Trump Set to Address Congress: A Look at His "America First" Vision
President Donald Trump is poised to deliver a highly anticipated address to a joint session of Congress on Tuesday evening, marking roughly six weeks into his second term. The event, while bearing a striking resemblance to a State of the Union address, is technically not one. Lawmakers from both the House and Senate will convene in the House chamber to hear President Trump outline his agenda and vision for the future of the United States.
The invitation for this address was extended to President Trump by House Speaker Mike Johnson in January. Speaker Johnson expressed the desire for the President to share his "America First" vision with the nation. The President’s first address to Congress, delivered early in his first term, also revolved around a similar "America First" theme. During that speech, he emphasized plans for significant overhauls to immigration policy and the implementation of what he termed "historic" tax cuts.
In his 2017 address, President Trump declared that "A new chapter of American Greatness is now beginning. A new national pride is sweeping across our Nation. What we are witnessing today is the Renewal of the American Spirit." Expectations are high for the current address as President Trump seeks to build upon the themes he established during his first term.
The address from the U.S. Capitol is scheduled to begin around 9 p.m. ET on Tuesday. While the specific details of President Trump’s remarks remain closely guarded, he has hinted via social media that the speech will be "big" and that he plans to "tell it like it is!" The President is anticipated to touch on a variety of key areas, including national security and economic policy.
In addition to outlining potential new executive actions, President Trump is also expected to highlight the accomplishments of his administration since the start of his second term. One key aspect of this will be the significant cuts made to the federal workforce.
President Trump, in collaboration with Elon Musk, who is leading the Department of Government Efficiency, has overseen the termination of thousands of government employees across various departments. Furthermore, they have actively pursued the closure of entire agencies, beginning with the U.S. Agency for International Development. This reflects a commitment to streamlining government operations and reducing federal spending.
The day of President Trump’s address to Congress coincides with the planned implementation of tariffs on goods from Canada, Mexico, and China. While he had previously paused the implementation of a 25% tariff on goods from Canada and Mexico, he announced last week his intention to move forward with the duty. This decision is coupled with a new 10% tariff on goods from China, which is in addition to the 10% fee already imposed on the country last month. These tariffs reflect the administration’s focus on trade policy and its efforts to protect American industries.
The audience for the address will include members of both the House and Senate, as well as some members of the Supreme Court. Following established precedent, Vice President JD Vance, in his role as President of the Senate, will be seated at the dais behind President Trump, alongside House Speaker Mike Johnson. Elon Musk and First Lady Melania Trump will also be in attendance, watching from the House chamber, as confirmed by the White House.
Presidents often extend invitations to special guests to attend these addresses. These invitations are frequently aligned with the President’s political motivations. In 2017, President Trump invited the widow of the late Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia to his first address. At his last State of the Union address in 2020, he orchestrated a memorable moment by highlighting the return of Army Sergeant First Class Townsend Williams, a husband and father who was on his fourth deployment to the Middle East.
While the event is often referred to as a State of the Union, it’s important to acknowledge the technical distinction. State of the Union addresses are typically delivered during a President’s second, third, and fourth year in office, consistent with the Constitution, which dictates that the President "shall from time to time give to the Congress information of the state of the union, and recommend to their consideration such measures as he shall judge necessary and expedient."
Despite this technicality, the American Presidency Project notes that "For research purposes, it is probably harmless to categorize these as State of the Union messages… The impact of such a speech on public, media, and congressional perceptions of presidential leadership and power should be the same as if the address was an official State of the Union."
The tradition of delivering a speech shortly after Inauguration Day was started by President Ronald Reagan in 1981. Since 1966, the opposing party has delivered its response to the President’s State of the Union address or similar first-year addresses, according to the American Presidency Project.
This year, Michigan Senator Elissa Slotkin will deliver the Democratic Party’s reaction and counter-messaging to President Trump’s joint address. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York described Slotkin as "nothing short of a rising star" within the party, adding that she "will layout the fight to tackle the deep challenges we face and chart a path forward."
In addition to Senator Slotkin’s response, Representative Adriano Espaillat of New York will provide the Democratic Party’s Spanish-language response, while Representative Lateefah Simon of California will deliver a rebuttal from the progressive Working Families Party. These multiple responses reflect the diverse perspectives within the Democratic Party and provide a comprehensive critique of President Trump’s agenda. The nation now awaits to see how President Trump presents his vision for the coming years.
