State Of The Union: Unpacking President Trump's Address As Senate Moves Toward Impeachment Vote

President Donald Trump delivers his third State of the Union address on Tuesday night, a day before the Senate votes on whether to remove him from office. We’ll hear from experts about this historic moment.

Jonathan Tepperman, editor-in-chief at Foreign Policy. (@j_tepperman)

Greg Ip, chief economics commentator for The Wall Street Journal. (@greg_ip)

Carol Leonnig, reporter at the Washington Post. Co-author of "A Very Stable Genius: Donald J. Trump's Testing of America." (@CarolLeonnig)

The Washington Post: "Trump paints strong economy as vindication as he tries to move past impeachment" — "President Trump on Tuesday made a theatrical prime-time appeal for the success of his divisive and turbulent stewardship after three years, projecting confidence that a strong economy and a reset of U.S. standing in the world has put the nation on the right path despite the historic impeachment that has marred his term.

"In his third State of the Union address — and final one before voters will cast their verdict on his presidency this fall — Trump made no mention of the impeachment battle that has consumed him for months, even as he faced down his Democratic adversaries in the House chamber where they had voted to charge him with abuse of power and obstruction of Congress less than two months ago.

"But Washington’s poisonous political atmosphere was palpable throughout the evening. Several prominent Democrats, including Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (N.Y.), chose to boycott the address, and a handful of others walked out as the president was speaking. As Trump basked in applause after concluding his 77-minute speech, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), standing behind him on the dais, tore up a printed copy of the remarks in four separate piles."

The New York Times: "Trump Claims End of ‘American Decline’ While Avoiding Mention of Impeachment" — "President Trump claimed credit for a 'great American comeback' in a speech to Congress on Tuesday night, boasting of a robust economy, contrasting his successes with the records of his predecessors and projecting optimism in the face of a monthslong Democratic effort to force him from office.

"Mr. Trump, who lamented what he called 'American carnage' when he was inaugurated in January 2017, described a different country today, declaring in his third State of the Union address that the nation’s future was once again 'blazing bright.'

“'In just three short years, we have shattered the mentality of American Decline and we have rejected the downsizing of America’s destiny,' Mr. Trump said in a speech that lasted 78 minutes. 'We have totally rejected the downsizing. We are moving forward at a pace that was unimaginable just a short time ago, and we are never, ever going back!'"

Gallup News: "Trump Job Approval at Personal Best 49%" — "The new poll finds 50% of Americans disapproving of Trump, leaving just 1% expressing no opinion. The average percentage not having an opinion on Trump has been 5% throughout his presidency.

"Trump's approval rating has risen because of higher ratings among both Republicans and independents. His 94% approval rating among Republicans is up six percentage points from early January and is three points higher than his previous best among his fellow partisans. The 42% approval rating among independents is up five points, and ties three other polls as his best among that group. Democratic approval is 7%, down slightly from 10%.

"The 87-point gap between Republican and Democratic approval in the current poll is the largest Gallup has measured in any Gallup poll to date, surpassing the prior record, held by Trump and Barack Obama, by one point.

"The Jan. 16-29 poll was conducted in the midst of the Senate impeachment trial that will likely result in the president's acquittal. The poll finds 52% of Americans in favor of acquitting Trump and 46% in favor of convicting and removing him from office."