Trump’s State of the Union Address: Act First If You Talk in a Conciliatory Manner

It was a surprisingly conciliatory speech for this person. But was it for real?

U.S. President Donald Trump gave his first State of the Union address since his inauguration. In this yearly speech required by the Constitution, the president lays out the policy direction for the next year.

In Trump’s speech, he praised his achievements in his first year in office, such as a big tax cut, and made a pitch for the coming of a “new American moment.” In domestic policy, he proposed an infrastructure plan of $1.5 trillion. For foreign relations and security, he revealed a policy that maintains maximum pressure on North Korea.

One notable part was Trump’s insistence on conciliatory relations among nations, despite the fact that he earned some voter support by promoting discord domestically. He also called for cooperation from the Democrats.

“I call upon all of us to set aside our differences, to seek out common ground, and to summon the unity we need to deliver for the people. … I am extending an open hand to work with members of both parties − Democrats and Republicans.” The tone of this speech is completely different from Trump’s usual railing on Twitter against people opposed to him.

The background of this is the Trump administration’s being stuck in a dead end. His approval rate after one year in office is the lowest level in history. Most of his important campaign pledges, such as the border wall, have not been realized due to strong opposition from the Democrats.

There is a chance of a Republican loss in midterm elections in November if things don’t change. If that happens, Republicans will distance themselves from Trump, and it will be difficult for him to be elected to another term. Driven by a sense of crisis, there is no doubt he gave a conciliatory performance to help make his campaign pledges reality.

However, distrust among Democrats is deep-rooted, and it looks like the clash won’t disappear with just one speech. If the conciliatory posture is real, Trump should show that with action. To start, how about quitting the disgraceful attacks via Twitter?

Confusion in the U.S. caused by the Trump administration has serious effects on global politics, as well. They still haven’t hammered out a concrete policy towards Asia and haven’t even assigned an ambassador to South Korea. A divided United States cannot lead the world. That has also had negative effects on Japan.