From the moment President Trump confidently strode through the House chamber on the eve of his Senate impeachment acquittal and after an Iowa caucuses debacle for Democrats, it was clear this State of the Union address would be one for the history books. It did not disappoint.
The president Tuesday night confronted his House Democratic accusers by never acknowledging that he’d ever been accused at all, let alone compared for weeks to a king and dictator by the impeachment managers. He delivered a self-congratulatory and triumphant address, promising to continue the priorities he credits for leading the “great American comeback,” a revival he casts as the strongest in modern history and one in which “America’s enemies are on the run” and “America’s fortunes are on the rise.”
Reflecting the country’s angry partisan divide, hostilities on both sides were palpable. Trump entered the room to Republican members’ chants of “four more years” while Democrats responded with open disgust, often shaking their heads in disagreement or simply glowering.
Even under the shadow of impeachment, Trump has recently racked up a string of successes including trade deals with China, Mexico and Canada, the latter of which Democrats helped negotiate and supported.
