8 key takeaways from Trump's State of the Union address
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- President Trump delivered his second State of the Union address to Congress on Tuesday night.
- Initially scheduled for last month, his speech was postponed because of the partial government shutdown - the repercussion for his demand that Congress pay for a wall along the US-Mexico border.
- Trump's main points focused on unemployment, immigration and border control, healthcare, and foreign policy.
- If you missed his speech, we've rounded up everything you need to know in the video above.
Following is a transcript of the video.
President Trump: Members of Congress: the State of our Union is strong.
["USA" chants]
Victory is not winning for our party. Victory is winning for our country.
1. More Jobs
In just over 2 years since the election, we have launched an unprecedented economic boom. We have created 5.3 million new jobs and importantly added 600,000 new manufacturing jobs...
Unemployment has reached the lowest rate in over half a century. More people are working now than at any time in the history of our country - 157 million at work.
2. More women in the workforce
All Americans can be proud that we have more women in the workforce than ever before.
3. Prison sentencing reform
My Administration worked closely with members of both parties to sign the First Step Act into law. This legislation reformed sentencing laws that have wrongly and disproportionately harmed the African-American community. The First Step Act gives non-violent offenders the chance to re-enter society as productive, law-abiding citizens.
4. Immigration and border control
Now is the time for Congress to show the world that America is committed to ending illegal immigration and putting the ruthless coyotes, cartels, drug dealers, and human traffickers out of business.
As we speak, large, organized caravans are on the march to the United States. We have just heard that Mexican cities, in order to remove the illegal immigrants from their communities, are getting trucks and buses to bring them up to our country in areas where there is little border protection. I have ordered another 3,750 troops to our southern border to prepare for this tremendous onslaught. I want people to come into our country in the largest numbers ever, but they have to come in legally.
5. Lower drug costs
In 2018, drug prices experienced their single largest decline in 46 years. It is unacceptable that Americans pay vastly more than people in other countries for the exact same drugs, often made in the exact same place. I am asking Congress to pass legislation that finally takes on the problem of global freeloading and delivers fairness and price transparency for American patients, finally.
6. Prohibit late-term abortion
To defend the dignity of every person, I am asking the Congress to pass legislation to prohibit the late-term abortion of children who can feel pain in the mother's womb.
7. Eliminate HIV/AIDS by 2030
My budget will ask Democrats and Republicans to make the needed commitment to eliminate the HIV epidemic in the United States within 10 years. We have made incredible strides, incredible.
8. North Korean relations
If I had not been elected President of the United States, we would right now, in my opinion, be in a major war with North Korea. Much work remains to be done, but my relationship with Kim Jong Un is a good one. Chairman Kim and I will meet again on February 27th and 28th in Vietnam.
