Summary

  • Donald Trump's third state of the union address has taken place

  • Trump appeared to snub handshake from House speaker Nancy Pelosi; she tore up his speech later

  • His speech focused on what he called the "great American comeback"

  • In optimistic speech, he said "the years of economic decay are over"

  • Results from Monday's Iowa caucuses trickle in after technical glitches

  • Pete Buttigieg, mayor of South Bend, Indiana, takes narrow lead in early results

  1. Thanks for followingpublished at 04:34 Greenwich Mean Time 5 February 2020

    Capitol DomeImage source, Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

    It's nearing 23:30 here in Washington, so we are going to wind down our live coverage of another busy day in US politics.

    We started out explaining what was happening with the Democratic race for president in Iowa, and we ended it with President Trump's third State of the Union address.

    Here's the latest from Iowa, where Monday's caucuses aimed to decide who Iowans wanted to run against Mr Trump:

    • After a chaotic voting process plagued by technical glitches, results are finally starting to come in
    • With 62% of the vote counted, Bernie Sanders appears to have won most votes
    • However, Pete Buttigieg has won the most precincts - and this is what matters
    • Former vice-president Joe Biden is trailing some way behind in fourth

    Meanwhile, in Washington:

    • President Trump has delivered his State of the Union speech
    • It was an optimistic speech, in which he said: "The years of economic decay are over"
    • It was marked by moments of tension with Democratic House speaker Nancy Pelosi - he appeared to snub her handshake and then she tore his speech when he had finished

    We'll be back tomorrow for live coverage of the ongoing impeachment trial into Mr Trump. See you then.

  2. What to expect on Wednesdaypublished at 04:26 Greenwich Mean Time 5 February 2020

    It's been a busy few days in US politics - the Iowa caucuses on Monday and the State of the Union address today.

    It doesn't look like slowing down on Wednesday either. After the chaotic results process, we should (or maybe could) find out who actually won in Iowa and is on the early front foot to be the Democratic nominee. Right now, Pete Buttigieg is in the lead.

    Oh, and there's also the small matter of the vote on whether to convict President Trump in his impeachment trial. That should happen at about 21:00 east coast time on Wednesday.

  3. Trump lays out pitch for re-electionpublished at 04:16 Greenwich Mean Time 5 February 2020

    State of the UnionImage source, Getty Images

    On BBC World News, BBC North America reporter Anthony Zurcher spoke of the divided body language that coloured Trump's remarks, noting both Trump's snub of top Democrat Nancy Pelosi's attempted handshake and later, Pelosi's shredding of the president speech.

    But partisan tension aside, "the point of Trump's speech", like for any incumbent president before an election "is to lay out the framework of that re-election campaign," Zurcher says.

    And this year, America's "booming economy" was Trump's central pitch, drawing a counterpoint to the Democrats, who he says would endanger a long-term economic growth period.

    And Trump got most aggressive in two main areas Zurcher says: healthcare and immigration.

    Zurcher also noted the medal of freedom awarded to Rush Limbaugh, a figure who is is "notorious among Democrats for what they view as racist and sexist statements", and known among Republicans as a "grandfather of conservative politics".

  4. Tearing up speech 'was courteous thing to do'published at 04:04 Greenwich Mean Time 5 February 2020

    Nancy PelosiImage source, MANDEL NGAN/AFP via Getty Images

    Top Democrat Nancy Pelosi has commented on her headline-grabbing move following Trump's address: ripping up pages of the president's remarks.

    Asked why she did it, the Speaker of the House told reporters: "It was the courteous thing to do."

    "It was such a dirty speech," she said.

  5. 'No one is above the law'published at 03:59 Greenwich Mean Time 5 February 2020

    “Nadie está por encima de la ley.” So says Veronica Escobar, the congresswoman from El Paso, Texas, who is delivering the Spanish-language Democratic rebuttal.

    The sentence translates to: “No one is above the law.”

    “This is a tragic moment, and Congress must defend our republic," she continues in a speech delivered from a medical clinic in El Paso's Segundo Barrio neighbourhood.

    She also criticises a statement Trump previously made, calling El Paso a dangerous area.

    In fact, it is one of the safest communities in America.

    She calls Trump's words "a misinformation campaign".

  6. Democratic rebuttal ends, Spanish one beginspublished at 03:50 Greenwich Mean Time 5 February 2020

    Governor Gretchen Whitmer has wrapped up the Democratic rebuttal.

    Now a second rebuttal, this time in Spanish, is being delivered by Texas Congresswoman Veronica Escobar.

  7. Divided Congress, divided reactionpublished at 03:45 Greenwich Mean Time 5 February 2020

    Take a look at how different lawmakers had very different responses to Trump's remarks this evening.

    State of the UnionImage source, Cheriss May/NurPhoto via Getty Image
    Image caption,

    Vice-President Mike Pence and Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi

    State of the UnionImage source, Mario Tama/Getty Images
    Image caption,

    Democratic members of Congress sit stony-faced

    State of the UnionImage source, MANDEL NGAN / AFP) (Photo by MANDEL NGAN/AFP via Getty Images
    Image caption,

    Rush Limbaugh, who was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom

    State of the UnionImage source, BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP via Getty Images
    Image caption,

    Trump gets a thumbs-up from his fellow Republicans

  8. 'That's strength. That's action'published at 03:41 Greenwich Mean Time 5 February 2020

    "American workers are hurting," says Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer in her rebuttal to Mr Trump's speech.

    "Wages have stagnated while CEO pay has sky-rocketed," she continues, adding that corporations are "reaping rewards from tax cuts they don't need."

    Democrats have made corporate accountability a major issue in the 2020 Democratic election.

    She is continuing to highlight specific efforts made by state-level Democratic politicians.

    "That's strength. That's action," she says.

  9. Father of school shooting victim removed from speechpublished at 03:37 Greenwich Mean Time 5 February 2020

    Something we meant to mention earlier: a man whose daughter was killed in the 2018 Parkland school shooting in Florida was removed from the House after heckling the president during his remarks.

    Fred Guttenberg reportedly stood up and shouted something after Trump promised to protect the second amendment - which enshrines the rights of Americans right to keep and bear arms.

    Top Democrat Nancy Pelosi was seen scolding someone in the upper chamber - believed to be Guttenberg - during Trump's remarks on gun rights.

  10. Democratic rebuttal beginspublished at 03:36 Greenwich Mean Time 5 February 2020

    Gretchen WhitmerImage source, Getty Images
    Image caption,

    Gretchen Whitmer

    Gretchen Whitmer, the Democratic governor of Michigan, is now delivering the Democrat's rebuttal.

    "I'm doing to need a lot more than ten minutes," to rebut what Trump said tonight, she says.

    "Instead of talking about what he is saying, I'm going to highlight what the Democrats are doing," says Whitmer.

    She is now going from state to state, talking about efforts made by local Democrats to improve life in their districts.

    "Everyone in this country benefits when we invest infrastructure," she says.

  11. Conclusion: 'The best is yet to come'published at 03:32 Greenwich Mean Time 5 February 2020

    We're now waiting for the Democratic rebuttals to Mr Trump's speech, but these are some of the lines he ended with:

    "Our brightest discoveries are not yet known."

    "Our most thrilling stories are not yet told."

    "Our grandest journeys are not yet made."

    "The American Age, the American Epic, the American Adventure, has only just begun."

  12. How long was the speech?published at 03:28 Greenwich Mean Time 5 February 2020

    One hour and 18 minutes.

    As Trump leaves the chamber, Republicans are overheard telling him "awesome speech".

    Democrats clearly hated it, with several walking out as it was ongoing.

  13. Pelosi rips up Trump speechpublished at 03:27 Greenwich Mean Time 5 February 2020

    US Vice President Mike Pence claps as Speaker of the US House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi rips a copy of US President Donald Trump speechImage source, AFP

    Throughout Trump's speech, Nancy Pelosi, the Democratic speaker of the House of Representatives, was sitting behind him.

    When he finished, she was seen tearing a copy of his speech she had on her desk.

    This all came about 70 minutes after he appeared to snub a handshake from Pelosi, the woman who launched his impeachment proceedings.

  14. Deployed military husband makes surprise returnpublished at 03:24 Greenwich Mean Time 5 February 2020

    The deployed husband surprised his familyImage source, Getty Images

    In an emotional orchestrated moment, the soldier husband of a White House State of the Union guest has just surprised his wife.

    Sergeant First Class Townsend Williams was in Afghanistan on his fourth combat deployment, or so we thought...

    He just walked into the chamber to the shock of his wife and small children. Members of Congress promptly broke out in chants of "USA".

  15. Have prescription drugs got cheaper?published at 03:22 Greenwich Mean Time 5 February 2020

    Reality Check

    President Trump said that, for the first time in 51 years, "the cost of prescription drugs actually went down".

    In the year to May 2019, the average monthly cost of prescription drugs fell by 0.2% according to the Bureau of Labour Statistics' Consumer Price Index (CPI), which measures the increase in the cost of household items in the US .

    This is the first price decrease over a 12-month period since 1973, some 47 years ago.

    But this may not be the most reliable way to measure drug prices according to Inma Hernandez, a pharmacy lecturer at the University of Pittsburgh.

    "The CPI is based on a basket of drugs which is representative of popular drugs. So it tends to include widely-used drugs, which are usually cheaper," she says.

    "However, it is less likely to include newer or less-prescribed drugs, which are more expensive and have higher price increases."

    The lack of transparency around drug pricing makes it very difficult to know exactly what's happening to the cost of prescription medication.

  16. "Al-Baghdadi is dead!"published at 03:20 Greenwich Mean Time 5 February 2020

    "Three years ago, the barbarians of ISIS held over 20,000 square miles of territory in Iraq and Syria," Trump says, referring to the Islamic State terror group.

    "Today, the ISIS territorial caliphate has been 100 percent destroyed, and the founder and leader of ISIS -- the bloodthirsty killer al‑Baghdadi - is dead."

    The parents of slain humanitarian aid worker Kayla Mueller - who was killed while in IS captivity - are in the audience tonight.

    The operation that killed Baghdadi was named after Kayla's birthday, Trump says.

    He then goes on to tout the killing of top Iranian general Qasem Soleimani, who was assassinated in a US airstrike at the Baghdad airport in January.

  17. What Trump's focus on inclusivity meanspublished at 03:16 Greenwich Mean Time 5 February 2020

    Anthony Zurcher
    BBC North America reporter

    At the top of his speech Donald Trump said that he was building “the world's most prosperous and inclusive society”.

    The use of the word “inclusive” wasn’t by chance. Throughout his speech, the president made repeated overtures to minority groups in America – groups that, according to polls, view the president with considerably scepticism.

    Trump spoke of how he signed criminal justice reform and funded historically black colleges and universities. He specifically noted the low levels of unemployment for “African-Americans, Hispanic-Americans, and Asian-Americans”.

    Among his guests at the speech were the last surviving member of the Tuskegee Airmen, the all-black World War II fighter wing group, and his great-grandson. He announced that he was awarding an “opportunity scholarship” to a young black girl to attend a private school in Philadelphia.

    When talk turned to immigration, the president called out Raul Ortiz, who he recently appointed to deputy chief of Border Patrol.

    If the president successfully improves his standing among minority voters – and convinces independent voters of all stripes that Democratic accusations of racism and xenophobia are scurrilous attacks – his path to re-election becomes considerably easier. His State of the Union address suggests that he knows this very well.

  18. Love for new judges - and a bleak hope?published at 03:14 Greenwich Mean Time 5 February 2020

    "We have confirmed a record number of 187 new federal judges to uphold our Constitution as written," says Trump.

    He referred to his two recently approved Supreme Court Judges, Neil Gorsuch, and Brett Kavanaugh.

    But in an ad-libbed line that's not in his speech transcript, he adds: "And we have many in the pipeline."

    New Supreme Court judges can only be added when one dies.

    Could he be saying that he hopes some Supreme Court justices are not around much longer?

  19. Trump praises Border Patrolpublished at 03:09 Greenwich Mean Time 5 February 2020

    "And as the wall goes up, drug seizures rise, and border crossings go down, and they're going down rapidly," says Trump.

    His promised wall is not going up "rapidly", despite his claim, but is slowly making progress.

    Just last week, part of the wall on the US-Mexico border actually collapsed due to high winds.

  20. Trump praises deportation officerspublished at 03:09 Greenwich Mean Time 5 February 2020

    State of the UnionImage source, MANDEL NGAN/AFP via Getty Images

    Trump is praising "heroic" Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents, who are tasked with enforcing immigration policy within America's borders.

    "Tragically, there are many cities in America where radical politicians have chosen to provide sanctuary for these criminal illegal aliens.

    "In sanctuary cities, local officials order police to release dangerous criminal aliens to prey upon the public, instead of handing them over to ICE to be safely removed."

    Cameras pan over California lawmakers as Trump speaks, since that state recently declared the entire state to be a "sanctuary" zone.

    More than 400 jurisdictions across the country, including New York, Los Angeles, Boston and Seattle - major cities in left-leaning states that did not vote for Mr Trump - have enacted policies protecting undocumented immigrants within their boundaries, creating these so-called "sanctuary cities".

    Read more about Trump's 'sanctuary city' war with liberal America.