Paula Lugones
02/04/2020 - 23:24
- Clarín.com
- World
In a solemn ceremony in the US Congress, President Donald Trump pointed to his re-election on Tuesday with a fiery speech in which he praised the "incredible results" of his administration, just one day before the Senate acquitted him in impeachment.
The Congress was filled with all legislators, members of the Supreme Court, family members and special guests such as the Venezuelan Juan Guaidó. All witnessed the traditional discourse of the State of the Union, in which Trump - wearing his classic red tie - defended his mandate, especially the numbers of his economic management, and set the tone of what his election campaign will look like in which he seeks Another four years at the White House, on November 3.
Applause. President Donald Trump on the podium when addressing US lawmakers (AFP).
Trump gave his keynote speech in primetime television, when he is about to take off the heavy backpack that weighed on his back: after almost six months this Wednesday the Senate, a Republican majority, will vote in favor of acquitting him of his charges of abuse of power and obstruction to Congress. In the stands, the Republicans sang “Four more years” (four more years), which underlined the electoral tone of the night.
“Three years ago, we launched the Great Return of the United States. Tonight, I am with you to share the incredible results, ”said the president. Behind him was Vice President Mike Pence and the Democratic leader of the House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi, who avoided shaking hands.
" In just three years, we have broken the mentality of the decline of the United States and rejected the fate of the decline of the United States," Trump said. "We are going towards a path that was unimaginable a short time ago, and we will never go back," he exclaimed. And he continued: “The vision I show you today demonstrates how we are building a more prosperous world and a more inclusive society, one in which every American can join the country's unparalleled success, and where each community can be part of the extraordinary growth of the United States".
Greetings. Members of Trump's cabinet when the president made his entrance to the Capitol recess (Reuters).
Then he began to recount what he considers his achievements to revive the economy: "The elimination of regulations that impeded the development of work, the establishment of historical tax cuts and the struggle for fair and reciprocal trade agreements." And he stressed that in just three years of his government, 3.5 million people had joined the workforce.
He also pointed out that, thanks to deregulations in the matter, the country had begun to be the number one producer in the world "by far" of oil and natural gas. He also said that while 60,000 factories had been closed in the Democratic government, 12,000 had been opened during his administration.
He also referred to international trade. “Many politicians promised to change or replace NAFTA, but they did nothing. But, unlike many of my predecessors, I kept my promises and turned a new NAFTA into law, ”he said. And he advanced further with the commercial war with Beijing: "A few days ago we signed a new agreement with China that will defend our workers, protect our intellectual property and cut billions of dollars to our Treasury and open wide markets for our products."
Trump set aside the economy, but did not stop throwing campaign darts . When he referred to his health plan, he said in veiled allusion to Senator Bernie Sanders, a Democratic candidate who defines himself as a socialist and promises "free and universal coverage." "We will never let socialism destroy the American health system," he bellowed.
Sanders was seriously watching him on the premises, but also Senators Elizabeth Warren and Amy Klobuchar, who are two other candidates competing for the Democratic nomination. The women of the compound were dressed in white, a gesture to the American suffrage movement, to celebrate the historical number of women in Congress and also as a protest to the president's policies.
When the Democrats have just started the race for the White House with internal elections in Iowa that were chaotic and embarrassing, Trump marches calmly without rivals in his party and with a popularity that reaches 49% , according to the Gallup agency published Tuesday and its support grows not only among Republicans but also among independents, according to the poll.
The president is usually very controlled in these formal speeches, where he is tied to the teleprompter, with a more inclusive and careful language. Another thing is when you manage your Twitter account, where you display your personality without so many filters, from where you can insult your rivals or make fun of them.
On another social issue, which is a flag of the Democrats, he said he signed a recent provision to enable maternity leave for public employees, a "model for the rest of the country to follow."
He also mentioned his hardening on immigration issues, said that "there should be no foreign criminals" and said he had taken "unprecedented" measures to control the border.
Trump defended his economic achievements, but some experts warn that US economic expansion, now in its 11th year, faces a lot of threats. The most urgent is the outbreak of a new virus in China that has paralyzed business with the Asian giant. Starbucks and Apple have closed their premises in China, several airlines have canceled their flights there and companies like General Motors have suspended their production in that country. These circumstances could deprive the economy of half a percentage point in its growth for the first period of the year, estimate economists at Goldman Sachs, although they estimate that this could be offset by a rebound in the second period.