As Donald Trump finished his annual State of the Union speech, Speaker Nancy Pelosi stood up and ripped it apart into two pieces-quite literally. The gesture shows how bitterly divided the US Congress and even the American people are on political issues.
The speech was a shocking display of divisions that encapsulated the atmosphere in Washington. The speech is traditionally considered to be a moment for political truce, when the US president reaches out to lawmakers from the other side, but this time it reflected the political war raging in the country. After all, this is election year Trump is pitching himself for a second term in office.
Nancy Pelosi later said it was the courteous thing to do considering the alternatives, and referred to the address as a ‘very dirty speech’. She was also not impressed when Trump referred to the state of California – where she was elected – as safe sanctuary for criminals. The speech began with rancor and ended with it as many Democrats protested. Pelosi has been leading to efforts to impeach Trump for abuse of office and was visibly snubbed during a handshake.
The tension is the result of Trump’s impeachment proceedings last week. The US Senate is set to acquit Trump after a show trial which lasted less than a fortnight. The Republicans even voted not to allow any eyewitnesses or testimonies to the trial. Interestingly, Trump did not even mention the word impeachment during the speech nor did he refer to the trial proceedings.
The next step for Trump is to redeem himself. He has started with touting the economic policies of the controversial ‘America First’ outlook. A trade war with China brought world markets scrambling while the Chinese economy witnessed an economic slowdown for the first time in a decade. In his address, Trump said they have shattered the mentality insisting on American’s decline and have rejected downsizing of America’s destiny.
Democrats, on the other hand, are considering a presidential rival to challenge Trump. The caucuses have gotten to an embarrassing start with technical glitches. Joe Biden appears way behind and Bernie Sanders might emerge as his opponent. Trump has been appeasing his conservative base for he knows how to grab attention. There was good news for Trump as his approval ratings have risen, but will he redeem himself for another term in office remains to be seen.
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