Trumps speech to the joint session of Congress isnt a State of the Union address. Heres what to know
President Trump will return to Capitol Hill Tuesday night to take the podium in the House Rostrum where he will deliver his first major speech to the nation since being sworn into office back in January.While his remarks will have the pomp and circumstance of a State of the Union address, the president’s speech is not technically considered one because he has only been in office for a month and a half.On paper, Trump is merely delivering an address to a joint session of Congress but in practice, the speech is more-or-less considered to be an unofficial State of the Union address, the marquee annual report presidents deliver to Congress and the nation writ large.Trump is teasing a “big” night and will have no shortage of topics to discuss given the breakneck pace his administration has moved at to overhaul the federal government and dramatically reorient foreign policy.Here is what you need to know about the forthcoming speech.The president is slated to begin his remarks at 9 p.m.
ET.Most major news networks have unveiled plans to cover Trump’s speech, including Fox News, CNN, ABC News, NPR, PBS, NBC News and CBS News.C-Span will also stream the address live on its platform.Democrats have tapped Sen.
Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.) to deliver their response to Trump’s speech.Slotkin won a state that Trump also managed to win in the 2024 cycle.
Generally considered to be more of a moderate Democrat, Slotkin has argued that the party has struggled with messaging and didn’t properly focus on the economy.Democrats have been keen on picking and choosing their battles with Trump rather than reacting to every little thing that he does.Slotkin is widely expected to pummel Trump over cost of living issues.
Sen.Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) will also be delivering a separate response aimed at representing the more progressive faction of the movement.
The theme of Trump’s speech will be “Renewal of the American Dream.” During his address, the president is expected to f...