Currents News Staff
President Trump is in final preparations for a speech that could be crucial to his re-election prospects — the State of the Union address.
But he comes to Capitol Hill under historic circumstances: it’s the night before the Senate is set for the final votes on the two articles of impeachment against him, and no impeached American president has ever run for re-election.
Feb. 5, the Senate will cast their votes on the charges presented by the House: abuse of power, and obstruction of Congress.
Republican senators are expected to guarantee his acquittal, hope he’ll stay away from the impeachment process in tonight’s speech, and instead, talk up his administration’s accomplishments and why he is deserving of another term.
“He’s gonna make a good speech. Let’s just leave it at that,” said Republican Senator James Inhofe of Oklahoma.
Jan. 3, after more than a year of campaigning and amidst confusion and chaos in the 2020 Iowa caucuses, candidates took aim at the president.
“Our union is stronger than Trump,” said Senator Elizabeth Warren.
“We cannot allow Donald Trump to be re-elected,” presidential candidate Joe Biden said.
The White House says the president’s speech will look at what he has achieved so far.
“He’s going to be talking to the American people about all the things that this administration has accomplished while Democrats have been focused on a very petty, partisan impeachment,” said Marc Short, Chief of Staff to Vice President Pence.
The Democratic response to the speech will be delivered by Governor Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan, one of the states that buoyed President Trump to victory in 2016, and one that Democrats want back in their column this November.