Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1208016
06.02.2020 14 US TRUMP also touted bipartisan ac- complishments such as the U.S.-Mex- ico-Canada trade deal and vowed to protect entitlement programs such as Medicare and Social Security. He pledged to protect the public from the coronavirus that is spreading in China and beyond. But lest anyone think the combus- tible Trump had turned touchy-feely, he also reassured his hardline sup- porters by previewing what promises to be a recurrent campaign theme: accusing Democrats of supporting unlimited free healthcare to undoc- umented immigrants. As he did during his first presi- dential campaign, he warned of the dangers of so-called "Sanctuary Cit- ies" and detailed incidents of violent crime committed by border-crossers. Trump, too, seemed eager to ex- ploit divisions among Democrats as they struggle to settle on a candidate who could mount the biggest threat to him. The early favorite, Biden, appeared to have stumbled badly in Iowa, while U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders, a democratic socialist, was much more competitive. At one point, Trump appeared to reference Sanders, who favors a gov- ernment-run healthcare system, by declaring "We will never let social- ism destroy American healthcare!" At a campaign event in New Hamp- shire, Sanders drew a laugh from the crowd on Tuesday when he ques- tioned Trump's pledge to improve healthcare in America: "Really? How gullible do you think the American people are?" he said. In his speech to Congress, Trump did not address the most polarizing topic in the room, the months-long attempt by Democrats to remove him from office. He avoided any tempta- tion to take a victory lap ahead of Wednesday's Senate vote. "It was very smart to ignore the im- peachment trial, stay above the fray and instead provide a laundry list of accomplishments along with propos- als that will keep his base rock sol- id," said Ron Bonjean, a Republican strategist in Washington. That did not stop partisan tensions from running high. At the close of his remarks, Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi, who had orchestrated Trump's impeachment in the House, tore up her copy of his speech. Ear- lier, Trump had refused to shake her hand upon entering the chamber. While recent polls showed that more than 40 percent of Americans favored Trump's conviction and re- moval from office on charges that he tried to persuade Ukraine to inter- fere in the coming election, Trump received good news from another poll on Tuesday. The Gallup organisation said he had reached his personal best in their tracking poll, hitting 49% approval – the highest since he took office. That prompted nervous Democrats on social media all day to fret that Trump, after three years of non-stop drama, might be peaking at just the right time. Despite being impeached, he is firmly entrenched in office, after sur- viving the Mueller investigation into Russian electoral interference and accusations that he abused his office by pressuring Ukraine to investigate a political rival, former vice president Joe Biden. "He has had existential political threats facing him from the moment he was elected until tomorrow," said Texas-based Republican consultant Matt Mackowiak, referring to the im- pending acquittal vote on impeach- ment charges. All of it brought out the showman in the former reality TV star dur- ing his State of the Union speech on Tuesday night. At one point, he choreographed a reunion between a U.S. servicemember returning from Afghanistan and his family to cheers from lawmakers. Along that line, for much of the speech, Trump appeared to be mak- ing an overt appeal to suburban vot- ers who could decide his fate. He spoke of child-care initiatives, and efforts to combat AIDS and the opioid crisis. He called for greater transparency for medical bills, and he sought to take credit for protecting Americans with pre-existing healthcare condi- tions, even though his administration supports a lawsuit that would gut the Affordable Care Act. For most of his three years in office, Trump has been surrounded by tu- mult, much of it of his own making, resulting ultimately in his impeach- ment by the House of Representa- tives. Now, for the first time in a long A newly emboldened Trump gives