(NewsNation) — President Donald Trump plans to review his first weeks in office and discuss the future of at least three major topics in Tuesday’s joint address to Congress.
A White House official tells NewsNation that Trump’s address will focus on “the renewal of the American Dream” and hinge on four main tenets:
- First month in office
- The economy
- Conflicts abroad
- Immigration
Trump said on social media he intends to “tell it like it is.”
“In his Joint Address to Congress, President Trump will celebrate his extraordinarily successful first month in office while outlining his bold, ambitious, and common sense vision for the future,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a statement.
When is Trump’s speech?
Trump will go to Capitol Hill with first lady Melania Trump tonight, with remarks slated to begin just after 9 p.m. ET — mere hours after he paused aid to Ukraine and enacted hefty tariffs on Canada, China and Mexico.
How to watch Trump’s Congress address
You can watch the full joint address to Congress on NewsNation on TV, online at newsnationnow.com or on the NewsNation apps for your television or phone. Not sure how to watch NewsNation? Find your channel here.
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Who is attending Trump’s joint address to Congress?
More than just lawmakers will attend Tuesday’s event. In addition, members of the U.S. Supreme Court and Trump’s Cabinet will be in attendance.
The president typically invites guests to view the address from the balcony above the House floor, next to the first lady.
One such guest is January Littlejohn, a self-described “mom fighting to protect children and families from the harms of gender ideology,” Leavitt announced on social media.
Littlejohn claims she “saved” her daughter from a school that tried to help her young daughter socially transition — changing name, pronouns and appearance.
Trump has addressed the topic during his campaign and in the Oval Office, attempting to withhold federal funds from institutions that provide gender-affirming care for minors, among other executive orders.
The first lady has also invited more than a dozen “everyday Americans” to attend Tuesday’s address.
Notable guests include the family of Corey Comperatore, the fire chief killed during an attempt on Trump’s life at a rally in Pennsylvania, and Alexis Nungaray, whose daughter Jocelyn was sexually assaulted and killed in Houston last summer. Two Venezuelan nationals who were in the U.S. illegally have been charged in her death.
Lawmakers are not going to Trump’s address alone — each gets to bring a guest. More than a dozen Democrats are inviting recently fired federal workers, multiple media outlets reported.
Just last week, Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer urged rank-and-file lawmakers to issue those invitations.
Another confirmed guest is Jennifer Hegseth, wife of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who will be attending with Rep. Pete Stauber, R-Minn.
Is Trump’s speech a ‘State of the Union’ address?
Technically, a State of the Union address is usually delivered in January or February, and it covers both the previous year’s accomplishments and the upcoming year’s plan.
Since Trump has only been in office six weeks, Tuesday’s event will be simply a joint address to Congress.
According to the American Presidency Project, the impact of these first-year speeches should be considered to have the same heft as the State of the Union addresses that follow in subsequent years.
And, just like the State of the Union address, the opposing party gives a brief speech in response, which, like the president’s remarks, is televised. This year’s speech will be delivered by Democratic Sen. Elissa Slotkin of Michigan.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
