RUTHFULLY YOURS

This is a rhetorical turn, and could be productive. Presidents usually do this in the first year, starting in the Inaugural, but Mr. Trump cast that speech as a dirge about “American carnage.” He followed with his ill-prepared travel ban, and he was off to the polarizing races of the Steve Bannon phase of his Presidency.

That start made it easier for Democrats to oppose him at every turn, and Mr. Trump was forced to pass his legislative agenda with Republican votes. His approval rating is low, especially considering the strong economy, and many Democrats can’t wait to impeach him after what they expect will be a takeover of the House and Senate in November.

In that context Mr. Trump’s Tuesday speech played against type by seeking what he called “common ground.” The Twitter attack specialist called for Congress to strike bipartisan deals even on an issue such as immigration that is as polarizing as American politics gets.

Some of this is making a virtue of necessity in that the GOP Senate majority is too small at 51 to achieve much without Democrats. Mr. Trump needs 60 votes to get anything done on immigration, public works or prison reform. Yet all three are issues on which Democrats also want progress.

Democrats want to legalize the young adult Dreamer immigrants, spend money on roads and bridges, and give ex-cons a second chance at a better life. More dangerously for the economy, more Democrats than Republicans share Mr. Trump’s protectionist views on trade, which we were glad to see him play down on Tuesday night.

Mr. Trump’s immigration message was a mix of rhetorical edginess with policy compromise. He spent far too much time flogging immigration as an issue of crime rather than highlighting the many contributions that newcomers make. He also included a gratuitous gibe that “Americans are Dreamers too,” which will insult more people than it persuades. This rhetoric may have been intended to placate supporters who are nervous about Mr. Trump’s willingness to negotiate with Democrats, but he missed a chance to seem more big-hearted.

On the other hand, Mr. Trump’s legislative offer last week is a bid for compromise between left and right that includes a path to citizenship for 1.8 million Dreamers who were brought to the U.S. as children. That’s far more than the 700,000 or so that applied for work permits under Barack Obama’s illegal order—and far more than GOP restrictionists want.

He also offered to clear up the immigrant application backlog that includes several million family members waiting for green cards. He wouldn’t have offered those concessions if he doesn’t want a deal, and we heard no red lines that would preclude bargaining.

Will Democrats be willing to deal? It isn’t obvious that they want to, or that their political base will let them. Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer dismissed Mr. Trump’s speech for stoking “the fires of division” and he’s already rejected Mr. Trump’s immigration framework. Yet GOP restrictionists are also denouncing Mr. Trump’s offer. If Mr. Schumer really wants to do something for the Dreamers, there is room to compromise.

Even if Democrats want to resist Mr. Trump from here to November, it doesn’t hurt for him to seek bipartisan deals. His unpopularity beyond his base is due in large part to his divisive persona and 90-proof narcissism. Even admirers who like his bluntness want him to behave more like a normal President. The economy is gaining speed as he promised, and as wages rise the public mood has a chance to improve and he’ll get some credit.

The recurring evidence of the last year is that a disciplined performance like Mr. Trump’s on Tuesday’s is no guarantee of future comportment, but his Presidency and country will be better off if it is.