WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. President Donald Trump, emerging from the shadow of impeachment, faced Democratic lawmakers who seek to toss him from office on Tuesday at a State of the Union speech he used to belittle his opponents and tout the U.S. economy.
Trump avoided the subject of his impeachment in the early portion of his speech, but the scars from the battle were evident with fellow Republicans giving him standing ovations while rival Democrats for the most part remained seated.
The Republican-led Senate was expected to acquit him on Wednesday of charges he abused his powers and obstructed Congress.
Seeing U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi for the first time since she stormed out of a White House meeting four months ago, he declined to shake her outstretched hand as he gave her a copy of the speech.
Pelosi appeared to be taken aback. She and Trump have not spoken since their October meeting, both sides said.
In the audience, Republicans from both houses of Congress chanted “four more years” as he stood at the lectern in the chamber of the House with a presidential election almost exactly nine months away.
Democrats sat silently and some could be seen shaking their heads as Trump declared, “The state of our union is stronger than ever before.”
Pelo