Donald Trump has used his first televised address to the nation from the Oval Office to claim a growing humanitarian and security crisis at the border between the United States and Mexico.
Trump also used the eight-minute speech to repeat his demand for $5.7 billion (£4.6 billion) to build a wall along the US-Mexico border, and blamed Democrats for the partial government shutdown that has left hundreds of thousands of government employees either furloughed, or working for no pay.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
The New York Times notes that in several instances, Trump made false claims or made statements that were misleading and required more context, including the claim that Democrats are responsible for the government shutdown.
During a fractious meeting with senior Democrats Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer late last year, Trump said: “I will take the mantle. I will be the one to shut [the government] down. I’m not going to blame you for it.”
Reaction to the speech was mixed along party lines. Republican supporters of Trump praised the speech, with Senator Lindsey Graham telling Fox News that this was the “most presidential” he had seen Trump so far.
Democrat reaction to the speech was more critical, with Pelosi and Schumer holding a joint press conference to call on Trump to end the government shutdown.
“The fact is: President Trump must stop holding the American people hostage, must stop manufacturing a crisis, and must reopen the government,” Pelosi said.
Schumer went on to accuse Trump of trying to “govern by temper tantrum”, the BBC reports.
-
AI workslop is muddying the American workplaceThe explainer Using AI may create more work for others
-
Japan poised to get first woman prime ministerSpeed Read The ruling Liberal Democratic Party elected former Economic Security Minister Sanae Takaichi
-
The 5 best mob movies of all timeThe Week Recommends If you don’t like a good gangster flick, just fuhgeddaboudit
-
Judge bars Trump’s National Guard moves in OregonSpeed Read In an emergency hearing, a federal judge blocked President Donald Trump from sending National Guard troops into Portland
-
Russia: already at war with Europe?Talking Point As Kremlin begins ‘cranking up attacks’ on Ukraine’s European allies, questions about future action remain unanswered
-
Trump declares ‘armed conflict’ with drug cartelsspeed read This provides a legal justification for recent lethal military strikes on three alleged drug trafficking boats
-
Why is this government shutdown so consequential?Today's Big Question Federal employee layoffs could be in the thousands
-
Supreme Court rules for Fed’s Cook in Trump feudSpeed Read Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook can remain in her role following Trump’s attempts to oust her
-
‘This isn’t just semantics’Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
Miami Freedom Tower’s MAGA library squeezeTHE EXPLAINER Plans to place Donald Trump’s presidential library next to an iconic symbol of Florida’s Cuban immigrant community has South Florida divided
-
Judge rules Trump illegally targeted Gaza protestersSpeed Read The Trump administration’s push to arrest and deport international students for supporting Palestine is deemed illegal
