Against a sharply partisan backdrop, President Donald Trump on Tuesday declared the nation was “stronger than ever before."
He delivered his State of the Union address on the eve of his likely impeachment acquittal and in the aftermath of the chaotic first votes of the race to replace him.
The first president to run for reelection after being impeached, Trump received a raucously divided welcome to the House of Representatives, with some Republicans chanting “Four More Years” while Democrats stood silently.
Guests help Trump highlight State of the Union themes
rump invited special guests to help him highlight key themes in Tuesday's State of the Union address.
Among those invited was an Oklahoma mother who lost her Army husband to a roadside bomb in Iraq. Another guest was a California man whose brother was killed by someone the White House contends should have been deported rather than released from jail.
Other guests helped illustrate Trump's advocacy for school choice and opportunity zones. And conservative radio host was there to receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
Venezuela opposition leader attends State of the Union
Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaidó has drawn a standing ovation from Republicans and Democrats in a rare moment of political unity as Trump delivered his State of the Union speech.
Trump called Guaido the “true and legitimate” leader of Venezuela and said President Nicolas Maduro is a “tyrant" as lawmakers applauded. Guaidó's attendance as a surprise, last-minuted guest of the president comes as he has been trying to win face time with Trump.
The U.S. and nearly 60 other governments say Maduro's 2018 re-election was not legitimate and Guaido should be named interim president under the Venezuelan constitution.