WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump is expected to lay out his plans for the coming weeks and months to Congress and the American people on Tuesday, following a turbulent first few weeks in office that included the dismantling of the federal government, tensions with America’s allies, and a trade war that exacerbated economic uncertainty.
His joint address to Congress is the latest sign of Trump’s takeover of the nation’s capital, where the Republican-led House and Senate have done little to restrain the president as he and his allies work to shrink the federal government and reshape America’s role in the world.
With a tight grip on his party, Trump has been emboldened to take broad actions after surviving impeachment in his first term and criminal prosecutions between his two administrations.
Trump’s theme will be the “renewal of the American dream,” according to the White House, and he is expected to outline his accomplishments as well as appeal to Congress for more funding to finance his aggressive immigration crackdown.
“It is an opportunity for President Trump, as only he can, to lay out the last month of record-setting, record-breaking, unprecedented achievements and accomplishments,” Stephen Miller, a senior adviser, told CNN.
Trump is speaking at a critical juncture in his presidency, as voters who elected him based on his promise to fix inflation are now facing economic chaos.
The S&P 500 has lost all of its gains since Election Day, and consumer sentiment surveys show that the public believes inflation is worsening. For a president who believes that corporate investment announcements can boost economic sentiment, the speech is now a test of his ability to restore trust in his economic leadership.
Democrats, many of whom did not attend Trump’s inauguration in January, largely ignored calls for boycotts of the speech as they struggled to devise an effective response to the president.
Instead, they chose to highlight the consequences of Trump’s actions by inviting fired federal employees as guests, including a disabled veteran from Arizona, a health worker from Maryland, and a forestry employee who worked on wildfire prevention in California. They also invited people who would be impacted by significant federal budget cuts to Medicaid and other programs.
“I get that people wanted change,” said Minnesota Senator Amy Klobuchar. “I get that they wanted someone to shake things up, to work on bringing health care costs down and doing something about housing, but they did not want this.”
Some Democrats, including Virginia Rep. Gerry Connolly, declined to attend.
Connolly, who represents a state hit hard by federal firings, claims he has never missed a speech. However, he stated, “These are not normal times.”
Trump intended to use his speech to discuss his proposals for promoting peace in Ukraine and the Middle East, where he has abruptly reversed the Biden administration’s policies in just a few weeks. On Monday, Trump ordered a halt to US military assistance to Ukraine, effectively ending years of staunch American support for the country in its fight against Russia’s invasion.
Trump was tightening the screws following his explosive Oval Office meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Friday, as the US leader attempted to put pressure on the former American ally to engage in peace talks with its invader.
Many Democratic lawmakers planned to wear blue and yellow ties and scarves to show their support for Ukraine.
Rep. Lloyd Doggett, D-Texas, wearing a blue and yellow tie on Tuesday, accused Trump and Vice President JD Vance of “bullying a statesman last week on behalf of a thug.”
In the Middle East, negotiations to extend a fragile ceasefire between Israel and Hamas have stalled, with Trump flouting the permanent displacement of Palestinian civilians in Gaza and a U.S. “takeover” of the territory, straining regional partnerships and undermining long-standing American support for a two-state solution to the Israel-Palestinian conflict.
The backdrop to Trump’s speech will be new economic uncertainty, which was unleashed after the president opened the day by imposing steep tariffs on imports from the country’s neighbors and closest trading partners.
A 25% tax on goods from Canada and Mexico went into effect early Tuesday, ostensibly to secure greater cooperation in combating fentanyl trafficking and illegal immigration, prompting immediate retaliation and raising concerns about a broader trade war. Trump also raised tariffs on Chinese goods to 20%.
The entire setting for Trump’s speech was in stark contrast to his final State of the Union address from his first term. Five years ago, Trump delivered his annual address shortly after the Senate acquitted him in his first impeachment trial and before the COVID-19 pandemic had spread throughout society.
As Trump finished, then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, a Democrat, stood up and ripped up a copy of his speech.
According to House Speaker Mike Johnson, Trump’s address on Tuesday, which is not referred to as a State of the Union because he is still in the first year of his new term, will be met with mixed reactions.
“We will not be ripping up the speech tonight,” the Republican stated. “I would like to frame it in gilded gold.”
The president intended to use his high-profile moment to press his efforts to reshape the country’s approach to social issues, as he seeks to continue to eliminate diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts across the country while also rolling back some public accommodations for transgender people.
First Lady Melania Trump will be watching from the gallery. Her chamber guests will include Elliston Berry, 15, of Aledo, Texas, who was the victim of an explicit deepfake image sent to classmates.
Other White House guests include Stephanie Diller, the widow of New York Police Department Officer Jonathan Diller, who was killed in the line of duty during a traffic stop in March 2024; Marc Fogel, the Pennsylvania teacher who came home last month after years of detention in Russia, and his 95-year-old mother, Malphine; and relatives of Corey Comperatore, the former Pennsylvania fire chief who was killed while protecting his family during an assassination attempt on Tru.
Trump was also expected to recognize other guests in the room.
The Democrats’ guests also include at least one government watchdog who Trump dismissed in his attempt to place loyalists in positions of power.
Republicans, too, are attempting to make a point with their invited guests.
Republican Sen. Joni Ernst of Iowa has announced that she will host Scott Root, the father of the late Sarah Root, who died in a car accident involving an immigrant in the country illegally on the night of her college graduation in 2016.
Outside Washington, the latest round of public protests against Trump and his administration took place on Tuesday. Protesters gathered in all 50 states and the District of Columbia, with loosely coordinated groups holding demonstrations at parks, statehouses, and public grounds.
They condemned his presidency as dangerous and un-American, citing a wide range of actions they wished to oppose, including government cuts, tariffs, and Trump’s position on Ukraine.