Trump, Democrats to make their case at State of the Union

By Sarah Roderick-Fitch
The Center Square

President Donald Trump is set to deliver his second State of the Union Address of his second term Tuesday evening, when he is expected to highlight his accomplishments during his first year back in office and spotlight goals for the coming year.

During an event at the White House Monday, Trump teased that his address is “going to be a long speech, because we have so much to talk about.”

The president is expected to highlight tax cuts, lower gas prices, a dramatic decline in illegal border crossings, lower crime rates, lower drug costs, international peace deals, and trade deals – despite presiding over the longest government shutdown in history.

Trump’s address comes as the federal government is in the midst of a partial shutdown that is affecting the Department of Homeland Security.

Several Democratic lawmakers have announced their intention to boycott the address; it’s unclear if other Democratic lawmakers will protest the president in the House Gallery. Last year, several held paddles to make statements.

The president will likely make the economy one of his top priorities, highlighting the passage and signing of the Big, Beautiful Bill last summer. In briefings and news conferences, Trump and his administration often point to higher tax credits and a tax break for tipped workers as well as a healthy stock market, as evidence that his economic policies are winning.

Among the top issues Trump will likely spotlight are crime and immigration. During the past year, the president has deployed the National Guard to select major U.S. cities, including Washington, D.C., to tackle crime.

The president will likely spend part of his speech trying to sell his economic agenda, including his use of tariffs.

Trump could also use the opportunity to push his Senate Republicans to eliminate the filibuster to pass key legislation, such as election security measures.

While Trump will likely point to lower gas prices and lower taxes, Democrats have been pushing affordability.

Democrats have tapped newly inaugurated Gov. Abigail Spanberger, D-Va., to deliver the Democratic response to Trump’s address Tuesday night, with Sen. Alex Padilla, D-Calif., to deliver a Democratic response in Spanish.

The address comes ahead of a critical mid-term election, where both Republicans and Democrats have a lot riding on their messaging.

It’s unclear who the president will be hosting in the gallery Tuesday evening. However, multiple reports indicate that the men’s U.S. hockey team, which just brought home the gold, has been invited to attend.