U.S. President Donald Trump will deliver his State of the Union address to Congress overnight Wednesday, 13 months after beginning his second term in office.
The speech is seen by the White House and the Republican Party as an opportunity to regain momentum in the polls ahead of November’s midterm elections, which are traditionally viewed as a referendum on the sitting president. ynet Global will broadcast the speech live starting at 4 a.m. Israel time (9 p.m. Eastern time, 6 p.m. Pacific time).
Trump is expected to outline his achievements and set out his policy agenda for the coming year. While international audiences will be watching closely for remarks on Iran — amid the possibility of a U.S. strike that could signal the start of a broader war in the Middle East — many American voters are primarily focused on the cost of living and the state of the economy.
The gap between those priorities reflects Trump’s standing in the polls and a perception among many Americans that he has been overly focused on foreign policy at the expense of domestic issues. Advisers have urged him to emphasize the economy, immigration and other voter concerns rather than foreign affairs.
The White House said Trump will declare that America is “strong and prosperous” as it approaches its 250th Independence Day on July 4. Press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Trump will “proudly present the many historic achievements of his administration.”
A Washington Post-ABC News poll published earlier this week found that only 39% of Americans approve of Trump’s performance in office. Just 41% approve of his handling of the economy. Trump’s decisive 2024 election victory was driven in large part by promises to ease the cost of living, but polls suggest voters are dissatisfied with his efforts so far.
A CNN survey found that only 32% believe Trump’s priorities are justified. Economic issues ranked far above others in importance, and voters are expecting the president to clarify how he plans to combat rising costs and improve economic conditions.
The polling has unsettled Republicans ahead of November. They fear losing their narrow majority in the House of Representatives to Democrats, a shift that could render Trump a lame duck for the remainder of his term.
Trump will address Congress just days after a setback at the Supreme Court, where a conservative majority struck down his tariff program, a centerpiece of his economic policy. He is expected to defend the tariffs and criticize the justices — some of whom he appointed and has already called “foolish,” saying they “embarrass their families.” At least some Supreme Court justices are expected to attend the address.
The speech comes during a dramatic week marked by a U.S. military buildup in the Middle East and ahead of further nuclear talks scheduled for Thursday in Geneva. Trump will have an opportunity to justify his approach toward Iran and reinforce threats of military action as he pressures Tehran to make concessions and agree to a new nuclear deal.
Trump has not fully explained to voters why he may lead the United States into its most aggressive action against the Islamic Republic since the 1979 revolution. On Tuesday, he dismissed reports that some members of his administration have doubts about a potential war with Iran.
“I am the one that makes the decision, I would rather have a Deal than not but, if we don’t make a Deal, it will be a very bad day for that Country and, very sadly, its people, because they are great and wonderful, and something like this should never have happened to them,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
Reuters reported over the weekend that there is no consensus within the administration on a strike against Iran, which could escalate into war. A poll conducted last month found that 69% of Americans agree that the United States should use military force only when facing a direct and immediate threat.
Trump won support in part through his “America First” platform and pledges to end the era of “forever wars,” such as the prolonged U.S. conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan. A protracted confrontation with Iran could therefore carry political risks in the midterms.
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Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei
(Photo: Office of the Iranian Supreme Leader/WANA (West Asia News Agency)/Handout via REUTERS)
Leavitt said Trump will also highlight U.S. military achievements amid the tensions with Iran. She said he is expected to mention Operation Midnight Hammer, during which the United States bombed Iranian nuclear sites during the 12-day war between Israel and Iran. After the strikes, Trump said Iran’s nuclear sites had been “obliterated.”
Speaking to reporters ahead of the address, Trump said Iran wants a deal more than he does in order to avoid a U.S. attack, but has yet to make an explicit commitment not to develop nuclear weapons.
According to Leavitt, Americans will “hear the president proudly and rightfully say that the United States military is the strongest and most lethal fighting force in the world.” He will also speak about overseas threats and what the United States is doing to ensure it remains both the safest and strongest country in the world.
Two White House officials said Trump will discuss his plans regarding Iran but offered no details. They added that the president, who has long expressed interest in winning the Nobel Peace Prize, will tout his efforts to broker peace agreements.
U.S. media reported that Trump will frame his foreign policy within a strategy the administration calls “peace through strength,” following a series of U.S. military interventions, including in Venezuela, where the U.S. military abducted President Nicolás Maduro and his wife.
The address coincides with the fourth anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, a war Trump once said he could end “within 24 hours,” though its conclusion remains out of sight.
Democratic lawmakers who criticized Trump during his first term for withdrawing from the Iran nuclear deal are also expected to attend. Democratic Sen. Tim Kaine said, “Trump is bumbling his way toward war with Iran in a feeble attempt to accomplish what had already been done by a diplomatic deal that was effectively curbing Iran’s nuclear program—until Trump tore it up, over the objections of his then-Secretaries of Defense and State.”
More than 20 Democratic lawmakers from the House and Senate plan to boycott the address and hold a rally outside Congress. Last year, some Democrats attempted to disrupt Trump’s speech before walking out in protest.
The State of the Union is the president’s annual report to Congress, required under the Constitution’s directive that he inform lawmakers “from time to time” about the state of the nation. This will be Trump’s first official State of the Union since returning to the White House. In March last year, he delivered a lengthy address to a joint session of Congress, but it was not formally designated as a State of the Union.
Trump’s March 2025 address to Congress lasted one hour and 40 minutes. The 79-year-old president said Tuesday that this speech “will be long, because we have so many things to talk about.”
In keeping with tradition, a number of invited guests will attend. Reuters reported that Hanan Lischinsky, brother of Yaron Lischinsky, an Israeli Embassy employee who was killed in a shooting attack in Washington last year along with fellow embassy staffer Sarah Milgrim, will attend as a guest of Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson.
Trump has invited the U.S. men’s hockey team, which won a gold medal at the Winter Olympics. The U.S. women’s team, which also won gold, was invited as well but reportedly declined, a day after Trump joked he would be “impeached” if he failed to invite the women after speaking with the men’s team.
According to reports, two alleged victims of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein — Haley Robson and Dani Bensky — will attend as guests of Democratic lawmakers. Democrats have also invited relatives of Virginia Giuffre, who accused Epstein and died by suicide last year.