While senior administration officials have insisted in recent days that the speech will call for bipartisanship and unity, President Donald Trump also intends to use his bully pulpit to tout the differences between the two parties. | Jim Watson/AFP/Getty Images State of the Union 2019 Trump fumes over abortion comments at SOTU preview meeting The gathering was called to detail the main themes of Tuesday’s speech for roughly 20 Republicans close to the administration.

In the middle of a State of the Union briefing for the White House’s closest allies Monday night, a fired up Donald Trump walked in.

The president appeared eager to give the annual speech Tuesday night in the House of Representatives, an occasion he has always enjoyed given its history and pomp and circumstance, said two people briefed on the meeting. But after acknowledging several supporters in the room, Trump went on for about five minutes about Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam’s recent comments about late-term abortions and "nonviable" babies born with fatal abnormalities.


In the company of several conservative leaders — including Tony Perkins of the Family Research Council and Marjorie Dannenfelser of Susan B. Anthony List — Trump marveled that public officials were discussing already-born babies as part of the debate over late-term abortions. His brief diatribe left attendees with the impression that Trump viewed Northam’s comments as outrageous, and the situation the governor described as akin to murder.

Trump did not, however, mention the recent scandal about a picture in Northam's medical school yearbook that featured an individual in blackface and another dressed as a KKK member. Although Northam says he is not in the photo, the governor is still facing bipartisan calls to resign.

The White House press office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

At the get-together, the president also told a story about wanting to paint an existing border structure along the U.S.-Mexico border a matte black color to deter illegal immigrants from crossing into the U.S. He got the idea for the color from his days as a real estate developer. But his plan was put on ice because painting the structure would first require a study of the potential environmental impacts — an anecdote the president told attendees to illustrate the effects of what he saw as onerous government regulations.

The gathering was called so acting chief of staff Mick Mulvaney could detail the main themes of Tuesday’s State of the Union speech to roughly 20 Republicans close to the administration, including former campaign officials like Corey Lewandowski and David Bossie. At the session, Mulvaney outlined the speech’s main themes while reminding attendees the draft was still in flux and could change in the hours leading up to the speech.

A hand-out from the meeting obtained by POLITICO said the speech will focus on “choosing greatness” and will zero in the themes of immigration, American workers, healthcare, the rising cost of prescription drugs and national security.

Foreign affairs will also feature prominently in the address, according to two sources briefed on the speech. Trump intends to highlight what he sees as his accomplishments, including the recent uptick in military spending, his push to revise NATO, his ongoing trade negotiations with China and his diplomacy with North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un, with whom he is expected to meet in late February.

Domestically, the speech is expected to touch on the need for greater infrastructure spending. Trump is likely to mention the expanding 5G wireless network — the next iteration of how cellphones will communicate — as well as additional oil pipelines being built. The administration’s economic record will also receive mention, with Trump likely to cite a low unemployment rate and the White House efforts to roll back and reduce government regulations.

While senior administration officials have insisted in recent days that the speech will call for bipartisanship and unity, the president also intends to use his bully pulpit to tout the differences between the two parties at a time when some Democrats are pulling the party left and calling for higher taxes and a more expansive Medicare program.

“The president will talk about the choice voters have. He is offering solutions, while the opposition, the Democrats, is basically offering socialism,” said one source briefed on the speech.

On Tuesday, Trump will also meet with television anchors at the White House for an off-the-record meeting to preview his speech, according to two White House officials.

Andrew Restuccia contributed reporting.