As the Senate prepares to vote towards Trump's impeachment on Wednesday, more drama unfolded at the White House. President Donald Trump snubbed House speaker Nancy Pelosi when she extended her hand as Trump handed her his State of the Union Speech. A spurned Pelosi, who met the President four months after storming out of a White House meeting four months ago, did not take well.
She appeared to be taken aback and avoided citing the customary "high privilege and distinct honour" that usually accompanies the speaker's introduction of the president to Congress. "Members of Congress, the President of the United States" was all she said in introducing Trump, a former real estate mogul turned politician. At the end of his 80-minute speech to a joint session of Congress, Pelosi ripped apart her copy of the remarks Trump handed her as millions watched on television. She later commented that it was "the courteous thing to do.” Kayleigh McEnany, the campaign spokeswoman for Trump, said of Pelosi: "Her hatred for @realdonaldtrump has blinded her to the repulsive nature of her smug, elitist behaviour."
A Republican-led Senate is expected to vote to acquit Trump of impeachment charges he abused his powers and obstructed Congress.
The American Dream is back, says Trump as he underlines 'blazing bright' future of US
Setting the stage for his re-election bid, President Donald Trump in a self-congratulatory State of the Union speech on Wednesday underlined the economic gains of the US under his leadership, asserting that "the American Dream is back" and is "stronger than ever before".
"The years of economic decay are over...Gone too are the broken promises, jobless recoveries, tired platitudes, and constant excuses for the depletion of American wealth, power and prestige," Trump said on the eve of his likely acquittal by the Senate in the impeachment trial.
"From the instant I took office, I moved rapidly to revive the United States economy — slashing a record number of job-killing regulations, enacting historic and record-setting tax cuts and fighting for fair and reciprocal trade agreements," Trump said.
The president said the agenda of his administration is relentlessly pro-worker, pro-family, pro-growth, and, most of all, pro-American.
African-American youth unemployment has reached an all-time low.
"African-American poverty has declined to the lowest rate ever recorded. The unemployment rate for women reached the lowest level in almost 70 years —and last year, women filled 72 per cent of all new jobs added.
—With inputs from PTI
