Trump set to urge bipartisanship; White House hopes State of the Union will win over skeptics

President Donald Trump looks on during a special address on the closing day of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, on Jan. 26, 2018.
President Donald Trump looks on during a special address on the closing day of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, on Jan. 26, 2018.

Donald Trump's State of the Union address today is being viewed by some as one of the president's last, best chances to win over more of the American public to his agenda ahead of midterm elections.

White House officials say the president will dial back his combative posture and instead frame his policy proposals -- from immigration to infrastructure -- as areas where Democrats and Republicans can work together. Trump will still take ample time to argue that the U.S. economy has been revitalized by policies that have had little to no bipartisan appeal, including the tax overhaul and efforts to curb regulations.

Trump will enter the House chamber tonight as the most unpopular modern president to deliver his first State of the Union speech, according to polls. His February 2017 speech to Congress is considered an address. White House aides are marshaling allies to spread the word about the change in tone.

Revelations from the probe into his campaign's possible collusion with Russia have been matched by controversies of the president's making, with many Americans dismayed by his handling of racial issues, attacks on the media, and subverting of political norms.

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"The guy has performed so poorly and he has created such animus and a cloud of suspicion about him," said presidential historian Robert Dallek. "The essential element for any president is credibility. If you're not a credible or reliable spokesperson for himself, how can you govern in this country?"

Ultimately, Trump will need to reconcile his message that the nation is on the upswing with the prevailing sentiment that he's taking the country in the wrong direction, Dallek said.

In the speech, Trump is expected to address his plans for rebuilding the nation's crumbling bridges, roads and airports, long viewed by Republicans and Democrats as a potential area of bipartisan support. DJ Gribbin, Trump's infrastructure adviser, said last week that the administration plans to send its proposal to Congress in the coming weeks.

Trump will also address immigration, a policy area where Republicans and Democrats are deeply divided and was the main sticking point in the government shutdown.

Trump's plan would offer deportation protection and a pathway to citizenship for as many as 1.8 million people under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program. In exchange, the White House wants $25 billion for construction of the U.S.-Mexico border wall and for additional border and port security.

The speech is likely to include a significant portion of foreign policy, with Trump seeking to burnish his resume in an area where many voters give him low marks. Not only Americans will be listening to Trump for clues.

"Every leader in the world is trying to figure out where the United States is going," said Jon Alterman, director of the Middle East program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington. "I still think the president is struggling to articulate what American leadership means. The president's big challenge has been how to lead in ways that people are eager to follow."

Lawmakers in the audience are also using the speech to make political points. Many female Democratic lawmakers plan to follow the lead of celebrities at this year's Golden Globe Awards by wearing black to the State of the Union.

Some lawmakers are also bringing attention to issues through the guests they have invited to the State of the Union. Rep. Annie Kuster, D-N.H., has invited Chessy Prout, a victim of sexual assault while she attended high school.

Dozens of young immigrants will be sitting in the House gallery overlooking the president as he speaks. Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, Democratic Whip Steny Hoyer and other Democratic lawmakers invited them to put a face on the immigration debate.

Bill Nye the Science Guy is also on the guest list. The critic of Trump's environmental policies is the guest of Republican Rep. Jim Bridenstine, Trump's nominee to serve as the next administrator of NASA, who has said he believes humans are contributing to climate change.

At least eight Democratic lawmakers have announced they are boycotting the president's address.

Trump is also seeking to amplify his point through his choice of guests, who will be seated in the box of first lady Melania Trump. They include an Ohio welder who will benefit from his tax overhaul plan and the parents of two Long Island teenagers who were believed to be killed by MS-13 gang members.

Among his other guests are rescuers who battled wildfires in California and flooding in Texas, and a Marine who re-enlisted after losing his legs and going blind from a roadside bomb.

Information for this article was contributed by Justin Sink, Margaret Talev, Jennifer Jacobs, Kevin Cirilli and Mark Niquette of Bloomberg News; and by Kevin Freking, Ken Thomas and Zeke Miller of The Associated Press.

A Section on 01/30/2018

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