Sweet: Trump on the defensive over Peoria Navy Seal’s death

Follow @lynnsweetWASHINGTON — We knew about the wall President Donald Trump wants to build on the U.S. Mexico border to keep out unwanted immigrants. We learned Tuesday night he wants to erect a second wall.

In his first address to Congress, Trump called for an economic test for would-be immigrants’ entry to the United States — one that my grandparents on both sides would have likely flunked when they fled pogroms in Europe.

“It is a basic principle that those seeking to enter a country ought to be able to support themselves financially,” Trump said, calling for a switch “away from this current system of lower-skilled immigration, and instead adopting a merit-based system, we will have so many benefits: it will save countless dollars, raise workers’ wages, and help struggling families — including immigrant families — enter the middle class.”

If that happens, Trump said in one of his few ad libs of his scripted speech, “they will be very, very happy indeed.”

Follow @lynnsweetMy topline observation of Trump’s one-hour speech, which is not called a State of the Union in a new president’s first year because there hasn’t been time to assess the state of the nation:

Trump dropped that dark rhetoric of his inauguration address, where he talked about “American carnage.” Instead, he tried to strike what for him was an aspirational tone.

THE DEATH OF PEORIA NAVY SEAL RYAN OWENS

The emotional highpoint of the speech was the sustained applause and standing ovation for Carryn Owens, the widow of Peoria native Navy Seal Ryan Owens, who was killed in the Yemen raid, Trump’s first military action.

Carryn Owens, who was sitting next to Ivanka Trump, wore her grief, pain and seemingly shock at her reception for all to see.

Trump, reality show star that he is, let the applause go on and on and on, not trying to return to his speech. It was a mark of respect, yes, and seemingly to Trump, some sort of a validation that the soldier’s death was not in vain.

Trump used her, however, to address the simmering backstory: Ryan Owen’s father refused to meet with Trump when his son’s casket arrived at the Dover Air Force Base in Delaware.

Bill Owens called for an investigation over the circumstances of his son’s death. Questions have been raised over whether the raid yielded any important intelligence.

Trump, on the defensive, said, “I just spoke to General Mattis,” Trump’s Defense Secretary, ‘who reconfirmed that,’ and I quote, ‘Ryan was a part of a highly successful raid that generated large amounts of vital intelligence that will lead to many more victories in the future against our enemies.’ Ryan’s legacy is etched into eternity. Thank you.”

Trump realized how long the applause was, about 3 minutes, as he ad libbed that Ryan was looking down right now and is “very happy because I think we just broke a record.”

TRUMP HITS CHICAGO, AGAIN

I couldn’t find anyone to bet against me. Chicago’s violence has come up in almost every speech Trump has made since becoming president, and this speech in the House chamber did not disappoint.

“In Chicago, more than 4,000 people were shot last year alone — and the murder rate so far this year has been even higher. This is not acceptable in our society,” Trump said.

Mayor Rahm Emanuel has been to the White House and has asked specifically several times for a variety of things that could address the Chicago shootings — a subject of Trump Twitter posts as well as in speeches.

Trump did not offer anything specific for Chicago — not once — and not in this speech.

Emanuel said in a statement after the speech that it’s time for Trump to do something.

“We have repeatedly made specific requests of the administration for greater law enforcement integration and resources; a higher priority placed on federal gun prosecutions; and funds restored toward mentoring and after-school and summer jobs programs that have proven to be positive alternatives for our young people.

“Because this is so important, I’ll always be ready with this list whenever the President asks. The better question, I’d suggest, is whether the President cares enough about violence in our city to do more than talk or tweet about it.”

As Sen. Dick Durbin D-Ill., said, Trump “again called out the terrible gun violence in the city of Chicago without offering a single solution to help stop it.”

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