US President Donald Trump will deliver the traditional State of the Union address to Congress this morning at a fraught moment for his presidency, with his approval ratings slumping, anxieties rising over Iran, and Americans struggling with the cost of living as the November midterm election nears.
The televised prime-time speech to Congress, his second in the 13 months since returning to the White House, offers Trump a chance to persuade voters to keep Republicans in power. But it comes as he faces stiff political headwinds at home and abroad.
The appearance follows a turbulent few days for his administration, including a Supreme Court decision invalidating his global tariff regime and new data showing the economy slowed more than expected while inflation accelerated.
The Department of Homeland Security is mostly shut down due to a dispute between congressional Republicans and Democrats over the administration’s aggressive immigration tactics, following the fatal shootings of two US citizens in Minneapolis.
Meanwhile, Trump has struggled to turn the page on the scandal surrounding the government’s release of files related to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and a Reuters/Ipsos poll released on Tuesday showed six in ten Americans including a significant slice of Republicans think Trump has become erratic as he ages.
A White House official said the theme of Trump’s speech is “America at 250: Strong, Prosperous and Respected” – a nod to the country’s 250th birthday this year.
With Americans concerned about prices, Trump will announce a plan that would require tech companies to pay increased electricity costs in communities where new AI data centers are being built, the official said.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said the president will lay out an agenda for boosting the economic prospects for working Americans.
Trump, who has openly coveted the Nobel Peace Prize and set up his own “Board of Peace,” appears to be inching closer to a military conflict with Iran over its nuclear programme, moving warships to the Middle East and developing plans that could include a change of government, according to US officials.
The speech could offer Trump a chance to mount for the first time a public case for military intervention in Iran.
Two White House officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Trump will discuss his plans for Iran but did not offer details.
He will also tout his record of brokering peace deals, they said. He will be speaking on the fourth anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, a reminder that he has yet to resolve the war he once said he could end “in 24 hours.”
The president is expected to address the Supreme Court’s decision on tariffs, arguing that the court erred and outlining alternative laws he can use to reconstitute most of the levies.
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