WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump will be facing his accusers Tuesday night during his State of the Union speech.
The impeached president is speaking on the eve of what’s anticipated to be his expected Senate acquittal on Wednesday.
The address, as always, will happen in the chamber of the House of Representatives. The House impeached Trump in December. House Democrats say Trump abused his power by withholding military aid to Ukraine while demanding an announcement from its president to conduct an investigation into his political rivals, namely Joe Biden. Democrats also say he obstructed Congress’ ability to investigate the allegations.
Whether Trump will talk about impeachment remains unclear. Republicans in the Senate have made it clear they won’t convict him, but some have said the House proved its case and they have conceded Trump did what he’s accused of.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi will be sitting behind him, just a few feet away.
The White House says he’s expected to talk about his accomplishments in office, but they’re not predicting whether Trump will stick to that script. The president has a deep and often-stated sense of grievance, and he’ll be in the room with people he has raged about on Twitter and elsewhere.
Other topics likely to be discussed are the economy, Trump’s recently announced Mideast peace plan, Iran and the coronavirus outbreak.
Some of the Democratic presidential candidates won’t be at the address. They will be in New Hampshire campaigning for the next primary contest to be held Feb. 11.
Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer will give the Democratic response. Out of 4.8 million votes cast in Michigan in the 2016 election, Trump beat Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton by about 11,000. Whitmer’s selection has led to increased speculation that she could be a pick for the vice presidential nomination, though she says she is not interested.
