President Donald Trump is addressing a joint session of Congress tonight, amid stock market turmoil driven by his stiff new tariffs on Canada, Mexico and China, and the controversy over Elon Musk’s DOGE campaign to slash federal spending and workforce levels.
The speech comes on the heels of Trump’s stunning verbal clash with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in the Oval Office Friday, and Trump’s subsequent decision to pause U.S. military assistance to Ukraine for its war against Russia.
Trump’s speech is structured around the theme of “the renewal of the American dream,” according to early excerpts from the White House.
Trump will highlight his immigration policies, energy plans and his administration’s efforts to end diversity, equity and inclusion programs in the government.
The president’s guests for the annual event include Marc Fogel, a schoolteacher who was released from prison in Russia in February, and the family of Corey Comperatore, who was killed in the attempted assassination of Trump in western Pennsylvania last July.
Musk is attending the speech as a special guest.
Both political parties have traditionally used their guest lists for this annual speech to highlight their policy priorities and draw attention to specific issues.
Democrats’ guests include a number of military veterans and others who were fired in the ongoing reduction of federal jobs that is being overseen by Musk and his so-called Department of Government Efficiency.
Democrats also have invited people who could be affected by Republican cuts to Medicaid or other government programs.
The last time Trump addressed a joint session of Congress was Feb. 4, 2020, when he delivered the final State of the Union address of his first term in office. The following day, the Senate voted to acquit Trump in his first impeachment trial.
US Vice President Mike Pence claps as Speaker of the US House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi appears to rip a copy of US President Donald Trump speech after he delivers the State of the Union address at the US Capitol in Washington, DC, on February 4, 2020.
Mandel Ngan | AFP | Getty Images
The 2020 speech is best remembered as the night then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., dramatically ripped up a copy of Trump’s speech as soon as he had finished delivering it. The moment went viral online, a dramatic example of the disdain that many Democrats felt for Trump.
Sen. Elissa Slotkin of Michigan is set to deliver the Democratic response to Trump’s speech Tuesday night.
This is developing news. Check back for updates.
