President Donald Trump on Wednesday called on a divided Congress to refrain from "the politics of revenge" and "partisan investigations" into his presidency as he appealed for unity at a time when the US is struggling to break a stalemate over the funding for his proposed wall along the border with Mexico that could trigger another shutdown.
Trump in his second State of the Union address Trump touted economic gains during his first two years in office as well as legislative wins on issues like criminal justice reform. Trump warned that deepening partisan tensions undermine America's progress.
His calls for reconciliation were met with mostly stone-faced silence from Democrats, who bitterly oppose his agenda and accuse him of hastening the decline in cross-party cooperation.
The president had a record 35-day standoff with the Democrats led by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi over his proposed controversial wall along the US-Mexico border, which shut down the government and postponed the address which was earlier scheduled on January 29.
Trump during his address presented himself as a leader who can work across party lines.
"We must reject the politics of revenge, resistance and retribution and embrace the boundless potential of cooperation, compromise and the common good, the president said in his address that lasted for more than 80 minutes.
"Together, we can break decades of political stalemate. We can bridge old divisions, heal old wounds, build new coalitions, forge new solutions and unlock the extraordinary promise of America's future."
"If there is going to be peace and legislation, there cannot be war and investigation. It just doesn't work that way!
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