President Donald Trump will address both chambers of Congress for the first time since he started his second term tonight at 9 p.m. ET. Here’s what we can expect.
The length
CBS News reported that this address is one typically given by presidents early on in their term. When Trump last gave one in 2017, his joint address lasted about one hour. His subsequent State of the Union addresses were around 80 minutes said CBS, citing the American Presidency Project.
The theme
Fox News Digital first reported that the theme for Trump’s speech will be: “Renewal of the American Dream.”
According to the outlet, White House officials said that it will be split into four main sections. These include accomplishments at home and abroad, what the administration has done for the economy, a push to Congress for additional funding for border security and Trump’s plans for peace around the globe.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told Fox News Digital that it will be “must see TV.”
Accomplishments at home and abroad
“President Trump has accomplished more in one month than any president in four years, and the renewal of the American Dream is well underway,” Leavitt said. "In his joint address to Congress, President Trump will celebrate his extraordinarily successful first month in office while outlining his bold, ambitious and commonsense vision for the future.”
Trump has been busy since he took office in January. By Feb. 11, he had already signed 75 executive orders – around half as many as former President Joe Biden issued in four years.
One of the first things Trump did was create the new Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), a project associated with his multi-billionaire ally Elon Musk that is intended to cut down government spending. Some of DOGE’s endeavors have been met with criticism and lawsuits, including cuts to the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID).
What the administration has done for the economy
“Officials said the president will also discuss what his administration has done and continues to do to ‘fix the economic mess created by the Biden administration and end inflation for all Americans,’” Fox News Digital reported.
In this part of the speech, Trump is expected to highlight more than $1.7 trillion in investments made to bring manufacturing back to the U.S., including increases in energy production, investments in the private sector on artificial intelligence and more.
However, when it comes to inflation, Trump might have a tough case to make. In January, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that inflation increased.
Rising egg prices have been making headlines, and a slew of tariffs announced are poised to make all types of consumer goods more expensive, from produce to items at Target to vehicles. Already, Canada, Mexico and China have announced retaliatory tariffs.
“Please explain to Governor Trudeau, of Canada, that when he puts on a Retaliatory Tariff on the U.S., our Reciprocal Tariff will immediately increase by a like amount!” said Trump in a Tuesday Truth Social post. He said in another that: “IF COMPANIES MOVE TO THE UNITED STATES, THERE ARE NO TARIFFS!!!”
Still, experts expect that the tariffs will impact wallets.
“Mexico supplies more than 60% of vegetable imports – half of all fruit and nut imports. So yes, we make the joke about it, but avocado prices are definitely going up,” said CBS News business analyst Jill Schlesinger, according to Audacy station KYW. “Maple syrup from Canada is probably going to rise. Beer from Mexico could rise and lumber costs, which are really important for new houses, those lumber costs are also going to rise.”
Additional funding for border security
Over the weekend, Trump announced that “The Invasion of our Country is OVER,” as he touted low numbers of people trying to enter the U.S. illegally.
Additionally, the Department of Defense announced that it had “ordered the deployment of a Stryker Brigade Combat Team (SBCT) and General Support Aviation Battalion to reinforce and expand current border security operations.” Trump has said that his tariffs are also part of attempts to keep fentanyl from coming in through U.S. borders.
Fox News Digital’s report said he plans to ask Congress (which currently has a Republican majority in both chambers) for more funding to protect the nation’s borders during the Tuesday address.
Peace around the globe
“A White House official told Fox News Digital that Trump will lay out his plans to end the war in Ukraine,” said the outlet. “He will also focus on the work of his administration to ensure the release of all hostages from Gaza amid the Israel-Hamas conflict.”
Last week, Trump, Vice President JD Vance and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had a tense meeting in the Oval Office. Zelenskyy, who has led his country through a years-long Russian invasion, left without signing a proposed rare earth minerals deal.
Reports this week indicated that Trump would pull military aid for Ukraine. After the unsuccessful meeting last week and the military aid news, USA Today reported this week that Zelenskyy is still interested in negotiating the rare earth minerals agreement.
Guest appearances
In a series of X posts, Leavitt mentioned that at least three guests will be hosted by Trump at the address. At least two will speak on “gender ideology.”
These include a mother who said school administrators tried to “socially transition” her child without parental consent and a 19-year-old who was allegedly “left with a traumatic brain injury after a transgender-identifying man spiked a volleyball into her head.”
Other guests mentioned by Leavitt are the widow of murdered NYPD officer Jonathan Diller and American schoolteacher Marc Fogel, who was wrongfully detained in Russia. The president will also host the family of Pennsylvania firefighter Corey Comperatore, who was killed protecting his loved ones during the assassination attempt on Trump’s life this summer at a campaign rally in Butler Pa.
What Trump says, and what the people are thinking
“TOMORROW NIGHT WILL BE BIG,” Trump said Monday. “I WILL TELL IT LIKE IT IS!”
Going into the address, results of a new Marist Poll show that 53% of Americans say the state of the union is not very strong or not strong at all, 54% of U.S. adults believe the country is moving in the wrong direction and 56% think Trump has been rushing to make changes without considering the impact.