Trump hails ‘golden age of America’ in longest State of the Union on record
Donald Trump wrapped up the longest State of the Union address on record by declaring that the “golden age of America is upon us”.
In a speech that lasted more than 100 minutes, the US president repeatedly touted his economic achievements despite persistent inflation that has made affordability a major concern for American households ahead of November’s midterm elections.
The president also used his address to warn Iran that the US would launch an attack if the regime does not agree to curb its nuclear programme, which he has accused them of restarting.
Trump spoke before the joint session of Congress hours after top congressional Democrats called on the president to justify his motivations for war with Iran after a classified briefing led them to believe the US was poised to launch a new attack.
Other notable moments of Trump’s address:
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Spanberger accuses Trump of bowing down to Russia and China
Virginia governor Abigail Spanberger, accused Donald Trump of bowing down to Russia and China and jeopardising America’s reputation as a force for good in the world.
Trump was bringing this about by appointing “deeply unserious people to our nation’s most serious positions”, Spanberger said as she delivered the Democrats’ rebuttal to the State of the Union address.
Trump barely mentioned China in his address. He will meet Chinese President Xi Jinping during a state visit to China in late March.
“In his speech tonight the president did what he always does. He lied, he scapegoated and he distracted, and he offered no real solutions to our nation’s pressing challenges, so many of which he is actively making worse,” Spanberger, a former federal agent and CIA officer, said.
Democratic governor slams Trump’s affordability record in party rebuttal
Virginia governor Abigail Spanberger homed in on affordability as she delivered the Democrats’ rebuttal to the State of the Union.
In a signal that the party intends to place the issue centre stage during this year’s midterm elections, Spanberger repeatedly insisted President Donald Trump was failing to curb price rises for Americans.
“Democrats across the country are laser focused on affordability in our nation’s capital and . . . communities across America,” said Spanberger, who was among a wave of Democrats to win elections in recent months in campaigns that focused largely on price rises.
“Americans deserve to know that their leaders are focused on addressing the problems that keep them up at night — problems that dictate where you live, whether you can afford to start a business or whether you have to skip a prescription in order to buy groceries,” she said.
“So I’ll ask again, is the president working to make life more affordable for you and your family? We all know the answer is no.”