President Trump used his State of the Union address to call for a new era of bipartisanship and compromise, but said he would not budge on a border wall even as Washington faces another potential shutdown in nine days over border security. The Hill: Trump veers between comity, confrontation at raucous State of the Union. The Memo: Six takeaways from the State of the Union. Ringing in at just over one hour and 22 minutes, the president's speech provoked some rare moments of comity and celebration among Republicans and Democrats in the House chamber. But Trump spent the bulk of his time — 27 paragraphs' worth of text — focused on his controversial immigration policies, underscoring the impasse lawmakers face as Washington recovers from the recent 35-day shutdown. Trump did not mention that record shutdown, which was massively unpopular with the public and cost him politically. Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) motioned to her caucus to stifle their groans as Trump warned about the latest migrant caravan approaching the border. Democrats, including Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), who filed the paperwork for her presidential exploratory committee last month, rolled their eyes as Trump praised Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials. The president announced that he is sending nearly 4,000 new troops to the border. He called illegal immigration "a moral issue" – a clear shot at Pelosi, who has called a border wall "amoral." And he described illegal immigration as "an urgent national crisis," a reminder that he may still declare a national emergency to circumvent Congress if he doesn't get the funds he's demanding for a border wall. "In the past, most of the people in this room voted for a wall, but the proper wall never got built. I'll get it built." — Trump "The idea of declaring a nonexistent state of emergency on the border… to pay for the wall is not only immoral, it is illegal. We are ready to reject this foolish proposal in court the moment it touches the ground." — California Attorney General Xavier Becerra delivering the Spanish-language rebuttal on behalf of Democrats following the address The Hill: GOP senators say they intend to strike a deal regardless of Trump. The Hill: Negotiators optimistic about avoiding shutdown despite Trump threats. Still, the president opened and ended the night with overtures to Democrats on potential areas of compromise. The president asked Democrats to work with him on bills related to infrastructure, drug pricing and family leave. He asked Congress to allocate $500 million to study new therapies for childhood cancer and to support a newly-unveiled moonshot to eradicate HIV from the U.S. in the next 10 years. When Trump praised the thriving economy for women and the record number of women elected to Congress in 2018, House Democratic women, many dressed in white as a symbol of women's voting rights, jumped to their feet to cheer. Chants of "USA! USA!" broke out across the chamber. Later, the House sang "Happy Birthday" to Judah Samet, who survived the Holocaust and a shooting last year at the Tree of Life synagogue. The Hill: 7 memorable moments from Trump's State of the Union. The Washington Post: Trump shares the energy (and the power). Of course, Trump's frustration with the new Democratic House punched through at times, with references to "socialism," late-term abortions and the myriad investigations that have enveloped his administration. "An economic miracle is taking place in the United States — and the only thing that can stop it are foolish wars, politics, or ridiculous partisan investigations. If there is going to be peace and legislation, there cannot be war and investigation. It just doesn't work that way." — Trump "Even as I am very disappointed by the president's approach to our problems – I still don't want him to fail, but we need him to tell the truth, and to respect his duties and the extraordinary diversity that defines America." — Georgia's Stacey Abrams, delivering the official Democratic response to Trump's State of the Union. Many of the State of the Union responses over the years have been mocked, but Abrams held her own and her speech will spark more chatter that she will challenge Sen. David Perdue (R-Ga.) in 2020. The Hill: Trump gets dose of new political reality at State of the Union. The Hill: Abrams offers progressive counterpoint to Trump in Dem response. Perspectives and analysis: The New York Times: Trump sets new meeting with North Korea's Kim Jong Un. The New York Times editorial board: A message of unity from an agent of discord. The Wall Street Journal editorial board: Trump's bipartisan pitch. John Dickerson: Trump's hollow call for unity. Henry Olsen: Trump delivered best, most Reaganesque speech of his tenure. James Oliphant and John Whitesides: Despite bipartisan sheen, Trump's speech spoke to his base. Jonathan Bernstein: Trump's state of the balcony address. © Getty Images
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