As Donald Trump reeled off his debut State of the Union address, it felt like the tumult and anger and chaos of the last few years never happened.
For after tearing at America’s divides to win and wield power, the President used his big televised moment on Tuesday night to pose as the great uniter.
Summoning all the pageantry of his office, in a scripted speech which mixed oratory with praise for inspirational American heroes in the first lady’s gallery, Trump made a coherent, though the controversial case for his presidency, declaring there had never been a better time to live the American dream.
But as the last standing ovation subsided, questions remained: How many hours, or days, will Trump’s optimistic vision and an open hand for bipartisan compromise last, given his more usual erratic and confrontational behavior?
And will Trump win any political benefit from an empathetic appearance given controversies that he can’t control, including the corrosive daily toll of the Russia investigation that is now reaching deep into his White House?
Repeatedly on Tuesday, Trump offered to forge common ground with Democrats on emotive issues such as immigration or the meaning of patriotism, that was a departure from the radioactive rhetoric he had used in the past.
He even offered to work on issues important to liberals like infrastructure, family leave, and criminal justice reform.
But then he used language that could inflame and offend his opponents, in an example of the bulldozing political method that undercuts his calls for national unity and likely makes a compromise on the most difficult issues unlikely.
Commanding center stage, gripping the lectern in the House of Representatives, Trump, his jaw set, in a trademark dark suit and bold blue tie, looked every inch a president, striking a contrast with his often unpredictable behavior outside formal settings that has crashed against political norms.
“Tonight, I call upon all of us to set aside our differences, to seek out coming ground, and to summon the unity we need to deliver for the people we were elected to serve,” Trump said.
A year after decrying the “American Carnage” of lost jobs and ruined lives in his stark inaugural address, Trump effectively declared it was morning in America again, recalling the upbeat economic message of Ronald Reagan.
It may be that in the short-term at least, that the President’s calls for bipartisanship and compromise strike a chord with the public, which is wary of years of bitterly partisan politics.
In a snap CNN/SSRS poll, 48% of people who watched the speech reacted very positively, 22% reacted positively, and 29% had a negative response. Such polls do not offer an intricate national picture because they tend to sample people more well disposed to the President at the time.
Republican leaders poured praise on their President.
“I thought he was outstanding,” said Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, when asked for his reaction to the address by a President whose frequent policy reversals have often infuriated the GOP Senate leader.
House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy said he thought the President came across as a “leader trying to bring both parties together.”
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