President Donald Trump touched on some encouraging foreign policy points in his joint address to Congress Tuesday, Democratic lawmakers told THE WEEKLY STANDARD. But the speech’s optimistic tone was soured by preexisting concerns about Trump’s ties to Russia and the administration’s potential diplomatic and foreign aid budget cuts.

In an address before a highly polarized chamber, Trump mentioned support for NATO, America’s ties to Israel, and fighting ISIS. He also laid out a vision of “robust and meaningful” foreign engagement, which included respecting the sovereignty of other nations and the potential for making friends with states that were once enemies.