this is the. president. will tell congress how he sees the state of the tone may be more aggressive than we expected at any moment the president will be in the chamber you see. images of the u.s. house of representatives where trump will deliver his address before a new congress one knows longer controlled by his republican party speech is considered to be. most important of the year. expect in part to pick up

where he left off last year. in fact our new american. there has never been a better time to start living the american dream the only question about the president's state of the union how often will be distorted how often. how often resort to fear and divisiveness what i can tell you is as committed today as he's ever been to making sure we get real border security that includes. us president delivers the state of the union address and the world is listening. to special coverage begins right now. it's good to have you with us it is nine pm in washington d.c. and u.s. president. up is about to deliver his state of the union address of the speech was

delayed by about a week one of the many disruptions caused by the federal government shutdown in u.s. history which only ended two weeks ago now that shutdown happened when congress and the president walked horns over trump's demand for a mexico border wall tonight with another shutdown looming trump is expected to challenge the democrats yet again to approve funding for that border wall of the border wall the shutdown they become symbols of the deep divisions in washington and across the u.s. will the president be able to bridge that divide tonight we have team coverage from berlin to washington tonight joining me here at the big table is my colleague william know a glue croft and in the u.s. capital is our washington bureau chief alexander phenomena to both of you welcome it's good to have you here tonight alexander let me start with you the white house in the last few minutes has released a few segments of the state of the union address health care prescription drugs

immigration reform on the speech but we're also learning that the speech is expected to be and i'm quoting here more aggressive than what the white house has told us previously what are you hearing what are you expecting. well you right so the white house officials have been spreading the news talking to reporters for the last day saying that the president plans to strike the salvatore tone that he plans to. make that the scope we're going to go now into the house of representatives the president has entered the chamber let's listen in.

our guests joining us right now the special coverage white coverage of the state of the union address these second state of the union address that the president president trump will deliver this evening he'll be delivering it before. the entire u.s. congress as well as the u.s. supreme court. as well as his entire cabinet. this will be the first time that the president has spoken before a divided congress with midterm elections last november you may recall resulted in what was known as a blue wave of democrats being swept into office the results the senate remains in control of the republicans the u.s. house of representatives is now firmly in control again. by the democrats. the president making his way down towards the pool area where he will speak.

and we have to say the president is on time this evening and you see right there there's the vice president mike pence and the news speaker of the house nancy pelosi nancy pelosi the woman really many people are saying that we should be watching she will be sitting behind the president and she. using her authority as speaker of the house at first told the president that she didn't think he should be speaking. in a joint session of congress that was of course during that government shutdown over . funding for that border wall along the us mexico border. i mean this is moving very quickly very is the let's watch to see. as he's up there on the podium.

he's delivering copies of the speech which is also part of the state of the union tradition then i'll. have to say this is a much more subdued reception compared to the morning he had last year. you can see the first waiting along the it from there in the lower middle part of your screen. there's also a truck. pushed over. sitting beside her on the side. the white house says the speech is scheduled to run about forty five minutes

tonight last year the president delivered one of the longest speeches eighty minutes. not only is this a new congress this is the most diverse congress in u.s. history and it has the most female lawmakers in american history are people taking their seats now let's listen in such a matter of speaker mr vice president members of congress. the first lady of the united states with thank you.

and my fellow americans. we meet tonight at a moment of unlimited potential. as we begin a new congress i stand here ready to work with you to achieve historic breakthroughs for all americans. millions of our fellow citizens are watching us now gathered in this great chamber. hoping that we will govern not as two parties but as one nation one thousand the agenda i will lay out this evening is not a republican agenda or

a democrat agenda it's the agenda of the american people many of us have campaigned on the same core promises to defend american jobs and demand fair trade for american workers to rebuild and revitalize our nation's infrastructure to reduce the price of health care and prescription drugs to create an immigration system that is safe. lawful modern and secure and to pursue a foreign policy that puts america's interests first. there is a new opportunity in american politics if only we have the courage together to seize it. was

victory is not winning for our party. victory is winning for our country was this year america will recognize two important anniversaries that show us the majesty of america's mission and the power of american pride in june we mark seventy five years since the start of what general dwight d. eisenhower called the great crew say the allied liberation of europe in world war two. ah

was going d.-day june six one thousand nine hundred forty four fifteen thousand young american men jumped from the sky and sixty thousand more stormed in from the sea to save our civilization from tyranny here with us tonight are three of those incredible heroes private first class joseph riley staff sergeant irving locker. and sergeant herman zite check it was . was

a one . gentleman we salute you in two thousand and nineteen we also celebrate fifty years since brave young pilots flew a quarter of a million miles through space to plant the american flag on the face of the moon. half a century later we're joined by one of the apollo eleven astronauts who planted that flag buzz aldrin was

beamed. thank you. thank you but us. this year american astronauts will go back to space on american rockets was be in the twentieth century america's saved freedom transformed science

redefined the middle class and when you get down to it there's nothing anywhere in the world that can compete with america by even now we must step boldly and bravely into the next chapter of this great american adventure and we must create a new standard of living for the twenty first century. an amazing quality of life for all of our citizens is within reach we can make our community safer our family stronger our culture a richer our faith deeper and our middle class bigger and more

prosperous than ever before was . but we must reject the politics of revenge resistance and retribution and embrace the boundless potential of cooperation compromise and the common good was . together we can break decades of political stalemate we

can bridge all divisions heal old wounds build new coalitions forge new solutions and unlock the extraordinary promise of america's future the decision is ours to make we must choose between great disorder gridlock results or resistance vision or vengeance incredible progress or pointless destruction. tonight i ask you to choose greatness was

over the last two years my administration has moved with urgency and historic speed to confront problems neglected by leaders of both parties over many decades in just over two years since the election we have launched an unprecedented economic boom a boom that has rarely been seen before there's been nothing like it we have created five point three million new jobs and importantly added six hundred thousand new manufacturing jobs something which almost everyone said was impossible to do. but the fact is we are just getting started was wages are rising at the fastest pace in decades and growing for blue collar

workers who i promise to fight for they're growing faster than anyone else thought possible. nearly five million americans have been lifted off food stamps thank god the u.s. economy is growing almost twice as fast today as when i took office. and we are considered far away the hottest economy anywhere in the world not even close thanks unemployment has reached the lowest rate in over half

a century was thanks african-american hispanic american and asian american unemployment have all reached their lowest levels ever recorded was. thank unemployed for americans with disabilities has also reached an all time low was. thank the more people

are working now than it anytime in the history of our country one hundred and fifty seven million people at work thanks we passed a massive tax cut for working families and doubled the child tax credit thanks we virtually ended the estate tax. or death tax as it is often called on small businesses for ranches and also for family farms. i thank

. we eliminated the very unpopular obamacare individual mandate penalty. was i think you gave critically ill patients access to lifesaving cures we passed very importantly right to try i thank . my administration has cut more regulations in a short period of time then any other administration during its entire tenure was i think i'm

pleased are coming back to our country in large numbers thanks to our historic reductions in taxes and regulations i think and we have unleashed a revolution in american energy the united states is now the number one producer of oil and natural gas anywhere in the world ilk . thank you and now for the first time in sixty five years we are a net exporter of energy was thanks

. after twenty four months of rapid progress our economy is the envy of the world our military is the most powerful on earth by far and america thanks america is again winning each and every day was thank members of congress the state of our union is strong was being

a i got was was. that sound so good. our country is vibrant and our economy is thriving like never before. on friday it was announced that we added another three hundred and four thousand jobs last month alone almost double the number expected. while . an economic miracle is taking place in the united states and the only thing that

can stop it are foolish wars politics or ridiculous partisan investigations. if there is going to be peace and legislation there cannot be war and investigation it just doesn't work that way. we must be united at home to defeat our adversaries abroad. this new era of cooperation can start with finally confirming the more than three hundred highly qualified nominees who are still stuck in the senate.

in some cases years and years waiting not right. the senate has failed to act on these nominations which is unfair to the nominees and very unfair to our country now is the time for bipartisan action believe it or not we have already proven that that's possible in the last congress both parties came together to pass unprecedented legislation to confront the opioid crisis a sweeping new farm bill historic v.a. reforms and after four decades of rejection we passed v.a.

accountability so that we can finally terminate those who mistreat our wonderful veterans. and just weeks ago both parties united for groundbreaking criminal justice reform they said it couldn't be done. last year i heard through friends the story of alice johnson

i was deeply moved. in one nine hundred ninety seven alice was sentence to life in prison as a first time nonviolent drug offender over the next twenty two years she became a prison minister inspiring others to choose a better path she had a big impact on that prison population and far beyond alice's story underscores the disparities and unfairness that can exist in criminal sentencing and the need to remedy this total in justice she served almost that twenty two years and had expected to be in prison for the remainder of her life

in june i commuted alice's sense when i saw alice's beautiful family greeter at the prison gates hugging and kissing and crying and laughing i knew i did something right alice is with us tonight and she is a terrific woman. terrific alice please thousand one. hundred. one was one was ours thank you

for reminding us that we always have the power to shape our own destiny thank you very much alice thank you i was inspired by stories like alice my administration worked closely with members of both parties to sign the first step act into law. was this legislation reformed sentencing laws that have wrongly and disproportionately harmed the african-american community the first step act gives nonviolent offenders the chance to reenter society as productive law abiding citizens now states across the country are following our lead america is

a nation that believes in redemption we are also joined tonight by matthew charles from tennessee. in one nine hundred ninety six at the age of thirty. matthew was sentenced to thirty five years for selling drugs and related offenses over the next two decades he completed more than thirty bible studies became a lot clerk. and mentored many of his fellow inmates now matthew is the very first person to be released from prison under the first step act. have you please thank you.

thank you thank you matthew. welcome home. thank now republicans and democrats must join forces again to confront an urgent national crisis congress has ten days left to pass a bill that will fund our government protect our homeland and secure our very dangerous southern border now is the time for congress to show the world. that america is committed to ending illegal immigration and putting the ruthless

coyotes cartels drug dealers and human traffickers out of business. the ear as we speak large organize care of ends are on the march to the united states we have just heard that mexican cities in order to remove the illegal immigrants from their communities are getting trucks and buses to bring them up to our country in areas where there is little border protection

i have ordered another three thousand seven hundred fifty troops to our southern border to prepare for this tremendous onslaught this is a moral issue a lawless state of our southern border is a threat to the safety security and financial wellbeing of all america we have a moral duty to create an immigration system that protects the lives in jobs of our citizens this includes our obligation to the millions of immigrants living here today who follow the rules and respected our laws. illegal immigrants enrich our nation and strengthen our society in countless ways.

either i want people to come into our country in the largest numbers ever but they have to come in legally. was tonight i am asking you to defend our very dangerous southern border out of love and devotion to our fellow citizens and then illegal immigration wealthy politicians and owners push for open borders while living their lives behind walls and gates and darts.

ah ha ha meanwhile working class americans are left to pay the price for mass illegal immigration reduced its lower wages overburdened schools hospitals that are so crowded you can't get in increased crime and they depleted social safety net. tolerance for illegal immigration is not compassionate it is actually very cruel. ah one

in three women is sexually assaulted on the long journey north smugglers use migrant children as human pawns to exploit our laws and gain access to our country human traffickers and sex traffickers take advantage of the wide open areas between our ports of entry to smuggle thousands of young girls and women into the united states and to sell them into prostitution and modern day slavery tens of thousands of innocent americans are killed by lethal drugs that cross our border and flood into our cities including meth heroin cocaine and fenton all the savage gang m.s.

thirteen now operates in at least twenty different american states and they almost all come through our southern border just yesterday m.m.s. thirteen gang member was taken into custody for a fatal shooting on a subway platform in new york city we are removing these gang members by the thousands but until we secure our border they are going to keep screaming right back in. year after year countless americans are murdered by criminal illegal aliens i've gotten to know many wonderful angel moms and dads and families no one should ever have to suffer the horrible heartache that they have had to endure here

tonight is deborah bissell just three weeks ago deborah's parents gerald and cher were burglarized and shot to death in their reno nevada hall by an illegal alien they were in their eighty's and are survived by four children eleven grandchildren and twenty great grandchildren also here tonight are gerald and sharon's granddaughter have and great granddaughter madison to deborah had their madison please stand few can understand your pain thank you and thank you for being here thank you very much. ah

ha ha ha ha ear. i will never forget and i will fight for the memory of gerald and share that it should never happen again not one more american alive should be lost because our nation failed to control its very dangerous border. in the last two years our brave ice officers made two hundred and sixty six thousand arrests of criminal allianz including those charged or convicted of nearly one hundred thousand assaults thirty thousand sex crimes and four thousand killings or murders

we are joined tonight by one of those law enforcement heroes ice special agent elven hernandez one element. hey hey. hey. when elvin was a boy he and his family legally immigrated to the united states from the domenic in republic at the age of eight elven told his dad he wanted to become a special agent today he leads investigations into the score of international sex trafficking elven say is that if i can

make sure these young girls get their justice i've really done my job thanks to his work and that of his incredible colleagues more than three hundred women and girls have been rescued from the heart of this terrible situation. and more than one thousand five hundred sadistic traffickers have been put behind bars law either one. or why the law if you are one we will always support the brave men and women of law enforcement and i pledge to you tonight that i will never

about our heroes from ice thank you was the eve of my administration has sent to congress a commonsense proposal to end the crisis on the southern border it includes humanitarian assistance more law enforcement drug detection at our ports closing loopholes that enable child smuggling and plans for a new physical barrier or wall to secure the vast areas between our ports of entry in the past most of the people in this room voted for a wall but the proper wall never got built i will get it built

was god this is a smart. strategic see through steel barrier not just a simple concrete wall it will be deployed in the areas identified by the border agents as having the greatest need and these agents will tell you where walls go up illegal crossings go way way down. ah

san diego used to have the most illegal border crossings in our country in response a strong security wall was put in place this powerful barrier almost completely ended illegal crossings the border city of el paso texas used to have extremely high rates of violent crime one of the highest in the entire country and considered one of our nation's most dangerous cities now immediately upon its building with a powerful barrier in place el paso is one of the safest cities in our country simply put walls work and walls save lives

ah so let's work together compromise and reach a deal that will truly make america safe. as we work to defend our people safety we must also ensure our economic resurgence continues at a rapid pace no one has benefited more from a thriving economy then women who have filled fifty eight percent of the newly created jobs last year. the e.u.

. you weren't supposed to do that. thank you very much. thank you very much all americans can be proud that we have more women in the workforce then ever before. while the e.u. . don't sit yet you know like this.

and exactly one century after congress passed the constitutional amendment giving women the right to vote. we also have more women serving in congress then at any time before. you even know if. you will you will

replace. was. all. that's great. or very great and congratulations that's great as part of our commitment to improving opportunity for women everywhere this thursday we are launching the first ever government wide initiative focused on economic empowerment for women in developing countries to build on the e.u. to build on our incredible economic success one priority is paramount reversing decades of calamitous trade policies so bad we are now making it clear to china. that after years of targeting our industries

and stealing our intellectual property the theft of american jobs and wealth. has come to an end ah ha you're for we recently impose tariffs on two hundred fifty billion dollars of chinese goods and now our treasury is receiving billions and billions of dollars. but i don't blame china for taking advantage of us i blame our leaders and representatives for allowing this travesty to happen i have great respect for president xi and we are now working on a new trade deal with china but it must include real structural

changed and unfair trade practices reduce our chronic trade deficit and protect american jobs the economy . another historic trade blunder was the catastrophe known as nafta i have met the men and women of michigan ohio pennsylvania indiana new hampshire and many other states whose dreams were shattered by the signing of nafta for years politicians promised them they would renegotiate for a better deal but no one ever tried until now our

new us mexico canada agreement the u.s. m.c.a. will replace nafta and deliver for american workers like they haven't had delivered to for a long time. i hope you can pass the u.s. m.c.a. into law so that we can bring back our manufacturing jobs and even greater numbers expand american agriculture protect intellectual property and ensure that more cars are proudly stamped with our four beautiful words made in the usa. the eco night i am also asking you to pass the united states we simple trade act so

that if another country places an unfair tariff on an american product we can charge them the exact same tariff on the exact same product that they sell to us. the e.u. both parties should be able to unite for a great rebuilding of america's crumbling infrastructure ah ha you know that congress is eager to pass an infrastructure bill and i am eager to work with you on legislation to deliver new and important infrastructure investment

including investments in the cutting edge industries of the future. this is not an option this is a necessity. the next major priority for me and for all of us should be to lower the cost of health care and prescription drugs and to protect patients with preexisting conditions thanks already as a result of my administration's efforts in two thousand and eighteen drug prices experienced their single largest decline in forty six years thanks

but we must do more it's unacceptable that americans pay vastly more than people in other countries for the exact same drugs often made in the exact same place this is wrong this is unfair and together we will stop it and will stop it famous thank you i am asking congress to pass legislation. that finally takes on the problem of global freeloading and delivers fairness and price transparency for american patients finally

thank you we should also require drug companies insurance companies and hospitals to disclose real prices to force or competition and bring costs way down. was no force in history has done more to advance the human condition than american freedom in recent years thanks

in recent years we have made remarkable progress in the fight against hiv and aids scientific breakthroughs have brought a once distant dream within reach my budget will ask democrats and republicans to make the needed commitment to eliminate the epidemic. in the united states within ten years we have made incredible strides incredible thank you together we will defeat aids in america and beyond. i was tonight i am also asking you to join me in

another fight that all americans can get behind the fight against childhood cancer. was joining melania in the gallery this evening is a very brave ten year old girl grace eli every birthday cake of was . high grace.

every birthday since she was four grace asked her friends to donate to st jude's children's hospital. she did not know that one day she might be a patient herself that's what happened last year grace was diagnosed with brain cancer immediately she began radiation treatment at the same time she rallied. her community and raised more than forty thousand dollars for the fight against cancer i think of thanks when grace completed

treatment last fall her doctors and nurses cheered they loved her they still love her with tears in their eyes as she hung up a poster that read last day of chemo. i think i. thank. thank you very much grace you are a great inspiration to everyone in this room thank you very much. many childhood cancers have not seen new therapies in decades my budget will ask congress for five hundred million dollars over the next ten years to fund this critical lifesaving research to help support working parents the time has come to pass school

choice for americans children. was i am also proud to be the first president to include in my budget a play and for nationwide paid family leave so that every new parent has the chance to bond with their newborn child. was there could be no greater contrast to the beautiful image of a mother holding our infant child then the chilling displays our nation saw in

recent days lawmakers in new york cheered with delight upon the passage of legislation that would allow a baby to be ripped from the mother's womb moments from birth these are living feeling beautiful babies who will never get the chance to share their love and their dreams with the world and then we had the case of the governor of virginia where he stated he would execute a baby after birth. to defend the dignity of every person i am asking congress to pass legislation to prohibit the late term abortion. thank you omaha the e.u. and

the eleven us work together to build a culture that cherishes innocent life. thank you i even and let us reaffirm a fundamental truth all children born and unborn are made in the holy image of god the final part of my

agenda is to protect. american security over the last two years we have begun to fully rebuild the united states military with seven hundred billion dollars last year and seven hundred sixteen billion dollars this year. we are also getting other nations to pay their fair share. was . for years the united states was being treated very unfairly by friends of ours members of nato but

now we have secured over the last couple of years more than one hundred billion dollars of increase in defense spending from our nato allies they said it couldn't was part of our military build up the united states is developing a state of the art missile defense system under my administration we will never apologize for advancing america's interests for example decades ago the united states entered into a treaty with russia in which we agreed to limit and reduce our missile capability while we followed the agreement and the rules to the letter

russia repeatedly violated its terms. it's been going on for many years that is why i announce that the united states is officially withdrawing from the intermediate range nuclear forces treaty or i.n.f. treaty perhaps one was a. we really have no choice perhaps we can negotiate a different agreement adding china and others or perhaps we can't in which case we will outspend and out innovate all of those by far

ah ha ha ha ha bold new diplomacy we continue our historic push for peace on the korean peninsula our hostages have come home nuclear testing has stopped and there has not been a missile launch in more than fifteen months if i had not been elected president of the united states we would right now in my opinion be in a major war with north korea. ah much work remains to be done but my relationship with kim jong un is

a good one chairman kim and i will meet again on february twenty seventh and twenty eighth in vietnam. the e.u. two weeks ago the united states officially recognized the legitimate government of venezuela and its new president of the e.u. well why the east end with the venezuelan people in their noble quest for freedom and we condemn the brutality of the madero regime who socialist policies have turned that nation from being the wealthiest in south america into

a state of abject poverty and despair. on the ear of the united states we are alarmed by the new calls to adopt socialism in our country. america was founded on liberty and independence and not government coercion domination and control we are born free and we will stay well the evening . tonight we renewed our resolve. that america will never be

a socialist country. and . one of the most complex set of challenges we face and have for many years is in the middle east our approach is based on principle real is not discredited theories that have failed for decades to yield progress. for this reason my administration recognized the true capital of israel and proudly opened the american embassy in.

our brave troops have now been fighting in the middle east for almost nineteen years in afghanistan and iraq nearly seven thousand american heroes have given their lives more than fifty two thousand americans have been badly wounded we have spent more than seven trillion dollars in fighting wars in the middle east as a candidate for president i loudly pledged a new approach great nations do not fight endless wars. ah thank

god when i took office i says controlled more than twenty thousand square miles in iraq and syria just two years ago today we have liberated virtually all of the territory from the grip of these blood thirsty monsters now as we work with our allies to destroy the remnants of isis it is time to give our brave warriors in syria a warm welcome home i have also accel aerated our negotiations to reach if possible a political settlement in afghanistan the opposing side

is also very happy to be negotiated our troops have fought with unmatched valor and thanks to their bravery we are now able to pursue a possible political solution to this long and bloody conflict. thanks in afghanistan my administration is holding constructive talks with a number of afghan groups including the taliban. as we make progress in these negotiations we will be able to reduce troops presence and

focus on counter terrorism and we will indeed focus on counter terrorism. we do not know whether there will achieve an agreement but we do know that after two decades of war the hour has come to at least try for peace and the other side would like to do the same thing it's time. was above all friend and foe alike was never doubt this nation's power and will to defend our people eighteen years ago violent terrorists attacked the u.s.s. call and the last month american forces killed one of the

leaders of that attack. ah was . we're honored to be joined tonight by tom were away whose son navy seaman craig were really was one of the seventeen sailors we tragically lost tom we vowed to always remember the heroes of the u.s.s. cole. ah ah.