Donald Trump delivered a combative State of the Union address on Tuesday night that trumpeted what he said was an American "turnaround for the ages".
At a time when polls suggest many in the US continue to be dissatisfied with the current state of the nation – and with Trump's leadership of it - the president offered little hint of a change of course.
Instead, he delivered a sales pitch to the nation, a patriotic rallying cry to his loyal supporters and taunts for his political opponents.
His speech opened with familiar lines. "Our nation is back," he said. It was the "hottest" country in the world. At one point, after blaming Democrats for creating a crisis of "affordability", he added: "We are doing really well."
He pointed to the rising incomes, a growing stock market, lower petrol prices, a southern border with dramatically reduced undocumented migrant crossing and tamed inflation.
