WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump will deliver the State of the Union address to a joint session of Congress on Tuesday at 9 p.m. ET, his first official State of the Union since returning to office and a prime-time bid to reset his message ahead of the midterms.
The speech comes days after the Supreme Court struck down his global tariffs and as a partial shutdown at the Department of Homeland Security drags on amid an immigration funding impasse, according to Reuters and NPR.
Midterm backdrop
The address is a high-stakes pitch to voters with control of Congress on the line; Republicans hold narrow majorities and face a tough environment, with the Senate at 53-47 and the House at 218-214, NPR reported.
Recent polling underscores the pressure: a Reuters/Ipsos survey said six in ten Americans view Trump as increasingly erratic, while the latest NPR/PBS News/Marist poll found most Americans think the country is worse off than a year ago, and PBS NewsHour noted widespread distrust in how his administration is running the government.
Domestic agenda flashpoints
Immigration is expected to be a centerpiece. Lawmakers and advocates have criticized aggressive enforcement tactics after two U.S. citizens were killed during protests tied to immigration raids, as the AP reported, and NPR outlined the broader deadlock over DHS funding.
Trump is also likely to revisit tariffs and the economy. Reuters reported the court ruling invalidated his tariff regime as growth slowed and inflation accelerated, while ABC News said majorities disapprove of his handling of inflation and the economy.
Foreign policy shadow
Iran looms over the address as the administration weighs options over Tehran’s nuclear program. Reuters and NPR reported an expanded U.S. military posture in the region, and ABC News said Trump has not ruled out military strikes.
The speech is set for prime time and could be long. Trump is scheduled to begin at 9 p.m. ET, and NPR noted last year’s joint address ran more than 90 minutes, the longest in decades.
A Democratic response will follow from Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger, with a Spanish-language rebuttal by Sen. Alex Padilla, according to PBS NewsHour.
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