What to know about Trump’s speech to a joint session of Congress
- President Trump will address a joint session of Congress and the nation on Tuesday evening, his first speech to lawmakers since he took office for a second time six weeks ago.
- The speech will begin at 9 p.m. ET, and senior administration officials tell CBS News that the president will speak about his administration’s work so far, the economy, immigration and foreign policy.
- The address comes as Congress nears a deadline to pass new government funding and pursues a budget bill to implement Mr. Trump’s agenda. It also takes place against the backdrop of new tariffs on Mexico and Canada, a rift between the U.S. and Ukraine and the administration’s efforts to drastically reduce the size of the executive branch.
- Watch the speech live on CBS News 24/7 in the player above, or on the CBS News app on your mobile device and TV.
Sen. Ruben Gallego calls DOGE firings “dumb,” “stupid,” “arbitrary”
Several Democratic lawmakers are bringing fired federal workers to tonight’s address to protest Mr. Trump’s so-called “war on waste.” Democratic Sen. Ruben Gallego of Arizona is one of those lawmakers. He joins CBS News to discuss why:
Commerce secretary says tariffs on Mexico and Canada could be rolled back Wednesday
Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said Tuesday that he had been on the phone with Canada and Mexico “all day” and a reduction in tariffs could happen as soon as Wednesday.
“So I think he’s going to work something out with them. It’s not going to be a pause, none of that pause stuff, but I think he’s going to figure out, ‘You do more and I’ll meet you in the middle some way,’” Lutnick said in an interview with Fox Business. “And I think he’s going to probably be announcing that tomorrow. So somewhere in the middle will likely be the outcome.”
On Tuesday, the U.S. imposed 25% tariffs on nearly all goods imported from Mexico and Canada, as well as 10% tariffs on Canadian energy products. The U.S. also increased tariffs on imports from China, bringing them to 20%.
All three countries have vowed to respond with retaliatory tariffs on U.S. goods, fueling fears of a trade war that could further drive up inflation.
Trump’s speech will have 4 main sections
The president’s speech has four sections, senior administration officials said Tuesday: his accomplishments so far; the economy; immigration and the border; and foreign policy. The president was deeply involved in the final edits of his speech, these officials said.
What do Americans want to hear about in Trump’s speech?
According to CBS News/YouGov polling, more Americans think it’s important for Mr. Trump to talk about his plans for lowering prices and addressing inflation than any other item tested. It’s the top issue for both Republicans and Democrats.
Inflation is an issue (along with the economy) that a big majority of Americans think should be a high priority for the president but don’t think he is prioritizing it a lot.
Seventy-seven percent of Americans say their incomes are not keeping up with inflation.
Many also want to hear about plans for Medicare and Medicaid, the federal budget and cutting taxes:
Jeffries says Democrats’ decision to attend speech is “a personal one”
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said Monday that he plans to attend Mr. Trump’s speech, but told his Democratic colleagues it’s a personal decision for each member to make.
“Given my responsibilities in the House, I plan to attend the speech, along with other members of the Democratic leadership, 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,” the New York Democrat wrote in a letter to colleagues. “The decision to attend the Joint Session is a personal one and we understand that members will come to different conclusions.”
He added that it’s “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,” Jeffries said.
Democrats’ guests include fired federal workers
Instead of skipping the speech, some Democrats are inviting fired federal workers as their guests.
Some of the guests are veterans, who said their abrupt firings during Mr. Trump’s overhaul of the federal government were disrespectful and insulting.
The invitations come as Republican lawmakers have faced backlash from constituents over sweeping cuts to the federal government, which have been overseen by the Department of Government Efficiency, the Elon Musk-led task force known as DOGE.
Melania Trump’s guests include American freed from Russia, family of slain firefighter
First lady Melania Trump has invited more than a dozen guests to watch the speech from her viewing box in the House chamber.
Marc Fogel, a schoolteacher from Pennsylvania who was released from a Russian prison in February as part of a prisoner swap negotiated by the Trump administration, and his wife, Melanie Fogel, are expected to be there.
The family of Corey Comperatore, a volunteer fire chief killed at the Butler, Pennsylvania, rally where Mr. Trump was shot in an assassination attempt, will also be among the guests.
Stephanie Diller, the widow of slain New York Police Department officer Jonathan Diller, who was killed in 2024 during a routine traffic stop in Queens, will also be in attendance. Mr. Trump attended his wake on Long Island in 2024.
Trump’s children to join him for his speech
Four of the president’s children will join him in the motorcade and at the Capitol for his joint address to Congress, according to two senior administration officials. Barron Trump, who is attending college in New York, will not attend.
Traveling to the Capitol in the motorcade with the president will be:
- Donald Trump Jr. and his girlfriend, Bettina Anderson
- Eric Trump and wife Lara Trump
- Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner
- Tiffany Trump and husband Michael Boulos
Why this speech isn’t a “State of the Union”
The Constitution says the president shall, “from time to time,” give a report on the “State of the Union” to Congress. This speech typically takes place in January or February, and gives presidents the opportunity to tout their accomplishments over the past year and lay out their agenda for the months ahead.
Since Mr. Trump has only been in office for six weeks and a day, his address is not technically considered a State of the Union. Rather, it’s known as a joint address to Congress. But it will look and sound much like a State of the Union, with the president addressing lawmakers from the House chamber, and Speaker Mike Johnson and Vice President JD Vance seated behind him.
Mr. Trump is expected to address what he views as his accomplishments so far before discussing the economy, immigration and foreign policy.
Michigan Sen. Elissa Slotkin to deliver the Democratic response
Democratic leaders tapped Sen. Elissa Slotkin, the newly minted U.S. senator from Michigan, to deliver the party’s response. It’s tradition for a member of the opposing party to speak after the president, and the role is often given to someone the party wants to introduce to the country.
The assignment may seem simple enough, but even minor slip-ups, like then-Sen. Marco Rubio pausing to drink from a water bottle in 2013 or Rep. Joe Kennedy exhibiting an unusually moist upper lip in 2018, can instantly become the subject of political jokes.
Slotkin, 48, won her seat against former GOP Rep. Mike Rogers in a state that flipped red for Mr. Trump in 2024. Democrats as a whole are continuing to examine the 2024 election and chart a path forward after losing the House, Senate and White House to the Republicans.
Slotkin was a U.S. congresswoman for Michigan’s 7th Congressional District for six years before she won her Senate seat.
A former CIA analyst who served alongside the military in Iraq, she has experience working under both parties. Slotkin worked on President George W. Bush’s National Security Council, as well as in the State Department during Barack Obama’s presidency.
Trump’s speech comes against backdrop of fallout with Ukraine
It’s only been four days since the heated, televised Oval Office meeting involving Mr. Trump, Vice President JD Vance and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy that upended relations between the U.S. and Ukraine.
On Friday, Zelenskyy’s team was told to leave the White House after the meeting grew contentious, with Vance calling Zelenskyy’s remarks “disrespectful” and Mr. Trump telling Zelenskyy he’s toying with “World War III.” The Trump administration wants Zelenskyy to pursue a ceasefire now, and paused military aid to the country on Monday. Mr. Trump has continued to criticize Zelenskyy since the confrontation, which scuttled the planned signing of an economic deal over Ukraine’s mineral rights.
Zelenskyy tried to right the ship earlier Tuesday, writing in a lengthy post on X that Ukraine is “ready to come to the negotiating table as soon as possible” to end the war.
“Nobody wants peace more than Ukrainians,” Zelenskyy said. “My team and I stand ready to work under President Trump’s strong leadership to get a peace that lasts.”
CBS News reported earlier in the day that Ukrainian officials have indicated to their U.S. counterparts they are willing to sign the minerals agreement, but sources said a final deal has not been finalized.
