U.S. President Donald Trump will deliver the first joint congressional address of his second term on Tuesday night.
The speech comes six weeks into Trump’s presidency as his administration is gutting federal government agencies, cracking down on illegal immigration, stoking controversy around wars in Ukraine and Gaza, and rolling out punishing tariffs on trading partners.
On Monday, Trump said he will go ahead with a long-threatened 25 per cent tariff on Canadian goods, effective midnight Tuesday, and that there is nothing Canada can do to stop it, despite actions Ottawa has taken to secure the countries’ shared border.
What Trump will talk about specifically is a matter of speculation, but the joint address is typically a chance for the president to lay out his priorities for the year.
This is different from a state of the union address, which is given annually to look back on the year and the administration’s achievements.
The speech will take place in the House chamber, which is big enough to accommodate House and Senate lawmakers, and other officials. The Republicans hold majorities in both the House of Representatives and the Senate.
In his 2017 joint address following his first election, Trump focused on repealing and replacing the Affordable Care Act, taxation reform, lowering regulation, building up the military and cracking down on illegal immigration.
Here’s how to tune in.
What time is the address?
Trump’s remarks are scheduled to begin Tuesday at 9 p.m. ET.
Where can you watch it?
CBC News Network will air the address, with book-ending coverage, from 8 p.m. to 11 p.m. ET. CBC will also livestream it at cbc.ca.
Who else will attend?
Members of the U.S. Supreme Court and Trump’s Cabinet will attend, though, per procedure, one cabinet member — called the “designated survivor” — will be left out to ensure someone can assume the office of the president in case of a catastrophic event.
The president typically invites guests who are seated in the balcony along with the first lady. Sometimes the guests have personal connections, or some other association, with an issue the president intends to highlight in his remarks.
What happens after the president speaks?
The opposition Democrats will offer a response, which will also be televised, following Trump’s address.
This year, Michigan Sen. Elissa Slotkin, who previously served in the House, will give the Democrats’ speech. Party leaders have said Slotkin will likely focus on economic issues.
The party has also tapped Rep. Adriano Espaillat of New York, chair of the Hispanic Caucus, to give a Spanish-language response.
