State of the Union: Trump announces second North Korea summit

US President Donald Trump has announced in his State of the Union speech that he will hold a second nuclear summit with North Korea’s leader this month.

In an address to the nation with the theme “Choosing Greatness”, he vowed once again to build a border wall.

While appealing for political unity, the Republican president also said “ridiculous partisan investigations” could damage US prosperity.

In a rebuttal, Democrats accused Mr Trump of abandoning US values.

His primetime address came less than a fortnight after he backed down to end the longest US government shutdown in history when Democrats refused to fund a US-Mexico border wall.

Another shutdown could happen if no spending plan is agreed by the end of next week.

What did he say about North Korea?

The president said on Tuesday night that he would meet Kim Jong-un in Vietnam from 27-28 February.

Plans for a second summit have been in the works since the two leaders’ historic talks last year.

Mr Trump and Mr Kim’s meeting last June in Singapore was the first ever between a sitting US president and a North Korean leader.

On Tuesday night, Mr Trump said: “Our hostages have come home, nuclear testing has stopped, and there has not been a missile launch in 15 months.

“If I had not been elected president of the United States, we would right now, in my opinion, be in a major war with North Korea.

“Much work remains to be done, but my relationship with Kim Jong-un is a good one.”

What did he say about political unity?

After two years of toxic partisanship, Mr Trump on Tuesday night repeated calls for political unity that he has made in his last two annual speeches to Congress.

“Together, we can break decades of political stalemate,” he said. “We can bridge old divisions, heal old wounds, build new coalitions.”

Mr Trump raised potential areas of agreement, such as infrastructure improvements, lowering prescription drug costs and fighting childhood cancer.

But he added: “An economic miracle is taking place in the United States and the only thing that can stop it are foolish wars, politics, or ridiculous partisan investigations.”

Democrats have launched a flurry of inquiries into the Trump administration since they took over the US House of Representatives last month.

BBC