Trump speech harps on home economic gains

While key address touts strengths, rivals bristle ahead of impeachment verdict

US President Donald Trump emphasized the nation's economic strength in his third State of the Union address on Tuesday, saying the country is "stronger than ever before".He also expounded on hot-button issues such as illegal immigration.

"Jobs are booming, incomes are soaring, poverty is plummeting, crime is falling, confidence is surging, and our country is highly respected again," Trump said.

He gave the speech only hours before his expected acquittal on Wednesday in the Senate on two articles of impeachment.

Upon ascending to the lectern for the address in Washington, Trump did not shake hands with House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi. The speaker's Democratic majority in the House made Trump the third president in US history to be impeached.

Pelosi tore up her copy of the speech as Trump finished speaking.

"America's enemies are on the run, America's fortunes are on the rise....The years of economic decay are over," he said. "In just three short years, we have shattered the mentality of American decline.

"We're moving forward at a pace that was unimaginable just a short time ago, and we are never, ever going back. Our economy is the best it has ever been.... Our military is completely rebuilt.... Our pride is restored."

Trump said:"We are building the world's most prosperous and inclusive society. The average unemployment under my administration is lower than any administration in the history of our country."

Trump said that the wages of low-income workers have risen 47 percent in the past three years of his administration. "This is a blue-collar boom," he said.

"The United States has become the No 1 producer of oil and natural gas anywhere in the world by far. America is now energy-independent."

On business conditions, he said:"Companies are not leaving. They are coming back to the USA, where the action is.

"One of the promises I made to the American people was to replace the disastrous NAFTA(North American Free Trade Agreement) deal. ... Six days ago, I replaced NAFTA and signed the US-Mexico-Canada Agreement into law."

While he said China had an unfair advantage in trade before his administration, the president said: "We have perhaps the best relationship we ever had with China."

The two countries signed a phase one trade deal on Jan 15.

Battle against virus

On the virus threat centered in Wuhan of China's Hubei province, Trump said: "We are coordinating with the Chinese government and working closer together on the coronavirus outbreak in China."

Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying confirmed on Wednesday that Beijing and Washington have maintained close communications on the battle against the novel coronavirus epidemic.

Such epidemics have no borders and the fight needs the joint efforts of all countries, she said, adding that China hopes the US will adopt an objective, fair, calm and rational attitude.

Hua said China urged the US to refrain from overreacting, and that it show respect and cooperate with China's prevention and control efforts, while working with the international community to combat the epidemic and safeguard global public health.

Trump also railed against noncitizens receiving free government healthcare, which all the Democratic presidential candidates have said they would provide. He then referred to his signature 2016 campaign issue－a wall on the border with Mexico.

"This will be a tremendous boon to our already very strongly guarded southern border where, as we speak, a long, tall and very powerful wall is being built," Trump said.

Later in the speech, Trump voiced support for the Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE, often a contentious subject in Democratic circles. He also criticized so-called sanctuary cities that do not turn over "criminal aliens" to ICE, and detailed cases in New York City and California.

He said his administration was taking on the pharmaceutical industry and approving more generic drugs. The remarks got Democrats in the well to chant "H.R. 3", in reference to a House bill to reduce prescription drug costs.

"My administration is also taking on the big pharmaceutical companies. We have approved a record number of affordable generic drugs, and medicines are being approved by the FDA at a faster clip than ever before," Trump said.

Trump also said that deaths from opioid overdoses were down by double digits. He called for a ban on late-term abortions.

He commended Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell for helping him get more than 100 federal judges approved. The Kentucky senator also played a significant role in expediting the Senate trial against Trump.

Trump praised the US military and their families and spoke bluntly about the defeat of the Islamic State group. "As we defend American lives, we are working to end America's wars in the Middle East," he said.