Watch Trump's State Of The Union Live
President Trump's first State of the Union address is Tuesday night, and while much of the country has already come to their own conclusions about how the US is fairing these days, Trump will give his take in front of the House. Here's what you can expect.
The Basics
When: 9PM EST, 6 PM PST
Where: YouTube (NBC, ABC, CBS), TV (CBS, ABC, NBC, C-SPAN, CNN), Facebook (The Washington Post, PBS)
Get To Know Your Trump Donors
In yet another sign that the republic has fully bowed to the altar of money, a solicitation from the Trump campaign revealed that it would display the names of those who donated over $35 to Trump's re-election campaign on a livestream of the event, according to The Washington Post.
Melania Trump Will Be There, Despite Porn Star Scandal
Melania Trump is expected to attend the State of the Union despite a week of distancing herself from the president, according to The New York Times. Following a report that Donald Trump had an affair with a porn star while Melania was pregnant with Barron, Melania canceled her trip to Davos with the president and instead visited the Holocaust Memorial Museum and Mar-a-Lago. The Times reports that Melania was furious at the report and has kept a low profile since.
Barron Trump will not attend the event.
More Of The Same, But Cheerier?
White House officials haven't given much information about the speech, reportedly written by anti-immigration firebrand Stephen Miller, except for a few general topics, according to The Washington Post:
…he will take credit for a healthier economy and tie its continued growth to the Republicans' new tax plan, as well as argue his case on immigration, trade, infrastructure and national security.
The Post's source also says rather than being dark and divisive like Trump's "American Carnage" inaugural speech, it will be "a speech that resonates with our American values and unites us with patriotism."
Special Guests
Typically, guests of the president and his wife help preview topics the president will touch on in the State of the Union. Here are a few:
Steve Staub, Sandy Keplinger, and Staub Manufacturing employees: The White House claims that Staub Manufacturing has seen an uptick in "sales, employment, and optimism" in the last year, calling it a "Trump bump."
MS-13 Victims and immigration agents: Showing continued focus on immigration, Trump has invited a veteran ICE officer as well as four parents of victims of the gang MS-13 — a frequently cited gang used by Republicans to argue for more immigration restriction.
Heroes and self-starters: Trump has also invited a slew of heroes and volunteers. David Dahlberg saved 63 children from a summer camp surrounded by flames in California. Ashlee Leppert rescued dozens in the aftermath of Hurrican Maria. Jon Bridges founded a group that rescued people in Texas during Hurricane Harvey.
For the full list click here.
Fashion Choices
The Democratic Women's Working Group has asked the rest of Congress to wear black as a nod to the movement against sexual harassment, according to Vox. In Trump's first address to Congress last year, many women wore white.
A Response From A Kennedy
As is traditional, someone from the opposing party will deliver a response to the State of the Union immediately after. This year, Representative Joe Kennedy III (D-MA) will deliver remarks about working-class economic opportunity, according to NPR. Kennedy is the grandson of former US Senator and Attorney General Robert Kennedy, and the great-nephew of former president John F. Kennedy. You can watch the remarks live here.
