Six Takeaways from Trump’s 2020 State of the Union Speech

More conflict, Mr. Trump asserted, would not extend to the war in Afghanistan, which he said he was eager to wind down by bringing American troops there home.

“I am not looking to kill hundreds of thousands of people in Afghanistan, many of them innocent,” he said.

Appealing to his “America First” credo, he added that it is “not our function to serve other nations as a law enforcement agency.”

Attacks on socialism have become regular talking points for Republicans ahead of the 2020 election, particularly in reference to Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont, who is near the top of the polls in the Democratic primary. Mr. Trump seized on the theme in his speech.

He claimed that 132 lawmakers “in this room” have endorsed a “socialist takeover” of health care, likely referring to bills that would create a “Medicare for all” system.

“To those watching at home tonight, I want you to know: We will never let socialism destroy American health care,” he said.

Mr. Trump also went after socialist politics abroad with help from a notable guest: Juan Guaidó, Venezuela’s opposition leader, who received a standing ovation as Mr. Trump criticized the country’s socialist president, Nicolás Maduro. “Socialism destroys nations,” Mr. Trump said. “But always remember, freedom unifies the soul.”

Mr. Trump never directly addressed impeachment, the story that still felt inescapable in the House chamber Tuesday, with Ms. Pelosi, its instigator, sitting directly behind him. But the tension between the speaker and her president was palpable throughout the night. As the president entered the room, he refused to shake the speaker’s hand after she extended hers. By the end, her copy of his speech was in pieces.

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