President
Donald Trump drilled down on inflation, immigration,
anti-DEI efforts and
DOGE's sweeping cuts to the federal government in his Tuesday primetime address to a joint session of Congress, vowing that his administration is "just getting started." "Now it is our time to take up the righteous cause of American liberty," Trump said during his speech. Since beginning his second term, the president has teed up
tariffs on China,
Mexico and Canada, fired thousands of
federal workers as part of a campaign to cut government spending and berated Ukrainian President
Volodymyr Zelenskyy in the Oval Office. Trump on Tuesday applauded the honored guests in the audience, including family members of Corey Comperatore, the man who was killed in a
shocking shooting at a Trump campaign rally last July. The president also addressed family members of Laken Riley, the 22-year-old nursing student killed by a man who entered the U.S. illegally. Trump delivered his remarks in the House chamber, the same room where just four years ago, fearful lawmakers ducked for cover as a
mob of his supporters rampaged through the Capitol to stop the certification of the 2020 election, which he lost to Democrat
Joe Biden . Catch up with live updates from the USA TODAY Network.
Democratic rebuttal targets Musk
The Democratic rebuttal to Trump’s joint address Tuesday honed in on kitchen-table issues and criticism of
Elon Musk’s cuts to the federal government. The response was given by Elissa Slotkin, a freshman Democratic senator from Michigan and a new face for the party still licking its wounds from bruising down-ballot defeats last November. She also knocked Trump's alignment with Musk, the tech billionaire whose
Department of Government Efficiency has been slashing government agencies and functions. The moves have prompted applause from Republican allies and lawsuits and criticism from federal workers. “Is there anyone in America who is comfortable with him and his gang of
20-year-olds using their own computer servers to poke through your tax returns, your health information and your bank accounts?” she said.
‘It’s time to end the senseless war’: Trump pushes Russia-Ukraine peace deal
Trump forged ahead with plans on Tuesday evening to find a path to peace between Russia and Ukraine. Commenting for the first time since Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy
said publicly that he’s ready to work with the American president, Trump said: “It’s time to end the senseless war.” Earlier in the day, Zelenskyy
appealed to Trump on social media . Trump said in his speech that the Ukrainian leader also made a personal gesture in the form of a letter. “I appreciate that he sent this letter,” Trump said. “Simultaneously, we’ve had serious discussions with Russia, and I’ve received strong signals that they are ready for peace.” “Wouldn’t that be beautiful?” he added.
Trump gives longest presidential speech to Congress in modern time
Trump blew past former President Bill Clinton’s record for the longest speech to Congress in modern time Tuesday night. Trump spoke for one hour, thirty nine minutes and 32 seconds, according to data compiled by the University of California- Santa
Barbara’s The American Presidency Project . Clinton’s final State of the Union in 2000, lasted one hour, 28 minutes and 49 seconds. Trump also far exceeded the average speaking time from his first administration. In the four times he addressed Congress, Trump spoke for an average of one hour, twenty minutes and twenty seconds.
Trump says US will acquire Greenland ‘one way or the other’
Trump’s flirtation with expansionist foreign policy has taken a backseat recently to his bid to end the war between Russia and Ukraine. But on Tuesday evening, Trump said his administration was taking steps to reclaim the Panama Canal, and he resumed his push for the U.S. to absorb Greenland. “We’re taking it back,” Trump said of the Panama Canal. “We have Marco Rubio in charge. Good luck, Marco. Now we know who to blame if anything goes wrong,” the president said, only half-joking. Of his desire to acquire Greenland, the president said, he supports the right of the Danish territory’s people to determine their own future. However, he added, in an aside: “I think we’re going to get it. One way or the other, we’re going to get it.”
Trump says plotter of bombing during US evacuation from Afghanistan detained, on way to US
Without naming him, Trump said Tuesday night that the person who the U.S. claims plotted the deadly Abbey Gate bombing during the U.S. evacuation from Afghanistan in 2021, has been detained and is on his way to the United States to be tried. Trump said the government of Pakistan helped with the arrest. Thirteen American service members were killed in the bomb attack at the Kabul Airport. “Tonight I am pleased to announce that we have just apprehended the top terrorist responsible for that atrocity, and he is right now on his way here to face the swift sword of American justice,” he said. FBI Director Kash Patel confirmed the arrest in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, but also did not name the person. “One step closer to justice for these American heroes and their families,” he said. Trump addressed the 2024 campaign rally he held in Butler, Pennsylvania, when a gunman open fired on the crowd, killing one man and injuring the president and two attendees. Malphine Fogel, the mother of Marc Fogel who lives in Butler, spoke to Trump just before he took the stage in the Pennsylvania city. Fogel is an American school teacher who was
held in Russia for over three years but was released earlier this year. He and his mother were in attendance on Tuesday. Trump also welcomed the family of Corey Comperatore, the man who was killed in the shocking attack at the rally.
Trump appoints 13-year-old cancer survivor to Secret Service
The president named Devarjaye "DJ" Daniel, a 13-year-old cancer survivor who always dreamed of becoming a police officer, to the U.S. Secret Service during his speech Tuesday night. Daniel was diagnosed with brain cancer in 2018, Trump said, and defied the odds after doctors gave him a terminal diagnosis. “Tonight, DJ, we’re going to do you the biggest honor,” he said. “I am asking our new Secret Service director, Sean Curran, to officially make you an agent of the U.S. Secret Service.” The moment prompted cheers and chants of "DJ!" from lawmakers.
Democrats invoke Jan. 6
Several House Democrats began shouting and then chanting "January 6," as Trump talked about defending law enforcement officers during his speech. More than 140 police officers guarding the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, were injured when a mob of Trump supporters broke into the Capitol building as lawmakers met inside to formalize the results of the 2020 presidential election, which Trump falsely claimed he won. One Capitol Police officer, Brian Sicknick, died due to injuries related to the attack. Two other police officers, Howard Liebengood and Jeffrey Smith, died by suicide a few days after the riots.
‘We cannot normalize this'
Massachusetts Rep. Ayanna Pressley was one of several Democrats to walk out of the chamber as Trump addressed a joint session of Congress. She said initially she wasn’t going to attend at all. ‘’We cannot normalize this. This man has no respect for Congress,’’ said Pressley, who was dressed in black in solidarity with other members of the Congressional Black Caucus. “He does not respect us as a co-equal branch of government. He has contempt for the American people. He pardoned
January Sixers, who desecrated the very well that we’re in today.” Pressley spoke at an online town hall during a program called “State of the People,’’
a 24-hour livestream to counter Trump’s address.
Trump remembers Laken Riley as he addresses southern border
Trump in his speech brought up Laken Riley, a
22-year-old Georgia nursing student who was killed last year by an undocumented
Venezuelan immigrant previously arrested for shoplifting. Her death became a rallying cry for Republicans during the 2024 race as they called for better border security. Trump
signed a bill last month dubbed the “Laken Riley Act,” that would require Immigration and Customs Enforcement to detain immigrants living in the U.S. without legal permission who are accused of certain crimes including burglary, theft, larceny and shoplifting or assaulting a law enforcement officer. “Last year, I told Laken’s grieving parents that we would ensure their daughter would not have died in vain,” Trump said. The reference to her parents is one of the few times Democrats have clapped during Trump's sister. Riley’s mom and sister were invited as honored guests to Trump’s joint address Tuesday evening.
Trump acknowledges his new tariffs will cause ‘a little disturbance’
As he defended his newly imposed tariffs, Trump acknowledged the new duties on imports from Canada and Mexico will cause a “little disturbance” but said it will be worth it. “Tariffs are about making America rich again and making America great again,” Trump said. “And it's happening, and it will happen rather quickly. There'll be a little disturbance, but we're OK with that.” Economists expect Trump’s 25% tariffs on Canada and Mexico to lead to higher prices of many goods at a time when inflation already remains stubborn. The stock market has nosedived for two straight days following Trump’s latest tariff announcement.
Trump defends tariff policy in speech
Trump dedicated a lengthy portion of his speech to explaining the tariffs that have been a pillar of his economic policy in the first six weeks of his presidency. Companies that choose not to make their products in America “will pay a tariff, and in some cases, a rather large one,” Trump said.
Reciprocal actions against countries that put tariffs and nontariff barriers on imports from the U.S. will go into effect on April 2. “I wanted to make it April 1, but I didn't want to be accused of April Fool's Day,” Trump said. “But we're going to do it in April. I’m a very superstitious person.” Summing up his policy he said: “Whatever they tariff us, other countries, we will tariff them. That's reciprocal back and forth. Whatever they tax us, we will tax them.”
Who is sitting behind Trump?
House Speaker Mike Johnson and Vice President JD Vance are sitting next to each at the dais behind Trump. This is the traditional spot for the leader of the House chamber and the White House's No. 2, who also serves as president of the Senate.
Democrats walk out of Trump’s speech in protest
Several Democrats, including Reps. Lateefah Simon, D-Calif., Jasmine Crockett, D-Texas., and Maxwell Frost, D-Fla., have walked out of the House chamber during Trump’s speech. Some wore black t-shirts with the word “RESIST” in white letters on the back. “Through walking out, my message to Donald Trump is simple: stop the lies, stop the cheating, and stop the stealing - enough is enough. The American people deserve better,” she shared on X.
Blaming Biden
It’s been nearly six weeks since Joe Biden left office, but Trump is still eager to use his predecessor as a punching bag as the economy wobbles. Trump blamed Biden Tuesday for the price of eggs and more. The stock market dipped after Trump’s 25% tariffs on Canada and Mexico went into effect this week and the tariff on Chinese goods jumped from 10% to 20%. Inflation has creeped back up and consumer confidence is down. For Trump, though, it’s Biden’s policies that are the problem. “We inherited from the last administration an economic catastrophe and an inflation nightmare,” Trump said. Trump also criticized illegal immigration levels under Biden, and slammed his administration’s energy policies.
Touting Elon Musk and DOGE
Elon Musk had a prime seat for Trump’s speech in the House gallery and his work with the Department of Government Efficiency was front and center in Trump’s remarks. Musk has been the dominant player in Trump’s administration other than president himself, tearing through federal agencies as the driving force behind DOGE. It has moved with lightning speed to cut government, implementing mass layoffs and wreaking havoc at various federal agencies. The cuts have sparked a growing backlash. Trump said Musk is “working very hard.” “He didn't need this. Thank you very much. We appreciate it,” Trump said. The president then listed off federal spending he described as “scams” that DOGE has targeted. Musk stood up in the gallery, nodding his head in acknowledgement as Republicans applauded. Trump said DOGE is “headed” by Musk but his administration, which is contrary to what the administration said in a recent court filing. The White House has said Amy Gleason is the acting administrator of DOGE.
Who are the women with Melania Trump?
First lady Melania Trump was joined at the speech by two young women who exemplify causes she has championed. The first lady’s guests are Elliston Berry of Aledo, Texas, a victim of an AI-generated, sexually explicit “deepfake” image, and Haley Ferguson of Spring Hill, Tennessee, a former foster child who is the recipient of a scholarship instituted during Trump’s first tenure as first lady. Berry was also at Melania Trump's side on Capitol Hill on Monday as the first lady used her first public comments since her husband's inauguration to speak out about the publication of non-consensual, sexually explicit images.
Trump blames Biden for inflation under his watch
Trump blamed his predecessor, Joe Biden, for stubborn inflation, vowing he’s “fighting every day to reverse this damage and make America affordable again.” “Joe Biden, especially, let the price of eggs get out of control,” Trumps said, even though egg prices have soared amid bird flu outbreaks during the Trump presidency. The consumer price index rose during Trump’s first month in office from where it was when Biden left the White House. Trump touted his administration’s efforts to lower energy prices including expanding federal oil and gas leases.
Trump thanks Supreme Court for anti-affirmative action decision
Trump thanked the Supreme Court for a “brave and very powerful” decision that he said declared people should get jobs based on merit and not race or gender. He appeared to be referring to the 2023 decision that effectively ended affirmative action in college admissions. Trump has taken
various steps to end DEI policies , which the White House calls discrimination.
Who is Al Green?
You may have seen Democratic Rep. Al Green demonstrate during Trump's speech on Tuesday. But who is the lawmaker? He represents Texas’ ninth congressional district, which covers the southern Houston metro area. He currently serves on the Financial Services Committee as well as the Committee on Homeland Security. Green announced in February that he would file
articles of impeachment against Trump over “injustice in Gaza” - an effort that will likely be fruitless under a Republican majority in both chambers. “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. and injustice in Gaza is a threat to justice in the United States of America," Green said in a floor speech. The effort came after Trump had proposed turning the
Gaza Strip into the "Riviera of the Middle East.” A vocal Trump critic, Green also filed multiple longshot impeachment bids against Trump during his first term. Trump boasted that he’d “ended the tyranny” of diversity, equity and inclusion – DEI – policies in the federal government, including the U.S. military. “And our country will be woke no longer,” Trump said. Trump signed
an executive order in January abolishing the DEI programs in the Department of Defense. Trump also touted his declaration that the U.S. recognizes only two genders and his
policies restricting transgender Americans. Payton McNabb, a former high school athlete from Murphy, N.C., who suffered a brain injury after a transgender female athlete spiked a ball at her in a volleyball match in 2022, was an
honored guest at the speech . "It's out of our society. We don't want it," Trump said late in the speech. "Wokeness is trouble. Wokeness is bad. It's gone, it's gone. And we feel so much better for it. Don't we? Don't we feel better?"
'How did that work out': Trump mocks Democrats for criminal prosecutions
Donald Trump made a dig at attempts to prosecute him after leaving office in 2021. Trump was charged in relation to his role in the Jan. 6, 2021 insurrection at the Capitol and for refusing to return classified documents he took upon leaving office. During the campaign he said without evidence the cases were proof that Joe Biden and Democrats were “weaponizing” the Justice Department against their political rival. "We have ended weaponized government," Trump said. "Where, as for an example, a sitting president is allowed to viciously prosecute his political opponent like me. How did that work out? Not too good." Both cases were dropped after he won in November.
Democrats' display protest signs
House members are holding up black signs with white letters saying: "Save Medicaid," "Musk Steals" and "Protect Veterans." The other side of the signs say "FALSE." Rep. Rashia Tlaib, D-Mich., has also brought a small dry erase board where she is writing messages to display, such as "no king!" and "that's a LIE!" As Trump entered the chamber, Rep. Melanie Stansbury, D-N.M., displayed a sign saying "this is not normal." GOP Rep. Lance Gooden of Texas ripped it out of her hands and threw it, nearly hitting the president's head as he walked down the aisle.
‘Nothing I can do’: Trump criticizes Democratic foes
Donald Trump took an early swing at his opponents, calling predecessor Joe Biden “the worst president in American history.” He then addressed the Democrats sitting before him in the chamber – several waving signs that read “FALSE” or “MUSK STEALS” in reference to Trump’s billionaire ally. “I look at the Democrats in front of me, and I realize there is absolutely nothing I can say to make them happy or to make them stand or smile or applaud, nothing I can do,” Trump said.
Trump kicks off speech with southern border
Much like the 2024 campaign, Trump used Tuesday's speech to talk about securing the U.S.-Mexico border and the executive orders he issued, including deploying military members to the area. He also touted his focus on mass deportations and other crackdowns, telling lawmakers
that migrants "heard my words. and they chose not to come much easier that way."
Democratic lawmaker interrupts, is drowned out with chants of 'USA'
Rep. Al Green, D-Texas, stood and interrupted Trump as he started speaking. "You don't have a mandate," Green began, before the GOP stood and drowned him out with jeers and a chant of "USA." House Speaker Mike Johnson warned him before calling for him to be removed. When guards began removing him, House Republicans sang "hey, hey, hey, goodbye." Some Democrats yelled: "Take your hat off" to Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., who is wearing a Make America Great Again hat on the floor, which is against House rules.
Trump begins address by declaring ‘America is back’
Trump began his joint address to Congress by declaring “America is back,” prompting chants of “USA!” from Republican members of Congress in attendance. “Six weeks ago, I stood beneath the dome of this Capitol and proclaimed the dawn of the golden age of America,” Trump said. “From that moment on, it has been nothing but swift and unrelenting action to usher in the greatest and most successful era in the history of our country.” Trump said his administration has accomplished more in 43 days than most presidents have in eight years, adding: “And we are just getting started.” Trump entered the House chambers at 9:13 p.m. ET and shook hands with Republican lawmakers eager to greet the president. Trump is accompanied by Republican lawmakers, including House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., Senate GOP Whip John Barrasso, R-Wyo. and House GOP Whip Rep. Tom Emmer, R-Minn. Most Democrats remain seated as President Donald Trump enters the chamber. The few standing are not applauding, while the Republican side is cheering and clapping. Republicans broke out in a chant of USA. Trump is expected to speak imminently.
Trump's family turn up for the joint address
Trump’s family showed up in full force for his address Tuesday before a joint session of Congress. All of his children, except his youngest son, Barron Trump, were in attendance. His oldest son, Donald Trump Jr., was accompanied by Bettina Anderson; his daughter Ivanka Trump came with her husband, Jared Kushner; his son Eric Trump was joined by his wife Lara Trump; his younger daughter Tiffany Trump came with her husband Michael Boulos. First lady Melania Trump
brought two special guests to the event, Elliston Berry of Aledo, Texas, a victim of an AI-generated, sexually explicit “deepfake” image, and Haley Ferguson of Spring Hill, Tennessee, a former foster child who is the recipient of a scholarship instituted during Trump’s first tenure as first lady. First lady Melania Trump has entered the chamber ahead of Trump's Cabinet. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, followed by Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, led the group.
Four Supreme Court justices attending speech
Four of the nine Supreme Court Justices – including two of the three Trump appointed during his first term – are on hand to hear the president’s address. Their appearance could draw more attention than usual because of the court’s role as the final arbiter of the dozens of legal challenges mounted against Trump’s blizzard of early actions. Trump, who has expressed confidence that the court will back him, is pushing the boundaries on past court decisions on executive authority and is explicitly trying to get some overturned. Comments that some in the administration have made criticizing judges have raised fears that the president may refuse to comply with decisions he opposes – something his spokeswoman has dismissed as “fearmongering.” The justices who will be listening closely to anything Trump says about the courts are: Chief Justice John Roberts and Justices Elena Kagan, Brett Kavanaugh and Amy Coney Barrett. Retired Justice Anthony Kennedy is also attending.
Trump to defend newly imposed tariffs, according to speech excerpts
Trump will defend his recently imposed tariffs on imports from Mexico and Canada that have sent the stock market plummeting – and will blame his predecessor for soaring egg prices – according to excerpts released by the White House of Trump’s speech. “Whatever they tariff us, we tariff them. Whatever they tax us, we tax them,” Trump will say, according to the excerpts. “If they do non-monetary tariffs to keep us out of their market, then we do non-monetary barriers to keep them out of our market. We will take in trillions of dollars and create jobs like we have never seen before.” Trump campaigned on lowering prices, but inflation ticked up in his first month in office. Consumer confidence metrics have dropped amid continued concerns about the cost of living include egg prices that have soared amid ongoing bird flu outbreaks.
Usha Vance, Ivanka Trump, Kash Patel: Family members, top aides come together
Vice President JD Vance's wife Usha Vance has a front row seat in the gallery above the Republican side of the chamber. The row behind her sits the president's daughter, Ivanka Trump and her husband Jared Kushner. Tiffany Trump is in the row behind her. The president's sons, Eric Trump and Donald Trump Jr., are also sitting nearby. The newly-confirmed director of the Federal Bureau of Investigations, Kash Patel, is also sitting in the gallery. Typically, Cabinet members sit on the House floor.
‘State of DisUnion’: Democratic Rep. Jasmine Crockett evokes Kendrick Lamar ahead of Donald Trump speech
Plenty of House Democrats are boycotting Trump’s joint address by joining other events, but not Rep. Jasmine Crockett, who has made many viral moments since being elected to Congress in 2022. “Well… the State of the DisUnion will begin shortly,” the 43-year-old Texas Democrat
shared on X . “I’m gonna be in attendance.” The post was accompanied by a video of Crockett and her staff dancing from her office through the building to Grammy award-winning rapper Kendrick Lamar’s diss track “Not Like Us,” which he performed at during this year’s Super Bowl halftime show. “The country’s divided, somebody’s gotta fight for it,” a caption above the video said.
Tonight’s designated survivor: Doug Collins
Secretary of Veterans Affairs Doug Collins is tonight’s
designated survivor , or the government official picked to sit out from attending the speech as a way to maintain the presidential line of succession in case of emergency,
CNN and
ABC reported. The concept began with former President Ronald Reagan in 1981.
Elon Musk enters gallery
Tech billionaire Elon Musk, wearing a suit and a blue tie and no DOGE or MAGA merch, entered the House gallery above the Republican side of the chamber. Other people in the gallery, who are primarily guests of Republican members, applauded him as he entered. He took his phone out and took a video of the room, smiling.
Vice President JD Vance entered the House chamber, followed by members of the U.S. Senate. Vance is shaking hands with lawmakers on both sides of the aisle as he walks toward the dais, including lingering chats with Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., and Rep. Marcy Kaptur, D-Ohio, among others.
House members wait for Trump; Democratic women wear pink
House members are chatting in the House chamber as they wait for senators, Supreme Court justices and Cabinet members to enter. More than 30 Democratic women are wearing pink to protest what they're calling the impact of Trump's policies on women. "Pink is a color of protest & power. We're sending a message: Trump’s policies are devastating women," Rep. Judy Chu, D-Calif.,
wrote on X . "He's raising grocery prices, he’s stealing health care, & he’s threatening our safety."
Trump makes way to the Capitol
Trump and first lady Melania Trump exited the White House at 8:32 p.m. ET and boarded the presidential vehicle on the South Lawn. The motorcade is now making the short drive from the White House to the Capitol, where Trump is scheduled to address Congress shortly after 9 p.m. Tech entrepreneur Elon Musk, a top White House adviser, was spotted by reporters leaving the White House before the Trumps. Musk is expected to attend the joint address in a public display of his enormous influence in the Trump administration.
How long will Trump’s speech be tonight?
If history holds true, Trump will speak for around an hour to an hour and twenty minutes tonight when he addresses Congress for the first time of his second term. At least, that’s the range he stayed in while addressing Congress in his first term, according to data compiled by the University of California- Santa
Barbara’s The American Presidency Project . His 2017 speech, which remember like this one isn’t technically a State of the Union speech, came in shortest at almost exactly an hour. And his 2019 State of the Union was the longest at one hour, 22 minutes and 25 seconds. That 2019 speech put him within spitting distance of the longest address to Congress by a president in modern times, which was President Bill Clinton’s final State of the Union in 2000, which lasted one hour, 28 minutes and 49 seconds.
Trump will give the customary speech tonight, but there’s one tradition he's bucking: a post-address publicity tour. The Republican president will spend Wednesday at the White House in meetings, including one with Hill leaders to discuss his agenda. He’ll also sign executive orders, an official said. Members of his Cabinet are not planning to barnstorm the country, either. They’ll do interviews from the White House to underscore his message. The only Cabinet official with high-profile travel is Vice President JD Vance. He’ll visit Eagle Pass, Texas, tour the border and meet with government and law enforcement officials, a person familiar with his schedule said.
Who’s on the guest list for tonight’s address?
During Trump’s address tonight, about
200 to 300 guests are expected to file into the packed House chamber. Fifteen of those received an invitation from the president or first lady Melania Trump, while several other Americans are there at the request of members of Congress. Among the first family’s guest list are relatives of Corey Comperatore, a 50-year-old firefighter shot and killed during an attempted assassination on Trump in July, as well as Laken Riley, a 22-year-old Georgia nursing student killed by an undocumented Venezuelan immigrant. Senators and representatives will also be bringing guests. Democrats in particular are using their invitations to spotlight people they say have been directly impacted by Trump's second term policies, including federal workers recently fired as a result of his and Elon Musk's government downsize efforts.
If you're hearing about a designated survivor for tonight, it's not because of the three-season drama. During the president's annual speech to Congress, officials pick one Cabinet official in the presidential line of succession, and they become known as the "designated survivor." That person doesn't attend the address, instead staying in another location in case the unthinkable happens at the Capitol building. The 2025 designated survivor hasn't been confirmed yet.
Trump is set to speak at 9 p.m. EST. But if you live in other time zones, here's what you need to know: He'll start his address at 8 p.m. CST, 7 p.m. MST and 6 p.m. PST.
More: State of the Union? Not quite. What to know about Trump's 'unofficial' address. Trump to give speech amid growing economic concerns, tumbling stock market
Anxiety about the state of the economy and inflation under
Biden helped catapult
Trump back to the White House. But as he prepares to give his first joint address to Congress Tuesday night, Trump will face a nation
starting to grow skeptical of his ability to achieve one of his core campaign promises ‒ lowering their cost of living.
A poll from Marist University/NPR released Monday found 57% of Americans believe grocery prices will increase over the next six months, while only 17% believe they will decrease. In the same poll, 54% of Americans said the country is moving in the wrong direction, and more Americans, by a 46%-42% margin, believe Trump's direction on the economy is for the worse than for the better. Meanwhile, Trump’s new 25% tariffs on imports from Canada and Mexico, which went into effect Tuesday, caused the stock market to tumble for the second straight day. Economists
warn that tariffs on imports typically lead to higher prices for consumers. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Trump will touch on the economy in his speech and changes his administration has implemented "to end inflation for all Americans.”
Trump administration revises directive on firing federal workers
Ahead of Trump’s joint address to Congress,
the Trump administration informed federal departments Tuesday that any firings of their probationary workers are up to the agencies themselves in an update to its policy after a federal judge last week
paused recent mass terminations .
The revised guidance from the U.S. Office of Personnel Management states that "OPM is not directing agencies to take any specific performance-based actions regarding probationary employees," adding that "agencies have ultimate decisionmaking authority over, and responsibility for, such personnel actions." But he stopped short of ordering that terminations of probationary workers be rescinded. Likewise, the newly issued OPM guidance on Tuesday does not tell federal departments to rescind terminations already made. Trump is expected to use his speech to defend his efforts to dismantle the federal government including laying off tens of thousands of recently hired or promoted probationary workers. The moves have been steered by the Department of Government Efficiency led by billionaire tech entrepreneur Elon Musk.
Protester at Capitol criticizes Republicans ahead of Trump's joint address
Just hours before Trump was scheduled to deliver his joint address to lawmakers, Andrea Wilson, a 63-year-old retiree, was pacing back and forth in front of the Capitol with a sign that had billionaire Elon Musk’s face on it. It read in all caps, “I am stealing from you.” Her sign was referencing Musk’s campaign to slash government spending, with critics raising
concerns that his cuts could target Medicare and Social Security. Wilson, who drove from Maryland to D.C. and stood with other protesters outside of the Capitol building, said that none of what was happening under the Trump administration was “normal.” An independent, she criticized the Democrats for being “weak” and urged party members to disrupt Trump’s speech. “They need to stand up during his entire speech and turn their backs,” she said. “They need to stop playing by the rules.”
The White House said Trump's address on Tuesday evening will cover what press secretary Karoline Leavitt called "his extraordinarily successful first month in office" and his bold, ambitious, and common sense vision for the future." He'll touch on the economy and changes his administration has implemented "to end inflation for all Americans," she said in a news release. He'll ask Congress for more funding for deportations and building a border wall. Leavitt said he will also lay out his plan "to restore peace around the world."
Several House and Senate lawmakers
said they won’t attend Trump’s joint address tonight. Instead, they'll be holding alternative events. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y.,
wrote in a post that she would be “live posting and chatting” with her followers on Bluesky and holding an Instagram live after the president's address. Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., told USA TODAY he would host a virtual town hall with his constituents during Trump's speech. The list of others skipping also includes Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., Sen. Martin Heinrich, N. Mex., Rep. Gerry Connolly, D-Va., Rep. Don Beyer, D-Va., and Rep.
Kweisi Mfume , D-Md. “I think it's going to be a MAGA pep rally, not a serious talk to the nation,” Murphy
told CNN’s Dana Bash on Sunday. Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y.,
wrote in a letter to his colleagues Monday that the decision to attend the joint address is a “personal one.” However, he added that it was “important to have a strong, determined and dignified Democratic presence in the chamber.” “The House as an institution belongs to the American people, and as their representatives, we will not be run off the block or bullied,” he wrote.
The former House speaker, Rep. Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., said her guest at President Donald Trump’s speech to Congress would be a woman whose daughter relies on Medicaid. Her aim, she said, is to illustrate the potential harm of cutting the federal health program. Elena Hung is the founder and executive director of Little Lobbyists, a group promoting Medicaid’s assistance to children with complex medical needs and disabilities. “Elena Hung’s courageous daughter, Xiomara, was born with a number of serious medical conditions and is thriving today as a result of access to quality health care – including Medicaid," Pelosi said in a statement. “At a time when Medicaid is under assault by those who seek to give tax breaks to billionaires and big corporations, I am honored that Xiomara’s story will be told through Elena's attendance as my guest to this year’s address to a joint session of Congress."
Hours before President Donald Trump’s address, grassroots organizers, Democrats, voting rights activists and others were more than halfway through a
24-hour livestream challenging many of the administration’s policies. Organizers of the “State of the People’’ said they wanted to offer an alternative to watching Trump’s address and provide instead information about what they called the administration’s harmful policies and actions people can take to fight them. “We are absolutely asking people not to tune into the State of the Union to be lied to, but rather turn toward truth and sit with us during this marathon in the form of a protest,’’ said Angela Rye, a political strategist and one of the organizers. Throughout
the marathon , there were panels and discussions focused on a range of issues, including voting rights and abortion rights. Speakers included faith leaders, Black mayors, voting rights activists, state lawmakers, union organizers and members of the Congressional Black Caucus. “We’ve got to continue to push back,’’ Monica Simpson, executive director of SisterSong, a multiracial reproductive justice organization, said during an afternoon session. “There is too much at stake.” More than 50,000 people registered for the livestream, organizers said. Stephanie Brown James, executive director and co-founder of the Collective PAC, which focuses on boosting Black political power, told viewers it was important to share what is happening in Black communities and "spread that word."
House Speaker Mike Johnson sent House Republicans an email Tuesday inviting them to a meeting with Elon Musk at the Capitol on Wednesday night to discuss "the ongoing work of the Department of Government Efficiency." The meeting at 7 p.m. the day after President Donald Trump delivers his joint address to Congress comes as House Republicans have faced pushback at town halls in their home districts. National Republican Congressional Committee Chairman Rep. Rich Hudson, R-N.C., advised members not to hold more in-person town halls, which have gone viral as attendees raise concerns about the cuts implemented under DOGE. Republicans have argued that the influx of concerned town hall attendees was organized by Democratic groups. Trump is expected to tout Musk and DOGE's work during his joint address on Tuesday evening.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Tuesday in a
social media post he is ready to work with President Donald Trump on a peace deal with Russia after the two men reached an impasse in a heated,
high-profile Oval Office meeting Friday . Zelenskyy also put out a series of messages about calls he'd had with political leaders in the United Kingdom, Croatia, Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia. Trump announced late Monday he would stop supplying Ukraine with U.S. weapons. Zelenskyy said in his post it was time to make things right by expressing gratitude for U.S. support and praising “Trump’s strong leadership.”
House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries said he and other members of the party’s leadership plan to attend President Donald Trump’s address to a joint session of Congress to “make clear to the nation that there is a strong opposition party ready, willing and able to serve as a check and balance on the excesses of the administration.’’ In a letter Monday night to fellow Democrats, Jeffries, of New York, urged his peers to consider showing up. “The decision to attend the Joint Session is a personal one and we understand that members will come to different conclusions,’’ he wrote. “However, it is important to have a strong, determined and dignified Democratic presence in the chamber.’’ House Democrats, meanwhile, are planning
other events , including press conferences and hearings, throughout the week to push back on some of Trump’s policies, including proposed cuts to Medicaid. They also plan to host an event on Wednesday, a day after Trump’s address, on the east front of the Capitol. Others are planning press events to push for a federal voting rights bill and a “compassionate federal budget.” “Our focus remains on driving down the high cost of living for everyday Americans and pushing back against the far-right extremism that Republicans have unleashed on the country,’’ Jeffries wrote.
Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Tuesday his country would hit back hard against U.S. tariffs, but it isn’t clear what President Donald Trump wanted to accomplish. Trump imposed the 25% tariff on Canadian imports by saying the country wasn’t doing enough to halt fentanyl trafficking. But Trudeau called the accusation “completely bogus, completely unjustified, completely false” because tougher security measures in January resulted in just a half-ounce of the drug seized in January. Trudeau said Americans will lose jobs and find groceries, gas, cars and houses pricier in a trade war. Likewise, workers at Canadian carmakers are expecting layoffs within days. “What he wants is to see is a total collapse of the Canadian economy because that will make it easier to annex us,” Trudeau said. “That will never happen. We will never be the 51st state.” “But he’s rapidly going to find out – as American families are going to find out – that it’s going to hurt people on both sides of the border,” Trudeau said. Trump said Tuesday afternoon that he would respond to any increases in Canadian tariffs with tariffs of the same amount. “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!”
Trump wrote on Truth Social.
President Donald Trump accomplished the biggest turnaround in immigration policy in history by strengthening enforcement along the border and tracking down migrants who are in the country without legal authorization, according to a White House official. Trump is expected to tout his tough immigration policy during his speech to Congress. He
sent troops to the southern border and declared drug cartels foreign terrorist organizations as part of a strategy that reduced border crossings by 95%, according to Stephen Miller, the deputy chief of staff for policy. “You will never find an example of any law enforcement threat or national security threat where you have achieved such a rapid 180 in approach, strategy and results, and it is truly something to celebrate,” Miller told reporters outside the White House on Monday.
In addition to members of Congress and their guests, Cabinet members and Supreme Court justices, a group of people who are symbolic of the president's policies are invited to sit in the first lady's box. Among the White House's guests this year are the family of Corey Comperatore, who was killed during an assassination attempt on Trump assassination at a campaign rally last summer in Butler, Pa. She is also hosting Allyson and Lauren Phillips, family members of Laken Riley, who was slain while on a jog in Athens, Ga. by a
Venezuelan national in the country without authorization. Her death inspired the Laken Riley Act, the first bill Trump signed into law after returning to office. Marc and Malphine Fogel will also be in the first lady's box on Tuesday evening. Russia released American school teacher Marc Fogel, also of Pennsylvania, from prison in February, in a case that the U.S. said was wrongful detention. He will attend the speech with his mother, Malphine, who is 95.
Following Trump’s remarks, Michigan’s new senator,
Elissa Slotkin , will give the
Democratic response . Slotkin, who Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer described as “nothing short of a rising star,” was elected last November and took office in January. She is a former CIA analyst who served in Iraq and later worked in national security at the Pentagon and White House during the Bush and Obama administrations. She was elected to the House in 2018, flipping a seat previously occupied by a Republican. In a statement previewing her remarks, Slotkin said the public expects its leaders to level with them on what’s happening in the country. "From our economic security to our national security, we’ve got to chart a way forward that actually improves people’s lives in the country we all love, and I’m looking forward to laying that out,” she said.
The head of the House Democratic Caucus, Rep. Pete Aguilar, D-Calif., told reporters Tuesday that Democrats don’t have the power to shut down government, but said disputes over Republican spending plans with President Donald Trump could lead to a
shutdown on March 14.The House GOP narrowly approved a spending blueprint to cut government spending with the goal of approving Trump’s proposed tax cuts. But Democrats contend $880 billion in cuts targeted for the Energy and Commerce Committee, which oversees Medicaid and Medicare, could lead to reduced health for lower-income Americans and retirees, which Republicans deny.
“I will tell it like it is,” Trump promised late Tuesday morning in a message on social media. Trump responded on his social media platform to criticism of his tariffs, which went into effect in the early morning against key countries including Canada and Mexico. “If companies move to the United States, there are no tariffs!!!” he wrote in an
all-caps post on Truth Social. Trump has been a staunch supporter of American manufacturing and has made it a centerpiece of his America First foreign policy.
House Democrats told reporters Tuesday they would focus on the economy and health care in contrasting their vision for America with President Donald Trump’s speech to Congress. The vice chair of the Democratic Caucus, Rep. Ted Lieu of California, said inflation has increased and consumer confidence is down since Trump took office. Stock prices fell with the midnight imposition of Trump’s tariffs on Canada, Mexico and China. “The stock market is tanking,” Lieu said. “He is harming America.” “He can’t escape the really bad record he’s already set forth,” Lieu added.
Trump is set to address Congress on Tuesday at 9 p.m. ET. Multiple media outlets, including USA TODAY, ABC, MSNBC, Fox News, NPR and PBS, have announced plans to offer live coverage of the event. The event will mark Trump's fifth presidential address to Congress. Although it's not a State of the Union, these speeches usually last just over one hour, sometimes due to intermittent applause from the audience throughout the address. At least 200 guests typically attend presidential addresses. The president and first lady usually invite about two dozen people. Members of Congress and other officials also invite guests. Though an official guest list has not yet been released, one of Trump’s guests will be
Frank Líma, a Los Angeles City fire captain who led crews fighting the massive Los Angeles fires in January, said Sen. Alex Padilla, D-Calif.
Since Trump was sworn in less than two months ago, his speech won’t technically be a
State of the Union address. The State of the Union is an annual speech given by the president to Congress at the start of most calendar years, providing information on the current status and conditions in the United States. Typically, it is delivered to a joint session of Congress inside the House chamber. Several recent presidents, starting with Ronald Reagan, have delivered speeches in the months after their inauguration that serve the same purpose even though they aren’t formally considered a State of the Union address.
