Trump preparing to deliver State of the Union address ahead of final impeachment vote
President Trump is expected to highlight the administration's accomplishment and maintain a positive message; Gillian Turner reports from the White House.
EXCLUSIVE: President Trump will deliver an “optimistic, inspirational, forward-looking” State of the Union address on the eve of the Senate's final impeachment vote, according to presidential adviser Kellyanne Conway, who quipped that “success is the best revenge.”
In an exclusive phone interview with Fox News from Des Moines, Iowa, on Sunday, Conway previewed the president’s State of the Union by touting the administration’s efforts over the last year, and teasing that many of his statements will end with the word “winning.”
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“I think success is the best revenge,” Conway told Fox News. “Winning finishes many sentences and the president will show up and barrel through as he always does. He will take his message to the people so that they can hear what’s been happening in their country — uncensored by a bunch of critics and naysayers who have not been telling the truth and have been on his back since [he announced his 2016 bid].”
The president’s State of the Union address slated for Tuesday night comes amid the impeachment battle on Capitol Hill. The Senate is expected to hold its final impeachment vote the following day on whether to remove the president from office or to acquit him of the charges of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress.
At this point, with Republicans in control of the Senate and a two-thirds majority needed to secure conviction, Trump is all but certain to be acquitted. Last week, the Senate voted 51-49 not to call any additional witnesses, despite House Democrats hoping to hear from figures like former national security adviser John Bolton, who essentially alleged the kind of quid pro quo that Trump has long denied.
The case centers on claims that Trump withheld military aid to Ukraine to pressure the country to launch investigations into Democrats, including presidential candidate Joe Biden.
The president himself seemed unruffled by the timing of it all — preparing to deliver his annual address with the final impeachment vote looming. Not even former President Bill Clinton had to contend with a Senate trial vote and State of the Union within 24 hours of each other. When asked over the weekend whether he’d consider delaying the address until after Wednesday’s vote, he said no.
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“No, I’m gonna have it,” Trump told Fox News' Sean Hannity during an exclusive interview Sunday. “It’s going to be done. We’re going to talk about the achievements we’ve made. Nobody’s made achievements like we’ve made. So many different things.”
Trump is likely to face a very mixed reaction from the congressional audience, as Democrats have railed against him on a daily basis in the run-up to the final impeachment vote.
House Manager Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., accused Trump of cheating on Monday and spoke in dire terms of the possibility of letting him get away with it.
"Make no mistake, these are perilous times if we determine that the remedy for a president who cheats in an election is to pronounce him vindicated and attack those who exposed his misconduct," Jeffries said.
Meanwhile, Conway told Fox News that the address will be “the progress report” of the Trump-Pence presidency.
“The president will deliver an optimistic, inspirational, forward-looking State of the Union on Tuesday,” Conway said, adding that he “invites those critics and impeachment-minded folks to come along.”
“We know that they are sharing in the success of the Trump economy, his national security measures — which have eradicated some of the most-wanted terrorists; now it's time to gather for the American people,” Conway said.
Conway went on to say that the president will talk about “the American comeback” and said he will be “armed with facts and figures that are undeniable.”
“This is a country that works again,” she said.
The State of the Union address is sandwiched between not only the final impeachment vote but also the first contest in the 2020 Democratic presidential primary process: the Iowa Caucuses.
Trump reelection campaign press secretary Kayleigh McEnany said in a statement Monday that the results of Iowa are clear: “Far-left extremism will prevail.”
“The State of the Union will display a clear contrast between a President who has innumerable historic achievements and a Democrat Party who is completely obsessed with taking down President Trump and disenfranchising the American people,” she added.
Trump has factored heavily into the Democratic candidates' pitch to voters.
Biden said last week of Trump: “He’s more a bully than a president,” adding, “Welcome to Donald Trump’s world. Up is down. Lies are the truth. Allies are enemies.”
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