Trump urges financially punishing states who voted against Jerusalem move
Angered by many countries who voted against 'America’s sovereign right’ to make decision to declare Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, President Trump asks Congress in his first State of the Union speech to pass legislation to help ensure American foreign assistance dollars always ... go to friends of America, not enemies of America.'
“Last month I also took an action endorsed unanimously by the US Senate just months before. I recognized Jerusalem as the capital of Israel,” Trump said in his first State of the Union speech.
“Shortly afterwards dozens of countries voted in the United Nations General Assembly against America’s sovereign right to make this decision.
“In 2016 American taxpayers generously sent those same countries more than $20 billion in aid. That is why tonight I am asking Congress to pass legislation to help ensure American foreign assistance dollars always serve American interests and only go to friends of America, not enemies of America,” the president said, receiving one of many standing ovations throughout his over an hour-long speech.
On domestic matters, Trump urged lawmakers to work toward bipartisan compromises, but pushed a hard line on immigration, insisting on a border wall and other concessions from Democrats as part of any deal to protect the children of illegal immigrants.
Trump gave no ground on the contentious issue of whether to shield young immigrants known as "Dreamers" from deportation.
Aiming to keep conservative supporters happy as he looks to November congressional elections, Trump stood by a set of principles opposed by Democrats, including the border wall with Mexico and new restrictions on how many family members that legal immigrants can bring into the United States.
"Tonight, I call upon all of us to set aside our differences, to seek out common ground, and to summon the unity we need to deliver for the people we were elected to serve," Trump said in his address.
Trump used the hour-and-20-minute speech, given annually by presidents to Congress, to try to overcome doubts about his presidency at a time when he is battling a probe into his campaign's alleged ties with Russia and suffering low job approval ratings.
Trump made no mention of the federal probe into whether his campaign colluded with Russia in the 2016 presidential election, a controversy that is dogging his presidency. Trump has denied collusion and has called the probe a "witch hunt."
The speech was short on details about Trump's policy proposals.
But his sober, measured approach was welcomed by the public. A CNN/SSRS snap poll said 48 percent of those surveyed had a "very positive" response to the speech and 22 percent "somewhat positive."
Denounces North Korea Korean leadership, Iran nuclear deal
Turning to foreign policy late in the speech, Trump said that his adminstration was seeking to strengthen friendships around the world, but would always stand with people attempting to overthrow repressive regimes such as Iran.
"As we strengthen friendships all around the world, we are also restoring clarity about our adversaries. When the people of Iran rose up against the crimes of their corrupt dictatorship, I did not stay silent. America stands with the people of Iran in their courageous struggle for freedom," Trump said, before briefly touching upon the nuclear deal signed by Barack Obama.
'I am asking Congress to address the fundamental flaws in the terrible Iran nuclear deal. My administration has also imposed tough sanctions on the communist and socialist dictatorships in Cuba and Venezuela," he added.
Trump also denounced the "depraved character" of North Korea's leadership and said Pyongyang'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 said. In a surprise moment, he singled out a North Korea defector in the crowd, Ji Seong-ho, as an example of what he called the reclusive country's brutal nature.
Trump also said he had signed an order to keep open the US military prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, for foreign terrorism suspects. Former Democratic President Barack Obama had vowed to close the prison, which has been condemned by human rights groups, but was unable to shut it down completely.
