Trump to address a changed America at vital moment for his presidency

(Anthony Zurcher – BBC) Few of Donald Trump’s speeches to Congress have had as much riding on the outcome as the State of the Union address he will deliver on Tuesday night. Over the course of the past year, Trump has pushed the envelope of presidential power in a multitude of directions. He has achieved substantive accomplishments, both domestically and in foreign policy. But not all of his achievements have been popular – and some have been highly divisive. Regardless of how his policies have been perceived, Trump will address an America notably different than the one he returned to lead last year. He has enacted his sweeping second-term agenda at breakneck speed; cracking down on illegal immigration and effectively sealing the border, upending foreign alliances, challenging the checks and balances that are foundational to the American political system, and fundamentally redefining the role of the presidency. He has, however, run headfirst into significant obstacles, both from the public and key institutions that have curtailed his ambitions. Opinion polls suggest public mood has soured on Trump in his second term. A recent CNN poll indicated only 36% of Americans approved of the job Trump is doing. A Washington Post survey returned a similar figure at 39%. This State of the Union address represents an opportunity for Trump to stop the bleeding at a pivotal time. In just over eight months, voters will pass judgement on Trump’s second presidential term in November’s midterm elections. They could preserve his Republican majority in Congress or hand power to the Democrats, assuring two years of legislative gridlock and aggressive oversight that could, in his own words, see him impeached once again. – Trump to address a changed America at vital moment for his presidency