Trump asks for $1.5tn for new infrastructure
“I am asking both parties to come together to give us the safe, fast, reliable, and modern infrastructure our economy needs and our people deserve.
Tonight, I am calling on the Congress to produce a bill that generates at least $1.5 trillion for the new infrastructure investment that our country so desperately needs.
Trump lays out four-part immigration plan
After that wrenching story, Trump lays out an immigration plan with four pillars:
One: “a path to citizenship for 1.8 million illegal immigrants who were brought here by their parents at a young age”
Two: “fully secures the border. That means building a wall on the Southern border, and it means hiring more heroes like [Homeland security special agent] CJ Martinez to keep our communities safe.
Three: “ends the visa lottery -- a program that randomly hands out green cards without any regard for skill, merit, or the safety of our people.”
Four: “protects the nuclear family by ending chain migration. Under the current broken system, a single immigrant can bring in virtually unlimited numbers of distant relatives [audible hisses here from members of Congress?] Under our plan, we focus on the immediate family by limiting sponsorships to spouses and minor children.”
Trump moves on to national security. He calls for more military funding. Then he moves to nuclear policy:
As part of our defense, we must modernize and rebuild our nuclear arsenal, hopefully never having to use it, but making it so strong and powerful that it will deter any acts of aggression. Perhaps someday in the future there will be a magical moment when the countries of the world will get together to eliminate their nuclear weapons. Unfortunately, we are not there yet, sadly.
This is applauded, for some reason. Trump says he has pretty much eliminated Isis territory:
Last year, I also pledged that we would work with our allies to extinguish ISIS from the face of the Earth. One year later, I am proud to report that the coalition to defeat ISIS has liberated almost 100 percent of the territory once held by these killers in Iraq and Syria, and in other locations as well.
Likewise applauded.
Trump: 'America stands with the people of Iran'
“When the people of Iran rose up against the crimes of their corrupt dictatorship, I did not stay silent. America stands with the people of Iran in their courageous struggle for freedom.
I am asking the Congress to address the fundamental flaws in the terrible Iran nuclear deal.”
“Last month, I also took an action endorsed unanimously by the Senate just months before: I recognized Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.”
Then Trump suggests it’s a mistake for the United States to send money to countries that vote against US positions at the United Nations:
Shortly afterwards, dozens of countries voted in the United Nations General Assembly against America’s sovereign right to make this recognition. American taxpayers generously send those same countries billions of dollars in aid every year.
That is why, tonight, I am asking the Congress to pass legislation to help ensure American foreign-assistance dollars always serve American interests, and only go to America’s friends.
Trump now launches into what looks to about a 16-paragraph passage about North Korea, fairly bellicose, referring to the “depraved character of the North Korean regime” and saying “I will not repeat the mistakes of past administrations that got us into this dangerous position.