president Donald Trumpthe perfect showman promotes his primetime speech to a council session on Tuesday.
“Tomorrow night will be big. The president promoted in a social media post on the eve of his first major speech to Congress since the start of the second presidential administration six weeks ago.
Trump has been moving at warp speed since returning to the White House on January 20th, and he is expected to use a meticulously viewed address to promote many of his achievements.
According to Fox News numbers, Trump signed a surge in executive orders and actions during his first six weeks of inauguration. Not only did his move fulfill some of his major campaign trail promises, but he also allowed the returning president to stretch his executive muscles, quickly put his stamp on the federal government, significantly reducing the federal workforce, dramatically changing the US foreign policy, implementing steep tariffs on the country's top trading partners, and to resolve long-term suffering.
Adjustment: Live coverage of Trump's speech to Congress on Fox News
President Donald Trump will sign an executive order on February 14, 2025 at the White House Oval Office. (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)
The president promotes his domestic and international achievements, spotlights what the Trump administration has done for the economy, and is sensible to Congress passing additional border guard funds and detailing plans for peace around the world.
First on FOX: What Trump says in his primetime speech
The theme of the speech is “Updating America's Dreams.”
“The American Dream update is already underway. Look at everything President Trump achieved in his first month as president. He is trying to highlight some of those achievements,” White House press chief Caroline Leavitt said hours before his address, appearing on Fox News' Fox and Friends.
President Donald Trump will make an economic announcement on March 3, 2025 at the Roosevelt Room in the White House in Washington, DC. (Reuters/Ra Milis)
There are five things Trump should be aware of when talking to Congress, the nation and the world.
Customs and high prices
Trump will deliver his address after 25% tariffs in Canada and Mexico (national neighbours and top trading partners) kicks in.
Former President's speechwriter on what Trump needs to spell out in his speech
This speech could provide him with a platform to explain his controversial tariff moves. He is widely panned by critics and outlines how he fights ongoing inflation.
Even Democrats and some Republicans have warned that tariffs could further increase inflation and raise prices. Furthermore, Democrats argue that “Donald Trump did nothing to cut costs for you.”
Left Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau met with then-President Elect Donald Trump in Florida's María Lago on Friday, November 29, 2024, to discuss topics such as the economy, illegal immigration and proposed 25% tariffs. (Justin Trudeau x)
Inflation, which pushed former President Joe Biden for most of his four years at the White House, was a key issue that brought Trump back to president.
But Trump hasn't spoken much about inflation since returning to power, besides blaming Biden for his continued high prices. He admitted that consumers can feel “some pain” from his tariffs, but said it is necessary to boost the country's manufacturing.
“If a company moves to the US, there will be no customs duties!!”
Reduced Government and Elon Musk
Without a doubt, the biggest warning during the opening week of Trump's second administration came from his recently created government efficiency (DOGE). Named cards Elon Musk – The wealthiest person in the world and the CEO of Tesla and SpaceX – piloting Doge.
Political strategists overwhelm what Trump needs to do in his speech
Since Trump took office, Doge has taken federal agencies by storm and eradicated what the White House claims to be billions of federal spending. It also brought meat cleavages to federal workers, resulting in massive and controversial downsizing for employees. The Doge move caused many lawsuits accordingly.
Elon Musk met with members of the White House Senate de Caucus. (Getty Images)
Trump defended and praised Doge's move. Public polls suggest that Americans are authorizing government waste reductions and shrinking the bloated bureaucracy, but the growing number has a negative view of Musk and worries he has too much power.
The speech gives Trump the opportunity to explain the Mask mission as Doge.
What does Trump say about Ukraine and Russia?
Trump is expected to detail his plans to end the war in Ukraine, which was caused by an invasion of his Russian neighbors three years ago.
The speech is Ukrainian President Voldy Mie Zelensky, Trump and Vice President J.D. Vance four days after last week's oral clash in the oval office. The tense meeting, which put aside the mineral resource trade between Washington and Kiev and the boot of Ukrainians from the White House, was seen as a key step in reaching a deal to end the bloody war with Moscow.
Center President Donald Trump will meet with Ukrainian President Voldimie Zelensky as Vice President JD Vance responds to the White House in Washington, DC on February 28, 2025. (Reuters/Brian Snyder/File Photo)
But on Tuesday, Zelensky said peace talks were ready after a “disappointing” meeting at the White House.
The speech gives Trump a platform to explain his diplomatic efforts and dodge criticism from Democrats and a few Republicans who he reads from the playbook of Russian President Vladimir Putin.
“He's going to jump into foreign policy. I'll talk about his intentions to end the war in Ukraine,” Lewitt said in an interview with her “Fox and Friends.”
Trump told reporters Monday he would talk about mineral trade at his address.
Immigration and border security
Border security has long been Trump's signature issue and a key element of a successful 2024 campaign to regain presidency, and since returning to the White House, the president has cracked down on illegal immigration.
Trump suspends his asylum efforts and launches a massive deportation program, but he and his administration want to speed up the efforts and use his speech to ask Congress for help.
Leavitt stressed that Trump “we were going to ask Congress tonight. We need more border funds to continue these deportations.”
theater
Donald Trump appears in front of Congress. Is it a disciplined president who almost sticks to his teleprompter, or is it a freewheel and unpredictable card to zigzag between topics and issues with something he likes to call “weave”?
Is it a bipartisan Trump who calls for national unity, or a partisan president linking past complaints?
President Donald Trump was in discussion with reporters before riding Marines on the South Lawn of the White House on Friday, February 28th, 2025. (AP Photo/Ben Cartis)
And how do House lawmakers respond to addresses?
Republicans are expected to enthusiastically praise politicians who have transformed the party from a single-handed conservative fortress into more populist and America's first, Maga-controlled party.
Click here to get the Fox News app
But what do the Democrats do?
The once-steady event has become much more violent in the last 10.5 years since South Carolina GOP Rep. Joe Wilson yelled “You Lie!” He to then President Barack Obama during his 2009 speech to Congress.
Brooke Singman of Fox News contributed to this report.
