US will continue fighting until ISIS is defeated: Trump

Asserting that trading relationships need to be fair and reciprocal, US President Donald Trump on Wednesday spoke on a number of important issues during his address to the joint session of Congress. Calling on lawmakers in both parties to join forces to modernise the nation's crumbling infrastructure, Trump said, "I am extending an open hand to work with members of both parties, Democrats and Republicans, to protect our citizens, of every background, colour, and creed."

He said that a new tide of optimism was already sweeping across America, adding that 2.4 million jobs have been created since his election.

Trump had earlier criticised the one-sided and unfair trade relationship between the US and China and asserted that America must address the unfair trade practices that drive the trade deficit.

"The era of economic surrender is over... From now on trade will be fair, and more importantly, reciprocal..We will work to fix bad trade deals and negotiate new ones," he said.

On major changes in thew tax legislation undertaken his government, Trump said, "We enacted the biggest tax cuts and reform in American history..Since we passed tax cuts, roughly three million workers have already gotten tax cut bonuses - many of them thousands and thousands of dollars per worker."

Trump said that the time had come to move towards a merit based immigration system.

"One that admits people who are skilled, who can contribute to our society, who can love and respect our country," he said.

Trump on terrorism and ISIS:

Trump said that the United States would continue to fight the dreaded terrorist group ISIS till it is defeated.

"Terrorists are not merely criminals. They are unlawful enemy combatants. And when captured overseas, they should be treated like the terrorists they are," he said.

On ISIS leader Al-Baghdadi, Truimp said the US has "foolishly" released hundreds of terrorists in the past, only to meet them again on the battlefield.

Trump on North Korea:

"No regime has oppressed its own citizens more totally&more brutally than the cruel dictatorship in North Korea.Its reckless pursuit of nuclear missiles could very soon threaten our homeland.We are waging a campaign of maximum pressure to prevent that from ever happening," Trump said in his address.

OneIndia News