Trump will address a joint session of Congress tonight. Here’s what to expect
NPR is bringing you the latest from President Trump’s address to a joint session of Congress. For more updates, get our NPR Politics newsletter or listen to The NPR Politics Podcast.
President Trump is making his first address to a joint session of Congress tonight at 9 p.m. ET.
NPR’s live special coverage and analysis of the president’s address and the Democratic response will also begin at 9 p.m. ET. Live video of the speech will be available below.
Trump’s speech, which is different from a traditional State of the Union address, comes just six weeks after he returned to office. Since then, the president has signed dozens of executive orders that have aimed to dramatically slash the federal workforce, eliminate diversity and equity efforts in the government and decrease illegal immigration — all topics the president is likely to touch on in his remarks, as he asks Congress to fund his agenda.
“We need more money for more beds. We need money for more flights. … ICE is already in a hole. We need Congress to step up and give us the funding we need,” Tom Homan, Trump’s “border czar,” told reporters Tuesday morning while discussing the administration’s sweeping deportation and detention efforts.
The president’s speech comes as tensions have escalated with the United States’ three largest trading partners. On Tuesday, the U.S. initiated new tariffs against China, Canada and Mexico, which resulted in retaliatory tariffs. The budding trade war is expected to raise costs for consumers, and it sent markets plummeting on Tuesday.
Trump has also said that he would talk about a potential agreement on critical minerals with Ukraine in his speech.
Earlier Tuesday, after Trump announced a pause on military aid to Ukraine for its war against Russia, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy posted on X that Ukraine is ready to sign the deal.
“We see this agreement as a step toward greater security and solid security guarantees, and I truly hope it will work effectively,” Zelenskyy said.
The agreement, if finalized, would follow last week’s blowout meeting between Zelenskyy, Trump and Vice President Vance in the Oval Office. The meeting ended with Zelenskyy leaving the White House earlier than planned.
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