Trump: "US stronger than ever"

America's big comeback, the White House had promised that the president's annual speech on the state of the country would be about.

And the introduction was just that. Trump touted his government's success, from the economy being "the best of all time" to the fact that the borders are safer than they have ever been and that the US is now "highly respected again".

Figures on low unemployment and high stock exchange rates were interspersed with words that US families are doing better than when he took office.

"Our future is shining bright," said Trump, who repeatedly drummed the message that he and his government were lifting the country from what it looked like when his representative Barack Obama ruled the United States.

"Unlike so many who came before me, I keep my promises, we do our job," Trump said in what was, at times, a long campaign speech ahead of this fall's election.

Behind him sat Vice President Mike Pence and House Speaker, Democrat Nancy Pelosi. Their reactions to the speech well reflected the fragmented United States. Like other Republicans in the House, Pence often rose to standing applause, while Pelosi - and other Democrats - remained applauding.

In addition to Trump's close confidants and his main political enemies in Washington, the congress audience includes four of the Supreme Court's judges, Trump's immediate family and a number of the president's personally invited guests. Among them were Venezuela's opposition leader Juan Guaidó, British Brexit Party leader Nigel Farage and Raul Ortiz, deputy head of the US border police.

In the speech, Trump promised, among other things, that Venezuela's President Nicolás Maduro - "the cruel dictator" - should be deposed, praising Guaidó, who also received standing ovations.