Trump joint address to Congress: What to know before prime-time speech
President Donald Trump is scheduled too deliver his first joint address to Congress on March 4, 2025, following his recent political comeback in teh 2024 election. The theme of his address will be “The Renewal of the American Dream,” focusing on his administration’s achievements and future goals, especially in the areas of the economy, immigration, and foreign policy. Trump’s address is notable as he has already surpassed President Franklin Delano Roosevelt for the most executive actions taken in the first 100 days of a presidency.
Despite his accomplishments, Trump’s approval rating has dipped close to negative territory, which may impact the reception of his speech. The address will start at 9 p.m. Eastern and will be broadcasted by major news outlets.
Regarding attendance, first lady Melania Trump will host several guests, including families affected by immigration issues. Meanwhile, Democratic lawmakers are adopting a divided approach—wiht some planning to attend while others intend to boycott the event, citing it as a “MAGA pep rally.” Democratic leadership has encouraged a dignified presence, but the split in their response reflects ongoing party divisions.
The Democrats are also preparing for a rebuttal, which will be delivered by Senator Elissa Slotkin, with an emphasis on reconnecting with voters disillusioned during the recent election cycle. The evening promises to highlight both Trump’s agenda and the contrasting perspectives within the Democratic Party.
Everything to know about Trump’s joint address to Congress
President Donald Trump will deliver the first joint address of his second term in front of Congress on Tuesday evening and is expected to promote his agenda for the next four years, just months after making a historic political comeback in the 2024 election.
From information on how to watch the speech to which guests will be in attendance and more, here’s everything to know about Trump’s joint address to Congress:
What to expect from Trump’s speech
The White House confirmed that the theme of Trump’s address is “The Renewal of the American Dream” and that it will discuss what the president has done so far, particularly related to the economy, immigration, and foreign policy.
Trump has already eclipsed President Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s record of 57 executive actions during his first 100 days, signing the most executive actions of any president on his first day in office — but his speech comes as his approval rating is on the descent.
Trump’s approval averaged 51.5% on Inauguration Day, but it was on the precipice of net negative polling territory at 48% on Monday, according to Real Clear Politics.
Read more from the Washington Examiner:
How to watch Trump’s speech
While it’s not a State of the Union speech, the address will allow the president to boast of his administration‘s rapid pace and accomplishments after 1 1/2 months in charge.
The speech is scheduled to begin on the floor of Congress at 9 p.m. Eastern on Tuesday, March 4, and will be aired by most major news stations, including Fox News.
Read more from the Washington Examiner:
Guest lists
White House guests
Marc Fogel, the family of Corey Comperatore, and Laken Riley’s mother and sister will be among the “special people” sitting with first lady Melania Trump for the president’s speech before a joint session of Congress on Tuesday night.
The list, circulated by the Office of the First Lady on Tuesday morning, includes several families Trump highlighted on his path back to the White House, including those affected by criminal illegal immigrants.
Congressional guests
It’s a long-standing tradition for lawmakers to invite guests to a president’s address to Congress to send a message — and this year, Democrats are inviting fired federal workers or those who have been harmed by the Trump administration’s actions during the president’s first month back in office.
Meanwhile, Republicans are inviting guests who give life to the president’s agenda.
House Republicans who investigated former President Joe Biden invited two IRS criminal investigators who were pivotal to their inquiry to attend Trump’s joint address to Congress.
Read more from the Washington Examiner:
- Trump to bring Marc Fogel and family of man killed in Butler to congressional address
- Biden IRS whistleblowers to attend Trump address as House Republicans’ guest
- Fired federal workers and Medicaid recipients: Congress’s invite list for Trump’s address
Democratic response
Division over how to handle Trump’s speech
This joint address to Congress will be a new test for Democrats on how they respond to Trump and Republicans in a way that can appeal to the voters they lost during the 2024 election.
Multiple Democratic lawmakers confirmed to the Washington Examiner that leaders did not issue specific guidance on whether the caucus needed to attend Trump’s address in the House chamber on Tuesday evening. In a “Dear Colleague” letter, Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) said the decision will be a “personal one” but urged a “strong, determined and dignified Democratic presence in the chamber.”
Dozens of Democratic women are planning to wear pink, a “color of power and protest,” to Trump’s address, Time magazine reported on Monday. This is in contrast to last year, when Democratic women wore white, a nod to the suffragette movement, and “Fighting for Reproductive Freedom” pins to Biden’s final State of the Union address.
Rebuttal to the joint address
The Democratic rebuttal, given this year by Sen. Elissa Slotkin (D-MI), will be particularly important. Democratic strategist Brad Bannon told the Washington Examiner that Slotkin should emphasize the relationship between Elon Musk and Trump and communicate that Democrats are concerned about the issues voters cared about in November.
But eyes will also be on the Democratic members inside the chamber to see how they behave and whether they can present a unifying message that will regain the favor of working-class people, with whom they missed the mark.
Some Democrats vow to boycott the event
A handful of Democrats will add to a tradition of boycotting Trump as he gives his joint address.
Sen. Chris Murphy (D-CT) led the charge as he told CNN on Sunday that he would not be attending the joint address, further labeling it as a “MAGA pep rally.”
But since Murphy’s decision was made public, several Democrats have joined him in boycotting the address, with many being his Democratic colleagues in the Senate.
Read more from the Washington Examiner:
- The Democrats boycotting Trump’s presidential address to Congress
- Democrats split on how to handle Trump’s joint address to Congress
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