The partial government shutdown led to a delay in the President’s State of the Union speech. This is an annual event and this year Donald Trump decided to talk more about two of his favorite themes. One of these was the forthcoming summit with Kim Jong-un, the leader of North Korea and the other was the construction of the US-Mexico border wall.

Sky News reports that Donald Trump took credit for ensuring temporary peace in the Korean peninsula while he and his counterpart Kim Jong-un decide on methods for denuclearization. He revealed that the two of them will meet in Vietnam for their second nuclear summit end February.

Additionally, while addressing Congress, he insisted that the US-Mexico border wall is necessary to thwart illegal immigration. However, he did not make any mention of declaring a national emergency if Congress refuses to sanction funds for the wall.

Donald Trump’s priorities

Relations with North Korea appear to be Donald Trump’s main focus. During his speech, he claimed to have played a vital role in averting a "major war" between the two countries, thereby saving millions of lives. He admitted that the path to peace is a long one but Pyongyang has made a start.

The country has put on hold testing of its nuclear weapons and has stopped launching missiles for 15 months. The president interprets these as positive signs of Kim Jong-un’s sincerity.

On the subject of the US-Mexico border wall, the president avoided outlining any fresh strategy. He urged all sides to "work together, compromise, and reach a deal that will truly make America safe." He also referred to the issue of Afghanistan in his address and said his administration is in dialogue with several parties, including the Taliban.

The reduction of US troops on Afghan soil will depend on the satisfactory completion of talks.

Women Democrats give Trump a standing ovation

The Democratic female lawmakers present at the State of the Union address had a typical dress code. All of them wore white to celebrate the 100th anniversary of American women gaining the right to vote.

When the president commented about there being more women in the workforce and in Congress than ever before, the Women Democrats gave him a standing ovation and he reciprocated by saying - "That's great! Really great."

The BBC adds that the theme of the address was "Choosing Greatness" and President Donald Trump announced his plans to have the next nuclear summit with Kim Jong-un this month. The president’s speech lasted for 82 minutes and he confirmed that his meeting with the North Korean leader would be in Vietnam from 27-28 February.
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