WASHINGTON _ In his first State of the Union address, President Donald Trump described an ambitious vision of Democratic members joining he and Republicans in overhauling immigration policy and rebuilding the country's aging infrastructure. Reality, however, shows how difficult it all will be.
Trump, after a year of harsh comments and tweets about Democrats, struck a new tone _ at least for one night _ by describing a country in which "all of us" should come "together, as one team, one people, and one American family." The president who has yet to pass major legislation with a single Democratic vote said he wants "both parties to come together."
"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, color, and creed."
As expected, the president boasted about the performance of the economy. He described the GOP-crafted tax law as already providing a boost to the economy.
"Our massive tax cuts provide tremendous relief for the middle class and small businesses," Trump said.
Trump mostly stuck to his prepared remarks, smiling and gesturing at individual lawmakers. He drew bipartisan applause when he honored House Majority Whip Steve Scalise, who was shot last year at a Republican baseball practice as "the legend from Louisiana." And he delivered a traditional-sounding line about the state of the country.
"Let us begin tonight by recognizing that the state of our union is strong because our people are strong," Trump declared.
From there, Trump's address showed that he and his team are eager for more legislative victories and cognizant of the need to attract at least a handful of Democrats they will need on issues like immigration and infrastructure. Whether there is enough to entice them eventually is unclear at this point.
Something that is clear: It will be difficult to turn bipartisan legislative victories into reality. Here are three examples.
