When President Trump delivers his first State of the Union address next Tuesday, he will conjure an image of an administration that has steadily expanded its list of accomplishments despite unprecedented resistance from Washington, according to sources close to the White House.
The sources have privately urged the commander-in-chief to steer clear of any heated political rhetoric.
Millions of Americans will watch on Jan. 30 as the president aims to reset the narrative that his policy agenda and approval ratings have been damaged by internal chaos and his own behavior. They will listen to him tout his most notable achievements – a historic tax reform bill, record-shattering judicial confirmations, a booming economy, the accelerated retreat of the Islamic State – and outline his policy prescriptions for the year ahead.
“It’s an important time to reflect back on the year and where our country is even one year into his presidency,” said Republican National Chairwoman Ronna Romney McDaniel, a steadfast supporter of the president, who was impressed by his address to a joint session of Congress last February.
One outside adviser to the White House, who was involved in crafting that speech, said this year the president is likely to extol Republicans for cutting taxes, repealing the individual mandate, approving a pay-raise for military personnel, and appointing a slew of conservative judges, in order to boost the electorate’s view of the GOP ahead of the midterm elections later this fall.
Some Democrats are hoping to get a shoutout as well, claiming Trump would benefit from mentioning issues that impact their states and should publicly commit to addressing them in the coming months.
“The opioid infestation in my state is just absolutely absurd. We’ve been talking a good game, but we need to start acting now. So, I hope to hear him really come out strongly on opioids,” Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., told the Washington Examiner.
Manchin, who faces a tough reelection bid this year, has maintained a relatively friendly relationship with both Trump and congressional leaders. He has worked closely with Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, to foster bipartisanship on Capitol Hill and said he hopes the president endorses such efforts during his speech.
“Bipartisanship doesn’t work when Republicans do a budget gimmick, such as reconciliation, and have no intentions of working with anybody,” he said, referencing the special mechanism GOP leaders used repeatedly in 2017 to usher major legislation through with only 51 Senate votes. “Hopefully, his staff has explained, and he understands now, that bipartisanship works when you sit down and work together.”
A source close to Trump said he expects the president to “reach across the aisle” at some point in his speech – most likely when he mentions the massive infrastructure plan White House officials are slated to roll out next week.
“But he’s not going to let Democrats off the hook,” the source said. “They had ample opportunities to work with Republicans last year and refused to do so at every turn. So, I think he’ll make a point of mentioning that [Democrats] need to put their money where their mouth is when it comes to collaborating on a number of issues.”
Regardless of the tone Trump strikes during his inaugural State of the Union address, most political strategists question whether the president’s primetime remarks will have much, if any, impact on those who tune in.
“Historically, State of the Union addresses used to have a much broader impact because you didn’t see the president as much,” said Larry Sabato, who heads the Center for Politics at the University of Virginia. “But Trump is completely overexposed. There are 10 new controversies a day, some days.”
“To the extent that the people who voted for him may need some reinforcement and reassurance, maybe a successful speech does it,” Sabato continued. “But everybody’s pretty much dug in about Donald Trump, and it’s unlikely they’ll change their minds because of this.”
One former White House official agreed but said the president would still work to convey the proper message for those Americans who may in fact be tuning in for the first time, and would be surprised to learn of what his administration has done so far.
“In a way, I guess you could say it’s like people who really aren’t football fans still turning out to watch the Super Bowl,” the official said. “All the major broadcast networks carry it. All of the cable networks carry it. People who don’t live inside the Beltway, who don’t follow this stuff with every breathless moment, this is one of the few moments where they might sit down and pay attention.”
The same official suggested that current international crises, like a potential war with North Korea and further conflict with Iran, may draw a greater audience than in years past. And so, Trump must outline a succinct strategy and clear up confusion on those issues, the official said.
“I think it’s important for him to note when he’s talking about the Iran nuclear deal, for example, that he’s looking for a follow-on agreement between American and a few of our key allies that would toughen the deal. He’s not looking to negotiate a new deal with Tehran.”
White House officials are still ironing out the details of the State of the Union, like which special guests the president and the first lady plan to invite, how Trump will handle the absence of Democratic lawmakers who plan to skip the event, which surrogates will flood the airwaves afterwards to advance his message, and who will work with him on the final draft.
“I’m not sure who is working on the speech itself at this point,” said the former White House official, who remains in regular contact with the West Wing. “I know many times before a major event, [Trump and Vice President Mike Pence] will discuss some ideas or concepts.”
“But make no mistake,” the official added. “Whether it’s the State of the Union or a joint address, the president’s words are the president’s words.”
