On Tuesday evening at 9 p.m. Eastern Time (March 4), President Donald Trump will deliver his first speech since returning to the White House at a joint session of Congress. The event will be live-streamed by both Epoch Times and New Tang Dynasty with simultaneous Chinese translation.
This speech by Trump at the joint session of Congress is not the formal State of the Union address, which typically occurs in the second, third, and fourth years of a president’s term.
House Speaker, Republican Mike Johnson of Louisiana, earlier invited Trump to address Congress. In a letter to Trump, Johnson wrote, “Due to your strong leadership and bold actions in the early days of your presidency, America has rekindled patriotism, unity, and hope for the future.” The letter was first obtained by Fox News.
The Speaker expressed, “Your administration working in concert with the 119th Congress has the potential to make the next four years among the most consequential in our nation’s history.”
President Trump has been back in office for over a month now. During a joint press conference held last week with French President Macron, he announced, “We’ve made tremendous progress,” and “people are saying this may be the best month in the history of the presidency of the United States. I hope that’s true. I think it is true.”
It is expected that Trump will use this opportunity to outline his domestic and foreign policies, achievements, and his vision for the United States and the world.
Since taking office in January, Trump’s “America First” agenda and bold executive actions have shaken up the United States and the global community.
Trump has signed over 70 executive orders, covering areas like federal government reforms, personnel reductions, among others, surpassing the speed of implementation of his recent predecessors. In terms of foreign relations, Trump is actively promoting Russia-Ukraine ceasefire negotiations, implementing tariffs on Canada and Mexico, and executing the “Make America Great Again” agenda.
Currently, Congress still needs to pass legislation to fund the federal government, as the government’s funding will run out on March 14, just 10 days after the speech. The House took its first steps last week by passing a budget blueprint that calls for cutting $2 trillion in spending and reducing taxes by up to $4.5 trillion.
However, there are still disagreements within the Republican Party over the budget. Johnson may ultimately need the support of some Democratic minority members to avoid a government shutdown.
Historically, formal speeches at joint sessions of Congress often follow the same conventions as official State of the Union addresses.
The American people will tune in via television or live streams to watch the President’s congressional address, as he addresses the largest national audience.
The tradition of the State of the Union address was established by former President Harry S. Truman in the 1940s. As radio gave way to television, Truman also became the first president to deliver the address on TV. Former President Lyndon B. Johnson initiated the tradition of prime-time addresses.