WASHINGTON DC — President Donald Trump delivered remarks to the 2018 House and Senate Republican Member Conference on Thursday afternoon.
Trump’s first State of the Union address on Tuesday was billed as a “unifying” speech that looked to bridge a partisan divide that has only grown during his first year in Office.
Then the President took to Twitter.
The President’s first two tweets after the State of the Union slammed Democrats Thursday for not getting behind his immigration, infrastructure and tax plans and complained that all the opposing party does is “Resist, Blame, Complain and Obstruct – and do nothing.”
Trump did not tweet the day after the State of the Union, an apparent attempt to keep the focus on his largely well received speech.
“Heading to beautiful West Virginia to be with great members of the Republican Party. Will be planning Infrastructure and discussing Immigration and DACA, not easy when we have no support from the Democrats,” Trump wrote on Thursday morning. “NOT ONE DEM VOTED FOR OUR TAX CUT BILL! Need more Republicans in ’18.”
He later added: “March 5th is rapidly approaching and the Democrats are doing nothing about DACA. They Resist, Blame, Complain and Obstruct – and do nothing. Start pushing Nancy Pelosi and the Dems to work out a DACA fix, NOW!”
Trump’s first year in office, despite the claim that his first State of the Union would be bipartisan, has often been marked by division and acrimony. Trump has looked to blame Democrats for the divide, citing their antipathy towards him and desire not to hand him any wins, while Democrats argue Trump’s often demeaning and fire-breathing Twitter account has left the President with few friends on the other side of the aisle.
Trump’s top aides are aware that the President will need bipartisan cooperation in 2018 to get anything done, given a one-vote margin in the Senate and looming midterm elections that will likely grind the gears of Congress to a crawl. The administration has floated the idea of immigration reform, an area that regularly receives bipartisan support, as a priority in 2018.
