"In terms of protecting America’s national security, the president will update Congress on his diplomatic and military efforts around the world and reaffirm his determination to protect American interest and bring to an end our endless foreign wars," the official said on Friday.
Trump in a statement earlier in the day said the United States will soon have destroyed "100 percent" of the Islamic State terrorist group's (IS, banned in Russia) so-called caliphate and it was time to start bringing US troops home from Syria. Meanwhile, a State Department envoy has been engaged in talks with the Taliban over the possibility of a US withdrawal of forces from Afghanistan.
READ MORE: Trump to Say in SOTU That GOP, Dems Could 'Break Decades of Political Stalemate'
The administration official also told reporters Trump’s speech will focus on a way forward to resolve the impasse over a proposed wall on the US-Mexico border.
Congress' refusal to fund a border wall resulted in a partial government shutdown that delayed the annual State of the Union address, originally scheduled for January 29, until February 5.
READ MORE: White House Preparing Draft National Emergency Order Amid Shutdown – Reports
Other themes will include a request that Congress fund a bipartisan package to fix the nation’s aging infrastructure and efforts to lower costs of health care and drugs. The official described the current draft of the speech as upbeat in tone and an appeal to Congress for cooperation and compromise, the official said.
