg, father of Parkland school shooting victim Jaime Guttenberg, is ejected after shouting during US President Donald Trump's State of the Union address to a joint session of the US Congress in the House Chamber of the US Capitol in Washington. Reuters
  • Members of the Joint Chiefs listen as US President Donald Trump delivers his State of the Union address during a joint session of congress in the House chamber of the US Capitol in Washington, DC. EPA
    Members of the Joint Chiefs listen as US President Donald Trump delivers his State of the Union address during a joint session of congress in the House chamber of the US Capitol in Washington, DC. EPA
  • US Supreme Court Justice John Roberts is reflected in a teleprompter as other Supreme Court Justices (T) listen to US President Donald Trump deliver his State of the Union address during a joint session of congress in the House chamber of the US Capitol in Washington, DC. EPA
    US Supreme Court Justice John Roberts is reflected in a teleprompter as other Supreme Court Justices (T) listen to US President Donald Trump deliver his State of the Union address during a joint session of congress in the House chamber of the US Capitol in Washington, DC. EPA

The Americas

Donald Trump's State of the Union address: Key developments

The US President said he was working to end America's wars in the Middle East

Layla Mashkoor
Layla Mashkoor

February 05, 2020

  • English
  • Arabic

US President Donald Trump delivered his third State of the Union address on Tuesday evening, as he awaits a forthcoming impeachment vote that is expected to keep him in office.

Here are the key developments from his address:

Economy

Facing re-election in November, Mr Trump’s address resembled a campaign speech as he spoke of the “great American comeback,” and boasted about economic growth and job gains that are a result of initiatives launched by former President Barack Obama. Last week, the US government reported the 2019 economy grew at its slowest pace in three years.

Middle East

“We are working to end America’s wars in the Middle East,” Mr Trump said during his address as he spoke about bringing troops home from American’s longest standing war in Afghanistan. “It is also not our function to serve other nations as a law enforcement agency,” he said.

Yet Mr Trump also used the speech to tout the US operations that killed the commander of Iran's Quds Force, Maj Gen Qassem Suleimani and ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.

In an effort to legitimise the highly criticised killing of Suleimani, Mr Trump's guests included Kelli and Gage Hake, the wife and son of Sgt Christopher Hake, who the White House says was killed by a roadside bomb supplied by Suleimani.

The parents of Kayla Mueller were also in attendance, as Mr Trump recounted the death of the humanitarian that was held captive and killed by ISIS in 2015.

Pelosi Snub

Partisan tensions were at a high on Tuesday evening, as Mr Trump appeared to snub House Leader Nancy Pelosi when she extended her hand to him before the address. After the speech ended, Ms Pelosi was seen ripping up a physical copy of the address. Immediately following the address, Ms Pelosi told NBC she ripped up the speech because "it was the courteous thing to do, considering the alternative."

As Pelosi's dramatic move captured attention on social media, the official White House Twitter account responded: "Speaker Pelosi just ripped up: One of our last surviving Tuskegee Airmen. The survival of a child born at 21 weeks. The mourning families of Rocky Jones and Kayla Mueller. A service member's reunion with his family. That's her legacy."

Medal of Freedom

In an unprecedented move, Mr Trump awarded a medal of freedom during the State of the Union, to conservative radio personality Rush Limbaugh, who was recently diagnosed with advanced lung cancer.

Trump's Word Cloud

The full text of the State of the Union is available here

ISISAfghanistanMiddle EastBarack Obama