Donald Trump was set to deliver the State of the Union in Washington, his second major address to Congress this term and the last before the 2026 midterms. It was also the first time Trump was to be confronted with the Supreme Court justices since they ruled his tariffs illegal.
The State of the Union traditionally allowed the president to lay out an agenda and key policy objectives. While it was not officially a campaign event, it was likely Trump was to use the speech to highlight his accomplishments.
When Trump will adress his speech?
Trump was to deliver his speech to Congress beginning at 9pm ET on Tuesday in Washington.
Where to watch?
Major news networks were likely to broadcast Trump’s address live and carry coverage throughout the day. CBS was to broadcast a live stream on its YouTube page, as was PBS. The Guardian was to have a live feed of the address to Congress and a team of reporters was to cover and fact-check Trump’s speech.
Read more: Donald Trump to address Congress amid SCOTUS tariff ruling and Iran tensionsWhat happened last year?
In 2025, when Trump made a joint address to Congress, he spoke at length about his efforts to cut the size of the federal workforce, change US foreign policy and implement a risky trade agenda, which included massive tariffs. In the speech lasting an hour and 40 minutes, the longest in US history, he also pointed to executive orders and actions implemented in the first weeks of his second term, Guardian reported.
This year, despite facing opinion polls showing growing disapproval on a range of issues, it was likely Trump was to continue to insist he was making America great again. He was expected to address tariffs, which were struck down by the supreme court last week and then implemented again this weekend, alongside other issues including immigration and foreign policy.
The address could also run long. According to the official White House schedule, he was not expected to return to the White House until 11.30pm.
“I’m making a speech tomorrow night, and you’ll be hearing me say that,” Trump said Monday during an event at the White House. “I mean, it’s going to be a long speech because we have so much to talk about.”
What will Democrats do?
A group of at least 12 Democrats was to boycott the speech and instead hold an outdoor rally on the National Mall. The group included Chris Van Hollen, who said in a social media post: “Trump is marching America towards fascism, and I refuse to normalize his shredding of our Constitution & democracy. This cannot be business as usual.”
Another event, State of the Swamp, was also planned for Tuesday night and was set to feature prominent Democrats and celebrities. Robert De Niro and Mark Ruffalo, both of whom had been critical of Trump, were set to attend the event put on by Indivisible and other groups.
Which Democrat will address?
Following the address, it was traditional for someone from the opposing party to deliver a response. This year, the newly elected Virginia governor Abigail Spanberger was to give the rebuttal.
In a statement, the House minority leader, Hakeem Jeffries, and the Senate minority leader, Chuck Schumer, hailed Spanberger as a public servant with a record of holding Trump accountable and winning races in competitive territory.
“She stands in stark contrast to Donald Trump, who will lie, deflect and blame everyone but himself for his failed presidency on Tuesday evening,” Jeffries said. “As our nation marks its 250th anniversary this summer, Governor Spanberger embodies the best of America as a mother, community leader and dedicated public servant.”
Spanberger said she planned to use her rebuttal to address Americans’ concerns with “rising costs, chaos in their communities, and a real fear of what each day might bring”.
Alex Padilla, a Democrat from California and a vocal critic of the Trump administration’s immigration policies, was to give a rebuttal in Spanish. Padilla was restrained and removed after attempting to ask a question at a press conference held by Kristi Noem in June last year.
Padilla told the New York Times his remarks would focus on immigration, the economy and fair elections.
Last year, Democrats chose the Michigan senator Elissa Slotkin, a centrist figure with an intelligence background, to deliver the rebuttal.
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