A bullish US President Donald Trump will proclaim a "new American moment" as he delivers his maiden State of the Union speech on Tuesday night.

In a primetime address to Congress, he will tell lawmakers: "There has never been a better time to start living the American dream."

The Republican leader will say he is "extending an open hand" to Democrats to set aside political division.

The American economy is booming but Mr Trump's approval rating is languishing.

In an upbeat message a world away from the apocalyptic tone he struck in his "American carnage" inaugural address of just a year ago, Mr Trump will say his administration is "building a safe, strong and proud America".

He will implore the nation to come together as "one team, one people and one American family", according to excerpts released by the White House.

On foreign policy, Mr Trump will note that nearly all the territory in Syria and Iraq once controlled by the Islamic State group has been retaken.

But warning against complacency, he will vow: "We will continue our fight until ISIS is defeated."

Massachusetts congressman Joseph Kennedy III, a great-nephew of President John K Kennedy, will deliver the Democrats' response to Mr Trump's speech.

He will attempt to seize Mr Trump's political mantle by purporting to speak for "Americans who feel forgotten and forsaken".

Bewailing a "fractured country" and depicting Mr Trump's presidency as "chaos", Mr Kennedy, 37, will say: "Many have spent the past year anxious, angry, afraid."

"Bullies may land a punch," he will say. "They might leave a mark.

"But they have never, not once, in the history of our United States, managed to match the strength and spirit of a people united in defence of their future."

Mr Trump will make a plea for the kind of bipartisan co-operation that has been in short supply during a turbulent first year in office.

The president, who has enraged Democrats by withdrawing protections for immigrants who entered the US illegally as children, will offer an olive branch.

"Struggling communities, especially immigrant communities, will also be helped by immigration policies that focus on the best interests of American workers and American families," he will say.

"So tonight I am extending an open hand to work with members of both parties, Democrats and Republicans, to protect our citizens, of every background, colour and creed."

Mr Trump will also again tout his pet $1.7tn (£1.2tn) plan to rebuild America's aging roads and other infrastructure, though he is not expected to offer many details.

Since he came to office, the Dow Jones Industrial Average is up by around 33% and the unemployment rate is at a 17-year low as the US continues its recovery from the Great Recession of a decade ago.

But the president has complained that he does not get enough credit for the rosy outlook.

Mr Trump had an average job approval last year of 38%, the lowest first-year rating for any president in the history of Gallup polling.

Source:
courtesy of BBC NEWS

by BBC NEWS

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