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A4 U.S. NEWS
Tuesday 30 January 2018

Can Trump stick to a script beyond the State of the Union?

By JONATHAN LEMIRE gotten from the speech
Associated Press and put the West Wing
WASHINGTON (AP) — No back on the defensive.
natural orator, President It’s far from the only mo-
Donald Trump has none- ment when Trump has
theless shown at times that squandered a brief era of
he can deliver a power- good feelings.
ful speech that effectively In June, he delivered a
outlines his vision, strikes somber address to the na-
an emotional chord and tion after the shooting at
moves commentators to a congressional baseball
declare that he, at last, practice, and then two
looks presidential. And days later, he took to Twit-
then the teleprompter gets ter to attack his own Jus-
turned off. tice Department while de-
Time and again, Trump claring the Russia probe a
has followed up a well-re- “witch hunt.”
ceived, stuck-to-the-script And the day after he deliv-
address with moments of ered a thunderous address
wild indiscipline, quickly as he accepted his party’s
losing any momentum in nomination for president at
a controversy of his own the 2016 Republican Na-
making. tional Convention, Trump
His first State of the Union turned what was supposed
address on Tuesday will be to be a brief thank you to
the biggest test yet of his volunteers into a score-set-
ability to not just deliver a tling screed, relitigating the
stately speech but also to conspiracy theory that his
then stay on track as the rival Ted Cruz’s father had
White House rolls out poli- been involved in the assas-
cies building on it. sination of President John F.
“He has little message dis- Kennedy.
cipline,” said Ari Fleischer, The White House has spent
former press secretary for In this Feb. 28, 2017, photo, President Donald Trump, flanked by Vice President Mike Pence and weeks crafting the State of
President George W. Bush. House Speaker Paul Ryan of Wis., arrives on Capitol Hill in Washington, for his address to a joint the Union speech, seeking
“Virtually every time he session of Congress. input from Cabinet heads
moves the ball far down Associated Press and agency leaders.
the field, he seems to derail or more Americans are temperament to lead the widow of a slain Navy SEAL, Led by policy adviser Ste-
himself with a tweet days watching,” Fleischer said. nation. drew raves from Republi- phen Miller and staff secre-
later instead of building on “There is hardly another Surprising critics, he sound- cans and grudging respect tary Rob Porter, the speech
the momentum.” moment of presidential ex- ed a rousing call for unity, from many Democrats has gone through a num-
The State of the Union is a posure as big as this one, declaring that it was time while prompting a number ber of drafts that have cir-
big set piece for any presi- and it’s one when the presi- to end an era of “pure un- of observers to wonder if culated throughout the
dent, a chance to show- dent and his staff have all adulterated division” in the Trump had found his foot- West Wing, and the presi-
case the accomplishments the control. wake of a bruising cam- ing and was ready to usher dent has added input with
of the past year while set- They are not reacting to paign and a tumultuous in a new, more responsible handwritten notes.
ting the tone for the next events. They are controlling start to his presidency. chapter of his presidency. Trump is expected to high-
one. them, and they need to “The time for small think- That lasted less than a light immigration and na-
Every word is meticulously deliver.” ing is over,” Trump said. week. tional security issues, out-
vetted, every presidential Last Feb. 27, Trump indeed “The time for trivial fights On March 4, Trump typed line his hopes for new trade
guest is carefully chosen delivered when he gave his is behind us. We just need out a series of tweets in deals and reveal some of
and each moment is pains- first address to a joint ses- the courage to share the which he accused Presi- his long-awaited infrastruc-
takingly rehearsed. For sion of Congress. dreams that fill our hearts. dent Barack Obama of au- ture plans.
Trump, dogged by low poll The speech came amid a The bravery to express the thorizing a wiretap of Trump He then could, as his pre-
numbers and the persistent period of crisis for the young hopes that stir our souls. Tower, an unsubstantiated decessors did, spend some
Russia probe, the speech administration — national And the confidence to claim that Trump punctu- time traveling the country
carries particular impor- security adviser Michael turn those hopes and those ated with the assertion that in support of those ideas.
tance. Flynn had been dismissed dreams into action.” his predecessor was a “bad Odds are that Trump sticks
“It’s one of the few events days earlier — and amid The speech, which also (or sick) guy!” to the script for at least one
presidents conduct in questions about whether featured an emotional The resulting furor derailed night. All bets are off after
which 30 to 40 million Trump had the ability and standing ovation for the any momentum Trump had that.q