President Donald
Trump
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President Donald Trump will give his first-ever State
of the Union address on Tuesday.
A source says to expect a different kind of Trump, much
like the polished speech he gave at
Davos.
Trump could use the lengthy address to smooth over
partisan differences and focus on a future that largely
requires bipartisan support.
But Trump frequently veers off script and gets himself
into hot water, the question before the State of the Union is
which Trump will turn up?
President Donald Trump will give his first-ever State of the
Union address before Congress and the nation on Tuesday, and
early reports indicate we may see a very different Trump.
"The partisan fights, like Obamacare and tax cuts, are behind.
Now everything requires cooperation and agreement," a source with
knowledge Trump told Axios' Mike Allen.
"Time to appear as commander-in-chief and leader of the whole
nation. So expect calls to patriotism and national security and
national greatness," the source added.
With tax reform done and healthcare seemingly off the table,
bipartisan issues like immigration reform and keeping the
government open require support from Democrats and Republicans in
Congress.
Additionally, with the 2018 midterm elections jeopardizing the
GOP's control of the House and Senate, Trump may look to play up
the Republicans' success and attempt to appear above the fray
with cross-aisle finger pointing.
For those reasons, the Trump that addresses the union on Tuesday
may look more like the Trump that spoke at Davos, and less like
the Trump that visits rallies to bash his opponents.
However, some GOP analysts say despite Trump's best efforts to
present an agreeable message, his old habits may kick in.
Can Trump stick to the script?
Republican
presidential candidate Donald Trump speaks during a campaign
rally, Friday, Nov. 4, 2016, in Hershey, Pa.
Associated Press/Evan Vucci
"He has little message discipline," Ari Fleischer, a former press
secretary for President George W. Bush told the Associated Press.
"Virtually every time he moves the ball far down the field, he
seems to derail himself with a tweet days later instead of
building on the momentum."
Trump is known to react strongly to negative stories about
himself, and could easily become derailed by or mired in a
conversation that has little to do with achieving his material
political goals, as was the case in his months-long admonishment
of the NFL for the behavior of players during the national
anthem.
But unlike his tweets that dominate mini news cycles across all
cable news networks, the State of the Union format demands more
content, as they often last around one hour. Also, the speech is
uninterrupted by questions and answers, allowing Trump to
possibly control the message closely, as he did at Davos.
"It's one of the few events presidents conduct in which 30
to 40 million or more Americans are watching," Fleischer
said.
"There is hardly another moment of presidential exposure as
big as this one, and it's one when the president and his staff
have all the control. They are not reacting to events. They are
controlling them, and they need to deliver."
At Davos, Trump took on the role of cheerleader for the US,
declaring the country "open for business" and deriding "small
thinking."
With the State of the Union, Trump has the opportunity to
tout his successes and smooth over rough patches, potentially
addressing or defending some of his tendencies that are
frequently seen as racist or hurtful — but
will he?
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