“I’m sure he’s going to talk about the economy and how terrific the stock market has been and he will pound his chest as he usually does as to his achievements, that he’s a great man and a great president,” Dallek said. But viewers will balance that message against a president who “seems to thrive on combativeness and fighting with people and diminishing them to make himself feel better.”

Crumbling Roads

In the speech, Trump is expected to address his plans for rebuilding the nation’s crumbling bridges, roads and airports, long viewed by Republicans and Democrats as a potential area of bipartisan support. DJ Gribbin, Trump’s infrastructure adviser, said last week that the administration plans to send its proposal to Congress in the coming weeks.

The White House plan would rely on leveraging at least $200 billion in federal money over 10 years to get states, localities and the private sector to pour at least $800 billion into infrastructure projects. Administration officials have said the largest share of funding would be cash grants, with preference given to places that use taxes, tolls or other revenue to reduce reliance on federal funding.

Democrats have said $200 billion isn’t nearly enough federal investment to meet the nation’s needs. Gribbin said the White House is “open to conversations” on that point.

Trump will try to convince Democrats to back the plan by reaching across the aisle during the speech, White House spokesman Raj Shah said Monday on Fox News’s “Fox & Friends” program.

“We want them to support our infrastructure plan,” he said. “This is $1 trillion to rebuild America’s road, bridges, schools.”

‘Burdensome Regulations’

The president may also unveil plans to streamline regulatory approvals, in what he’s pitched as a bid to get infrastructure projects moving faster and decrease the burden on developers. Opponents say that Trump is cutting more than needless red tape, and instead is threatening basic environmental and safety regulations that ensure roads, bridges, and pipelines are properly assessed for their potential impact.

On Sunday, the White House denied it was considering changes that could leave the environment vulnerable.