President Trump’s joint address to Congress — his first since returning to office — gives him a chance to talk up his controversial agenda in prime time. And almost as revealing as what he will say is who he will say it to.
The president and first lady, as well as members of Congress across the political spectrum, have invited guests to the address, as is customary.
Plus-ones typically represent the themes of a president’s address. They put a human face on the administration’s priorities — and signify a lawmaker’s support or opposition to them.
This year’s guest list is no different, according to the announcements ahead of Trump’s speech, which is expected to touch on everything from immigration to the economy to foreign policy.
On Tuesday, the White House named roughly a dozen invitees, meant to bring “incredible stories about the disaster wrought by the previous administration, and the historic achievements President Trump has already enacted to usher in the Golden Age of America.”
The guests include family members of Laken Riley and Jocelyn Nungaray, who were killed by men in the U.S. without legal status; as well as anti-transgender advocates, the relatives of Corey Comperatore, the man who was killed at the rally where Trump survived an assassination attempt and Marc Fogel, the American teacher that Trump helped free from Russian prison last month.
Democrats, on the other hand, are bringing people they say have been hurt by Trump’s policies.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries has urged Democrats to “elevate the stories of everyday Americans who are being harmed in real time by House Republicans and the Trump administration.”
Many of the Democrats’ guests are former federal workers who were laid off from various agencies as part of the government restructuring initiative known as the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).
Other guests rely on Medicaid. Republican lawmakers are pushing deep cuts to the health insurance program as a way to finance Trump’s agenda. Republicans hope to make those cuts later this year using a feature of the budget process known as reconciliation.
Here’s a look at some of the names on the guest list — and the themes they represent.
Fired federal workers
Many Democrats invited people from their home state who were fired from various federal agencies in recent weeks. Here’s a sampling:
- Sen. Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut, a member of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee, is bringing Michael Missal, the former Inspector General for the Department of Veterans Affairs.
- Sen. Michael Bennet of Colorado is bringing Jamie Werner, a former program management specialist at White River National Forest who was laid off from the U.S. Forest Service last month.
- Sen. Tim Kaine of Virginia has invited Jason King, a disabled veteran who was fired from his position in the Federal Aviation Administration’s safety division.
- Rep. Ilhan Omar of Minnesota is bringing Chris Wicker, an Air Force veteran who was fired from the Minnesota district office of the Small Business Administration, then told his termination was a mistake, then fired again days later.
- Rep. Elissa Slotkin of Michigan, who will be delivering the Democratic response to Trump, is bringing Andrew Lennox, a Marine veteran recently fired from the VA.
- Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts is bringing Doug Kowalewski, who was fired from the National Science Foundation after working there more than three years.
Beneficiaries of Medicaid
Other Democrats are bringing constituents who depend on Medicaid for health insurance and life-saving care, including:
- Sen. Maggie Hassan of New Hampshire’s guest, Cheri Bryer, was able to access residential addiction treatment, enter recovery and return to work — supporting moms in recovery — all because of her Medicaid eligibility.
- Sen. Jacky Rosen of Nevada is bringing Dominic Rampa, a teenager who relies on Medicaid to cover essential treatments for health conditions associated with nine genetic disorders, which costs a minimum of $200,000 per year.
- Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is bringing Elena Hung and her daughter Xiomara, whom she says “was born with serious medical conditions and is thriving today because of Medicaid.”
- Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer ‘s guests include two Medicaid recipients who are both cancer survivors: Jessica Martinez, who needs Medicaid in order to afford the multiple sclerosis treatments that allow her to live independently, and Ana Medina Garcia, who works as a home health care worker for seniors.
Firefighters and law enforcement officers
Two California Democrats are bringing firefighters who battled the Los Angeles fires earlier this year, highlighting the need for federal aid in the region as well as better treatment for federal firefighters.
- Sen. Adam Schiff is bringing Capt. Vincent Culliver, a 25-year federal firefighter for the Vandenberg Space Force Base Fire Department and president of the union of the International Association of Firefighters at the base.
- Sen. Alex Padilla is bringing Frank Líma, a longtime Los Angeles City fire captain and the general secretary-treasurer of the International Association of Fire Fighters.
Some Republicans, meanwhile, are bringing members of local law enforcement from their communities.
- South Dakota Rep. Dusty Johnson is bringing Meade County Sheriff Pat West and Clay County Sheriff Andy Howe, whom he said will be glad to hear “how the President will partner with our law enforcement community to make America safe again.”
- Fox News reported that House Speaker Mike Johnson’s guests include Tom Homan, a veteran of immigration law enforcement who serves as the Trump administration’s border czar.
- Guests of the White House include Roberto Ortiz, a U.S. Border Patrol agent whom it says has been “shot at repeatedly by cartel members while performing his duties near the Rio Grande River in Texas.”
Small business owners fearing tariffs
Several lawmakers are bringing people whose industries are threatened by Trump’s long-promised tariffs against Canada and Mexico, which prompted retaliatory measures shortly after taking effect on Tuesday.
- Vermont Sen. Peter Welch, a Democrat, invited Allison Hope, executive director of the Vermont Maple Sugar Makers Association, who recently said the tariffs endanger the state’s status as the country’s top maple syrup producer.
- Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., is bringing Rebecca Hamilton, the co-owner and co-CEO of a family-owned personal care products manufacturer called Badger. Shaheen said it is one of dozens of small businesses in the state that would be “devastated” by the tariffs.
- Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., is bringing third-generation farmer Gary Wertish, whom she called one of many worried about their farms’ futures under a potential trade war, layoffs at local U.S. Department of Agriculture offices, and proposed cuts to Farm Bill programs.
Americans impacted by the Israel-Hamas war
Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle are bringing people directly affected by the war in Gaza, including several family members of Israelis who were kidnapped on Oct. 7 and are still held hostage by Hamas.
Speaker Johnson is reportedly bringing Noa Argamani, who was rescued from Gaza in June 2024 and appealed for a ceasefire at the U.N. Security Council last week.
- Rep. Tom Suozzi, D-N.Y., is bringing Ronen Neutra, whose son Omer Neutra — an American-Israeli citizen — was killed on Oct. 7 and whose body is still held in Gaza.
- Jeffries and New Jersey Rep. Josh Gottheimer, also a Democrat, are bringing the family members of Edan Alexander, the last living American known to be held by Hamas.
- Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman, D-N.J., is bringing Dr. Adam Hamawy, a plastic surgeon and Army veteran who recently returned from his second volunteer mission in Gaza.
Pop culture and culture war figures
Politicians also are inviting prominent figures in conservative media — both the subjects of coverage and some commentators themselves.
- The White House is bringing Payton McNabb, a former high school athlete whom it says suffered a traumatic brain injury after a transgender athlete hit her in the head with a volleyball during a 2022 match, and has campaigned to ban transgender athletes from women’s sports.
- Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks, R-Iowa, is bringing Riley Gaines, a former collegiate swimmer who has become an outspoken advocate of banning transgender athletes from women’s sports.
- Rep. Pete Stauber, R-Minn., a former professional hockey player, is bringing Minnesota hockey legend Phil Verchota — a member of the 1980 “Miracle on Ice” Olympic Hockey Team — as well as Jennifer Hegseth, the wife of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.
- Majority Whip Tom Emmer, R-Minn., is bringing guests including Buzz Schneider and Rob McClanahan, hockey legends who were also part of the 1980 Olympic team.
- Johnson told Fox News his guest list includes Ben Shapiro and Matt Walsh, both of the conservative media outlet The Daily Wire.