Follow our State of the Union blog
This blog is now closing but you can follow our State of the Union blog with my colleague Shrai Popat here:
Donald Trump is set to deliver a long – perhaps historically lengthy – State of the Union address to a deeply divided and pessimistic nation. As we await his speech, here’s everything that’s happened today so far.
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Democratic Senator Dick Durbin said a whistleblower had come forward, providing disclosures to the Senate that amounted to “irresponsible joyriding” by FBI director Kash Patel on his bureau’s jet. The whistleblower came forward after Patel was spotted celebrating with the US Men’s Olympic Hockey Team in Milan after their win over Canada in the gold medal game.
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Erika Kirk, the widow of Charlie Kirk, was invited to attend the State of the Union as a guest of the president. Players from the US men’s hockey team are expected to attend. Melania Trump has invited her own guests to highlight her work with the foster care system and promoting responsible AI.
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Earlier on Tuesday, the House failed to pass a bill in response to the midair collision near Washington DC in January 2025.
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Dozens of Democratic lawmakers are expected to boycott Trump’s address, while others say they are attending to show Trump, as senator Amy Klobuchar put it, that he does not “own the house”. Democratic leaders said it was up to each individual member to determine whether they should attend or not.
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Texas representative Tony Gonzales is refusing growing GOP calls to resign over allegations of an affair with his former staffer. The staffer later died by suicide.
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The office of the US Attorney for DC, Jeanine Pirro, will drop the case against six Democratic lawmakers after a grand jury in Washington DC declined to charge them, the Guardian confirmed. Trump had called the lawmakers “traitors” and “seditious” for urging US troops not to follow illegal orders.
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Earlier on Capitol Hill, Jeffries said Trump should use his state of the union speech to “apologize to the American people for breaking every single promise that he made”.
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Gonzales speaks during a news conference on 7 December 2022.","caption":"Tony Gonzales speaks during a news conference on 7 December 2022.","credit":"Photograph: Mariam Zuhaib/AP"}},{"_type":"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement","html":"There will be an opportunity for all the details and facts to come out. What you’ve seen is not all the facts. And there will be ample time for all of that to come out.
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Representative Thomas Massie of Kentucky joined Lauren Boebert of Colorado, Anna Paulina Luna of Florida, Nancy Mace of South Carolina, and others in demanding that Gonzales step down immediately over the report. It followed calls from Texas Republicans Brandon Gill and Chip Roy for his resignation on Monday. “America deserves better,” said Gill, endorsing Gonzales’s main opponent. “Tony should drop out of the race.”
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","elementId":"7dce7943-0e0e-442b-bd29-8a33fbd03ef2"}],"attributes":{"pinned":false,"keyEvent":true,"summary":false},"blockCreatedOn":1771966546000,"blockCreatedOnDisplay":"15.55 EST","blockLastUpdated":1771967162000,"blockLastUpdatedDisplay":"16.06 EST","blockFirstPublished":1771966956000,"blockFirstPublishedDisplay":"16.02 EST","blockFirstPublishedDisplayNoTimezone":"16.02","title":"Texas representative Tony Gonzales refuses growing GOP calls to resign over former staffer affair allegations","contributors":[],"primaryDateLine":"Tue 24 Feb 2026 18.48 EST","secondaryDateLine":"First published on Tue 24 Feb 2026 07.14 EST"},{"id":"699e07a28f089504d803c0a8","elements":[{"_type":"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement","html":"Moments ago the House failed to approve a bill crafted in response to last year’s midair collision near Washington DC killing everyone on board.
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","elementId":"0972f497-e733-4afb-a94a-a0eb9adc0a67"},{"_type":"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement","html":"Here’s more from the Associated Press:
","elementId":"a8051eeb-d6d5-401f-9abe-c4c7bc317fc2"},{"_type":"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.BlockquoteBlockElement","html":"n","elementId":"f70ca5da-a56d-4933-9998-605a1d5bf461"}],"attributes":{"pinned":false,"keyEvent":true,"summary":false},"blockCreatedOn":1771964322000,"blockCreatedOnDisplay":"15.18 EST","blockLastUpdated":1771965184000,"blockLastUpdatedDisplay":"15.33 EST","blockFirstPublished":1771964738000,"blockFirstPublishedDisplay":"15.25 EST","blockFirstPublishedDisplayNoTimezone":"15.25","title":"House fails to pass bill in response to 2025 midair collision near Washington DC","contributors":[],"primaryDateLine":"Tue 24 Feb 2026 18.48 EST","secondaryDateLine":"First published on Tue 24 Feb 2026 07.14 EST"},{"id":"699df5598f08eeb4ea8a0c95","elements":[{"_type":"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement","html":"The National Transportation Safety Board has been recommending such Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast systems to be installed since 2008. The bill that already passed the Senate would have required aircraft to be equipped with a system that can receive data about the locations of other aircraft. The complementary ADS-B Out system that broadcasts an aircraft’s location is already required.
nThe families of the victims who died when an American Airlines jet collided with an Army Black Hawk helicopter strongly supported the measure. But the Airlines for American trade group, the military and the major general aviation groups that represent business jets and small plane owners backed a competing and more comprehensive House bill that was just introduced last week.
n
US officials have announced the US will begin providing on-site passport services in Efrat – an Israeli settlement in the West Bank widely considered illegal under international law.
","elementId":"dbef443c-7efd-4905-8136-f445e7d9f0f4"},{"_type":"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement","html":"It is the first time the US will offer consular services to people in the occupied territory.
","elementId":"9756d1ef-3807-40b2-915c-3aff1ae05877"},{"_type":"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement","html":"According to the announcement, US consular officers will be on site to provide routine passport services for American citizens in Efrat on Friday, with “planned outreaches” in the coming months to “Ramallah, Beitar Illit, Haifa, Jerusalem, Netanya and Beit Shemesh”.
","elementId":"ce961003-e0b3-49d7-bf9c-a4d80c773fc2"}],"attributes":{"pinned":false,"keyEvent":true,"summary":false},"blockCreatedOn":1771959641000,"blockCreatedOnDisplay":"14.00 EST","blockLastUpdated":1771963812000,"blockLastUpdatedDisplay":"15.10 EST","blockFirstPublished":1771963389000,"blockFirstPublishedDisplay":"15.03 EST","blockFirstPublishedDisplayNoTimezone":"15.03","title":"US to provide on-site passport services in West Bank","contributors":[],"primaryDateLine":"Tue 24 Feb 2026 18.48 EST","secondaryDateLine":"First published on Tue 24 Feb 2026 07.14 EST"},{"id":"699dfe518f08eeb4ea8a0cea","elements":[{"_type":"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement","html":"Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer and House leader Hakeem Jeffries have given their members discretion in whether to attend the State of the Union this evening.
","elementId":"761608d9-081a-4c73-bbf3-f73842019859"},{"_type":"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement","html":"Dozens of Democrats are planning to boycott, but others will attend in “silent defiance”, Jeffries said.
","elementId":"a80d84d6-02e4-4175-9b81-d2c7608804a3"},{"_type":"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement","html":"“It’s up to every individual member to make the decision that makes the most sense for their constituents,” Jeffries told reporters on Capitol Hill.
","elementId":"34e5e67d-a560-45d6-bd38-13dc6310e254"},{"_type":"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement","html":"Jeffries will attend with his guest, a bus driver from his district who has taken on extra shifts to help afford food and healthcare, as well as relatives of the late civil rights leader Jesse Jackson, who died last week.
","elementId":"b4b7003e-d9f8-4455-b48a-624fd83d1e8b"}],"attributes":{"pinned":false,"keyEvent":true,"summary":false},"blockCreatedOn":1771961937000,"blockCreatedOnDisplay":"14.38 EST","blockLastUpdated":1771964444000,"blockLastUpdatedDisplay":"15.20 EST","blockFirstPublished":1771962352000,"blockFirstPublishedDisplay":"14.45 EST","blockFirstPublishedDisplayNoTimezone":"14.45","title":"Jeffries: 'It's up to every individual member' to decide whether they attend Trump's speech","contributors":[],"primaryDateLine":"Tue 24 Feb 2026 18.48 EST","secondaryDateLine":"First published on Tue 24 Feb 2026 07.14 EST"},{"id":"699dfc918f089504d803c03b","elements":[{"_type":"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement","html":"Senator Alex Padilla of California, who is delivering the Spanish language rebuttal to Trump’s speech, said he would talk about the Trump administration’s “out-of-control” immigration crackdown that began in his hometown of Los Angeles last year.
","elementId":"1a79cd23-2be8-4642-a922-7f5795ba87b0"},{"_type":"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement","html":"“This is not a focus on the worst of the worst,” Padilla said. “The vast majority of the peopel that have been detained, arrested, many deported, without due process, do not have criminal convictions.”
","elementId":"bdc75759-3798-4423-a03f-12317b34e919"},{"_type":"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement","html":"A standoff over reining in ICE has triggered an ongoing funding lapse for the Department of Homeland Security.
","elementId":"b4f6e54c-2340-43bf-afce-4b10a5418c27"},{"_type":"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement","html":"He noted that federal agents have rounded up legal immigrants, US citizesn and veterans alike. He also said he would talk about the security of the US election system ahead of the midterms. “The Trump administration is not being shy about threatening to undermine and steal this November election,” he said.
","elementId":"c2a6b0a2-0135-4cf7-bec3-270f650dc17a"}],"attributes":{"pinned":false,"keyEvent":true,"summary":false},"blockCreatedOn":1771961489000,"blockCreatedOnDisplay":"14.31 EST","blockLastUpdated":1771963989000,"blockLastUpdatedDisplay":"15.13 EST","blockFirstPublished":1771961756000,"blockFirstPublishedDisplay":"14.35 EST","blockFirstPublishedDisplayNoTimezone":"14.35","title":"Senator Padilla to speak about 'out of control' immigration policy in Spanish language rebuttal","contributors":[],"primaryDateLine":"Tue 24 Feb 2026 18.48 EST","secondaryDateLine":"First published on Tue 24 Feb 2026 07.14 EST"},{"id":"699df6ad8f08eeb4ea8a0ca7","elements":[{"_type":"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement","html":"Chuck Schumer, the Senate Democratic leader, predicted a “long, painful and tedious” state of the union speech on Tuesday evening.
","elementId":"1129726f-e944-4292-abb7-664ef3693156"},{"_type":"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement","html":"The New York Democrat accused Trump of living in a “yuge bubble” with an “ego” that “does not let him see reality”.
","elementId":"03a584ff-cd94-4178-adba-6fe950f1ce69"},{"_type":"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement","html":"“Never in our lifetime have we gone into a state of the union where the president’s rhetoric and the country’s reality are so far apart,” Schumer said at a press conference on Capitol Hill.
","elementId":"59431628-0712-4481-b380-1005222b1410"},{"_type":"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement","html":"Schumer suggested the one topic Trump would “avoid” was the Epstein files.
","elementId":"1bf920fd-b10e-4d50-9f23-a2baaf8a7511"},{"_type":"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement","html":"“When will he release all the Epstein files?” Schumer said, calling it another example of the “corruption” of his administration.
","elementId":"006f1803-2762-4739-b9a8-6fd51c8a46bc"}],"attributes":{"pinned":false,"keyEvent":true,"summary":false},"blockCreatedOn":1771959981000,"blockCreatedOnDisplay":"14.06 EST","blockLastUpdated":1771964376000,"blockLastUpdatedDisplay":"15.19 EST","blockFirstPublished":1771960485000,"blockFirstPublishedDisplay":"14.14 EST","blockFirstPublishedDisplayNoTimezone":"14.14","title":"Top Senate Democrat predicts 'long, painful and tedious' Trump speech","contributors":[],"primaryDateLine":"Tue 24 Feb 2026 18.48 EST","secondaryDateLine":"First published on Tue 24 Feb 2026 07.14 EST"},{"id":"699de9e58f089504d803bf94","elements":[{"_type":"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement","html":"The office of the US Attorney for DC, Jeanine Pirro, will drop the case against six Democratic lawmakers who Trump assailed as “seditious” after they made a video urging troops to refuse unlawful orders, a source familiar with the situation confirmed to the Guardian’s Sam Levine.
","elementId":"2430ae91-27a1-4190-9f2f-ec130d59b663"},{"_type":"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement","html":"The move comes after a grand jury in Washington DC earlier this month declined to charge the lawmakers: Elissa Slotkin, Mark Kelly, Jason Crow, Chris Deluzio, Maggie Goodlander and Chrissy Houlahan. They all have military or intelligence backgrounds.
","elementId":"9f91057e-fd7b-43ff-accf-3a0a0e050cef"},{"_type":"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement","html":"It was not yet clear whether the Justice Department could still explore pursuing other venues for the case, though it appeared unlikely, according to several media reports.
","elementId":"41083bd9-d8be-4623-a7ea-fd6036c21848"},{"_type":"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement","html":"The decisions was first reported by NBC News.
","elementId":"5f91f2c8-da45-47b6-bd0b-1ef57405efff"}],"attributes":{"pinned":false,"keyEvent":true,"summary":false},"blockCreatedOn":1771956709000,"blockCreatedOnDisplay":"13.11 EST","blockLastUpdated":1771965249000,"blockLastUpdatedDisplay":"15.34 EST","blockFirstPublished":1771957111000,"blockFirstPublishedDisplay":"13.18 EST","blockFirstPublishedDisplayNoTimezone":"13.18","title":"Pirro to drop case against six Democrats who urged troops to refuse unlawful orders","contributors":[],"primaryDateLine":"Tue 24 Feb 2026 18.48 EST","secondaryDateLine":"First published on Tue 24 Feb 2026 07.14 EST"},{"id":"699de1bf8f089504d803bf45","elements":[{"_type":"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement","html":"Erika Kirk, the widow of Charlie Kirk, will join the president as one of his special guests at this evening’s state of the union, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said.
","elementId":"a0070cf3-6b34-49a5-9747-c33b50592865"},{"_type":"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement","html":"Kirk was killed during a college campus tour last year. Tens of thousands of mourners attended a memorial service for the conservative activist in Phoenix, Arizona, during which Trump escalated his calls for political retribution against the left, and said: “I hate my opponents.” But on Tuesday, he’s expected to deliver a different message, according to Leavitt, who shared a Daily Caller article saying “The president will call on Congress to ‘firmly reject political violence against our fellow citizens.’”
","elementId":"a5c0d658-6a4e-40fc-bd45-ca7b5f5e9bf0"},{"_type":"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement","html":"After Charlie Kirk’s death, Erika Kirk was appointed chair and CEO of Turning Point USA (TPUSA), the powerful conservative youth organization founded by her husband. Over the past few months, she has traveled to college campuses and made several high-profile media appearances as part of her commitment to continuing her husband’s work of building a conservative youth movement.
","elementId":"8eaf61b9-f6be-4b4e-bb08-59cb0619a8cf"}],"attributes":{"pinned":false,"keyEvent":true,"summary":false},"blockCreatedOn":1771954623000,"blockCreatedOnDisplay":"12.37 EST","blockLastUpdated":1771964395000,"blockLastUpdatedDisplay":"15.19 EST","blockFirstPublished":1771954953000,"blockFirstPublishedDisplay":"12.42 EST","blockFirstPublishedDisplayNoTimezone":"12.42","title":"Erika Kirk to be one of president's special guests at state of the union address","contributors":[],"primaryDateLine":"Tue 24 Feb 2026 18.48 EST","secondaryDateLine":"First published on Tue 24 Feb 2026 07.14 EST"},{"id":"699dd8308f08eeb4ea8a0b3b","elements":[{"_type":"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement","html":"Here’s what we’re watching today:
","elementId":"1ee48e32-c85b-46f5-8927-d3abd4f38d43"},{"_type":"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement","html":"- n
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Trump will deliver his state of the union address tonight. He’s warned it’ll be a long one, so prepare for a late evening.
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He is expected to focus on the 250th anniversary of US independence and affordability, including an announcement of new programs such as a pledge from tech companies to cover increased electricity costs for data centers.
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A new CNN poll showed Trump’s approval ratings sliding ahead of the address. Only 32% of Americans believe Trump has the right priorities, his job approval rating among all adults was 36%, and 61% said his policies are moving the country in the wrong direction.
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Dozens of Democrats are skipping the event and instead attending a counter-program. Virginia governor Abigail Spanberger will give the customary Democratic rebuttal speech.
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Mike Lee, a Republican US senator, retorted in response to reports that Democrats would be skipping tonight’s state of the union address: “More room for the hockey team.”
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LaMonica McIver, a Democratic member of Congress who the Trump administration has criminally charged, gave a prebuttal address warning that Trump will lie and highlighting the expanded power and politicization of the administration.
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Homeland security secretary Kristi Noem and her adviser Corey Lewandowski came up with the plan to suspend TSA PreCheck services at airports amid the partial government shutdown, the Washington Post reported.
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The US state department continues to field calls and provide advisories about safety and travel in western Mexico after the killing of a major drug lord and subsequent violence by cartels.
n
About 30 members of Congress are planning to attend a Democratic counter-program event tonight instead of the State of the Union, according to the organizers of the “People’s State of the Union,” led by liberal group MoveOn and progressive media outlet MeidasTouch.
","elementId":"1ab18d68-9d0f-4888-9dd6-e49755743df4"},{"_type":"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement","html":"Here are the lawmakers who are expected to attend the separate event and skip the Trump speech:
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Senator Ruben Gallego (D-AZ)
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Senator Ed Markey (D-MA)
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Senator Jeff Merkley (D-OR)
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Senator Chris Murphy (D-CT)
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Senator Adam Schiff (D-CA)
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Senator Tina Smith (D-MN)
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Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-MD)
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Representative Yassamin Ansari (AZ-03)
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Representative Becca Balint (D-VT)
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Representative Greg Casar (TX-35)
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Representative Lizzie Fletcher (TX-7)
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Representative Maxwell Frost (FL-10)
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Representative Robert Garcia (CA-42)
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Representative Adelita Grijalva (AZ-07)
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Representative Jim Himes (CT-04)
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Representative Sara Jacobs (CA-51)
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Representative Pramila Jayapal (WA-07)
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Representative John B. Larson (CT-01)
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Representative Summer Lee (PA-12)
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Representative Teresa Leger Fernandez (NM-03)
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Representative Sydney Kamlager-Dove (CA-37)
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Representative April McClain Delaney (MD-6)
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Representative Christian Menefee (TX-18)
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Representative Chellie Pingree (ME-01)
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Representative Ayanna Pressley (MA-7)
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Representative Emily Randall (WA-6)
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Representative Mary Gay Scanlon (PA-05)
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Representative Melanie Stansbury (NM-01)
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Representative Delia Ramirez (IL-03)
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Representative Bonnie Watson Coleman (NJ-12)
n
Trump’s State of the Union will focus on the 250th anniversary of US independence and affordability concerns, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said this morning on Fox and Friends.
","elementId":"dd8f8f71-6f69-4dad-99a0-a6b642edccbf"},{"_type":"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement","html":"“He is going to share the stories of great American heroes who exemplify bravery and the spirit of 1776,” she said.
","elementId":"8efda7b0-6906-4d80-a038-4749fcf23086"},{"_type":"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement","html":"He will lay out an “ambitious agenda” designed to make life more affordable for working class people, she said.
","elementId":"bcff4996-3b3a-4557-8d38-c3635aa7847f"},{"_type":"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement","html":"One of the president’s guests will be a Pennsylvania waitress who is benefitting from a no tax on tips or overtime policy. Other guests will include members of the military, and first lady Melania Trump will have guests with her as part of her “fostering the future” initiative.
","elementId":"5fdb53ec-49bd-4c12-a92a-8de5afa4c971"},{"_type":"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement","html":"“There will be some tear-jerking moments, as there was last year, in addition to some moments of levity,” Leavitt said.
","elementId":"3da42366-0f91-4582-a435-eb3ebefba0e8"}],"attributes":{"pinned":false,"keyEvent":true,"summary":false},"blockCreatedOn":1771944212000,"blockCreatedOnDisplay":"09.43 EST","blockLastUpdated":1771945646000,"blockLastUpdatedDisplay":"10.07 EST","blockFirstPublished":1771944219000,"blockFirstPublishedDisplay":"09.43 EST","blockFirstPublishedDisplayNoTimezone":"09.43","title":"White House: Trump address to focus on US's 250th anniversary and affordability","contributors":[],"primaryDateLine":"Tue 24 Feb 2026 18.48 EST","secondaryDateLine":"First published on Tue 24 Feb 2026 07.14 EST"},{"id":"699db27d8f0800883485b968","elements":[{"_type":"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement","html":"A new CNN poll shows Trump’s approval falling ahead of his State of the Union address.
","elementId":"06bc643d-220f-4552-be50-add72737e7ba"},{"_type":"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement","html":"The poll, conducted by polling firm SSRS, showed his approval among independents at a new low among CNN’s polls, at 26%, the outlet reported.
","elementId":"4e3d2069-4127-403e-b327-f8b8023cb591"},{"_type":"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement","html":"Among the findings: only 32% of Americans believe Trump has the right priorities, his job approval rating among all adults was 36%, and 61% said his policies are moving the country in the wrong direction.
","elementId":"eb3dfb6c-e8fc-4802-9d2f-ae8e69c16d13"},{"_type":"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement","html":"The outlet noted a steep drop in approval among Latino Americans, at a 19-point drop, and Americans under age 45, with an 18-point drop.
","elementId":"6add9bf2-1bb3-490b-afc5-60f9faea4eaf"},{"_type":"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement","html":"Respondents said they want Trump to talk about the economy and cost of living during the State of the Union, the issue that far outpaced other topics they were asked about.
","elementId":"dc13a7d3-2cca-44e1-8f58-1f35b302aa9c"}],"attributes":{"pinned":false,"keyEvent":true,"summary":false},"blockCreatedOn":1771942525000,"blockCreatedOnDisplay":"09.15 EST","blockLastUpdated":1771945720000,"blockLastUpdatedDisplay":"10.08 EST","blockFirstPublished":1771942533000,"blockFirstPublishedDisplay":"09.15 EST","blockFirstPublishedDisplayNoTimezone":"09.15","title":"Just 32% of Americans believe Trump has the right priorities, CNN poll finds","contributors":[],"primaryDateLine":"Tue 24 Feb 2026 18.48 EST","secondaryDateLine":"First published on Tue 24 Feb 2026 07.14 EST"},{"id":"699db0228f0800883485b94d","elements":[{"_type":"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement","html":"Abigail Spanberger, the Democratic governor of Virginia, will deliver the Democratic response to Trump’s State of the Union tonight. Alex Padilla, a Democratic senator from California, will deliver a response in Spanish.
","elementId":"cbea910d-5a22-4e7a-93dd-fb3e7c0200a2"},{"_type":"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement","html":"Spanberger, seen as a moderate, won the governorship last year by 15 points, flipping the office from a Republican, Glenn Youngkin, back to Democrats.
","elementId":"dfb5d2a3-5043-4eaf-a247-db9c1b0136d7"},{"_type":"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement","html":"Since taking office, she followed through on a campaign promise to end Virginia law enforcement’s cooperation agreements with ICE and has backed the idea of redrawing congressional maps ahead of the midterms.
","elementId":"791cf782-4cc7-411d-8c00-e3c95fb121b7"},{"_type":"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement","html":"She’s leading a state where Democrats now hold the governor’s office, state senate and state house of delegates - providing a way for Democrats to tell voters what they can do when they have control.
","elementId":"67d7f4d3-dfb1-4b7b-9835-db456ae6c37a"},{"_type":"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement","html":"Pennsylvania Democrat Summer Lee, a progressive, is delivering the Working Families party response.
","elementId":"9465577f-a01e-4040-b314-e99168acd1c0"},{"_type":"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement","html":"Read more about Spanberger ahead of her big moment:
","elementId":"22792905-bb3f-4b2a-91d8-cf88c7e3b65e"},{"_type":"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.RichLinkBlockElement","prefix":"Related: ","text":"Abigail Spanberger: Democrats turn to centrist as party seeks return to relevance","elementId":"4a5ca76a-5a88-4a1a-8137-a4cea909c4e3","role":"thumbnail","url":"https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/feb/24/abigail-spanberger-democrats-trump-profile"}],"attributes":{"pinned":false,"keyEvent":true,"summary":false},"blockCreatedOn":1771941922000,"blockCreatedOnDisplay":"09.05 EST","blockLastUpdated":1771945709000,"blockLastUpdatedDisplay":"10.08 EST","blockFirstPublished":1771941954000,"blockFirstPublishedDisplay":"09.05 EST","blockFirstPublishedDisplayNoTimezone":"09.05","title":"Who is Abigail Spanberger: the centrist Democrat responding to Trump's speech","contributors":[{"name":"Joseph Gedeon"}],"primaryDateLine":"Tue 24 Feb 2026 18.48 EST","secondaryDateLine":"First published on Tue 24 Feb 2026 07.14 EST"},{"id":"699d975f8f0800883485b7d2","elements":[{"_type":"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement","html":"The USS Gerald R Ford, the world’s largest aircraft carrier, has reached the US naval base of Souda Bay on Crete, en route to joining a massive military build-up in the Middle East.
","elementId":"7d3f9830-35b4-475b-928c-80015b7c24c0"},{"_type":"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement","html":"President Donald Trump – who ordered strikes on Iran last year – has repeatedly threatened Tehran with fresh military action if it does not cut a new deal on its contentious nuclear programme, which the West fears is aimed at building an atomic weapon.
","elementId":"cb9a5104-6002-4777-8770-2f2e3e60acc7"},{"_type":"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement","html":"The Ford reached the Greek island on Monday, according to an AFP photographer.
","elementId":"35df19b8-baf7-4f5c-ba78-1cc80026c2d4"}],"attributes":{"pinned":false,"keyEvent":true,"summary":false},"blockCreatedOn":1771935583000,"blockCreatedOnDisplay":"07.19 EST","blockLastUpdated":1771935799000,"blockLastUpdatedDisplay":"07.23 EST","blockFirstPublished":1771935792000,"blockFirstPublishedDisplay":"07.23 EST","blockFirstPublishedDisplayNoTimezone":"07.23","title":"USS Gerald Ford, world's largest aircraft carrier, at US base on Crete","contributors":[],"primaryDateLine":"Tue 24 Feb 2026 18.48 EST","secondaryDateLine":"First published on Tue 24 Feb 2026 07.14 EST"},{"id":"699d80cc8f08912b5aebfed9","elements":[{"_type":"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement","html":"Hello and welcome to the US politics live blog.
","elementId":"0c7d322b-8a48-48e5-9368-bd33b25c16e3"},{"_type":"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement","html":"Donald Trump is reportedly becoming increasingly frustrated as he weighs up whether to strike Iran. The president has been told any attack would not be “a singular, decisive blow” and could risk drawing the United States into a protracted war in the Middle East.
","elementId":"c5e337f4-59cf-44f7-9a17-8bfd93d4ae5d"},{"_type":"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement","html":"Trump’s decision to order airstrikes against Iran will hinge in part on the judgment of Trump’s special envoys, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, about whether Tehran is stalling over a deal to relinquish its capacity to produce nuclear weapons, according to people familiar with the matter.
","elementId":"910109fe-ed2f-4f5d-9c9d-80ed73062e2e"},{"_type":"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement","html":"However, Trump has grown increasingly frustrated with what aides describe as the limits of military leverage, CBS News reports.
","elementId":"05cf0e83-6ada-4c38-9978-824bbf369cb1"},{"_type":"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement","html":"He has asked his advisers for options that would deliver a strike substantial enough to force Iranian leaders negotiate from a weaker position - but military planners have warned that there can be no guarantee, according to reports.
","elementId":"2757d868-0b41-4a71-815a-778086a00c8a"},{"_type":"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement","html":"The president has not made a final determination on any strikes, as the administration prepares for Iran to send its latest proposal this week, ahead of what officials have described as a last-ditch round of negotiations scheduled for Thursday in Geneva.
","elementId":"316c81e3-02e3-495c-a9ba-39025957ba9e"},{"_type":"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement","html":"Read our latest report here:
","elementId":"5db8263b-bae3-4273-a178-c030315d4b8d"},{"_type":"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.RichLinkBlockElement","prefix":"Related: ","text":"Trump Iran airstrikes decision to be guided by Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff’s advice","elementId":"b61cfef5-3aa8-4785-b4f6-02f0c98c0a49","role":"thumbnail","url":"https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/feb/23/trump-iran-airstrikes-nuclear-deal"},{"_type":"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement","html":"In other developments:
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Trump has declared that he can use tariffs in a “much more powerful and obnoxious way”, as the UK and the EU said they were seeking urgent clarity on the US trade deals they struck last summer. Trump threatened to escalate his global tariff war on Monday, after a supreme court ruling last week that he had overstepped his legal authority to impose his “liberation day” measures last year. More here.
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The 21-year-old man who was shot and killed after having entered Trump’s Florida resort on Sunday – while carrying a shotgun – came from a North Carolina family of the president’s supporters and had reportedly become increasingly fixated on the so-called Jeffrey Epstein files. The focus of the FBI’s investigation into the intrusion attributed to Austin Tucker Martin is tightening on his movements and motives. More here.
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The US military launched a strike on an alleged drug smuggling boat in the Caribbean, which killed three men – its third such attack over the course of a week. The Southern Command identified the three men killed as “male narco-terrorists” and clarified that no US military forces were harmed in the strike. More here.
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Hakeem Jeffries, the Democratic leader in the US House of Representatives, announced that he is inviting the family of Rev Jesse Jackson, the civil- and human-rights trailblazer who died last week, to the State of the Union address on Tuesday. Several other lawmakers have announced they’re inviting survivors of sexual assault by Jeffrey Epstein.
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Key events
Evening summary
Donald Trump is set to deliver a long – perhaps historically lengthy – State of the Union address to a deeply divided and pessimistic nation. As we await his speech, here’s everything that’s happened today so far.
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Democratic Senator Dick Durbin said a whistleblower had come forward, providing disclosures to the Senate that amounted to “irresponsible joyriding” by FBI director Kash Patel on his bureau’s jet. The whistleblower came forward after Patel was spotted celebrating with the US Men’s Olympic Hockey Team in Milan after their win over Canada in the gold medal game.
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Erika Kirk, the widow of Charlie Kirk, was invited to attend the State of the Union as a guest of the president. Players from the US men’s hockey team are expected to attend. Melania Trump has invited her own guests to highlight her work with the foster care system and promoting responsible AI.
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Earlier on Tuesday, the House failed to pass a bill in response to the midair collision near Washington DC in January 2025.
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Dozens of Democratic lawmakers are expected to boycott Trump’s address, while others say they are attending to show Trump, as senator Amy Klobuchar put it, that he does not “own the house”. Democratic leaders said it was up to each individual member to determine whether they should attend or not.
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Texas representative Tony Gonzales is refusing growing GOP calls to resign over allegations of an affair with his former staffer. The staffer later died by suicide.
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The office of the US Attorney for DC, Jeanine Pirrowill drop the case against six Democratic lawmakers after a grand jury in Washington DC declined to charge them, the Guardian confirmed. Trump had called the lawmakers “traitors” and “seditious” for urging US troops not to follow illegal orders.
On the sidelines of the California Democratic convention, DNC chair Ken Martinsaid Americans on Tuesday will hear a “tale of two cities – a tale of two countries”.
“ I’m sure he’ll say that the economy is the best it’s ever been, and everything’s going great,” Martin said of the president. “Meanwhile, most Americans are barely surviving, barely getting by.
In the Democrats’ rebuttal, Virginia Governor Abigail Spanberger would speak to the economic pain many Americans feel, brining an affordability message that resonated with voters last year to the national stage.
“What Americans will see is who’s on their side – who’s fighting for them, who’s fighting for their families,” Martin said. “That will come from the Democrats, not from the Republicans.”
Senator Dick Durbin, an Illinois Democrat, on Tuesday accused FBI director Kash Patel of “irresponsible joyriding” on the bureau’s jet, citing new whistleblower disclosures provided to the Senate after Patel was spotted celebrating with the US Men’s Olympic Hockey Team in Milan after their win over Canada in the gold medal game.
“Since his confirmation as Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Kash Patel has seemingly engaged in what amounts to irresponsible joyriding on DOJ and FBI-operated aircraft at the expense of the American taxpayer and to the detriment of ongoing Bureau operations,” Durbin said in a statement, calling for an investigation into Patel’s “misuse or mismanagement of government resources”.
The Illinois senator said the whistleblower disclosures revealed that Patel’s use of department aircraft have “negatively impacted high-profile criminal investigations”.
In one example, he said the FBI’s shooting reconstruction team was asked to fly to Utah in the immediate aftermath of the assassination of Charlie Kirk to assist the investigation and process the scene. “However, the team’s deployment was delayed by at least a day because of a Bureau plane and pilot shortage caused by the Director’s personal flights,” Durbin said. “FAA rules dictate the maximum flight duty, cumulative travel, and rest periods for pilots, and the FBI team could only travel after the pilots’ mandated rest periods were completed.”
Hakeem Jeffries says Trump should use speech to 'apologize to American people for breaking every single promise he made'
Earlier on Capitol Hill, Jeffries said Trump should use his state of the union speech to “apologize to the American people for breaking every single promise that he made”.
Democrats are planning to hammer Trump on cost-of-living concerns and affordability. All day they have repeated Trump’s previous comment that the term “affordability” was a “hoax” perpetrated by Democrats.
“That’s the slogan of Trump 2.0: Costs, chaos, corruption,” Schumer said at his press conference.
Senator Amy Klobucharof Minnesota, criticized fellow Democrats who are planning to boycott Donald Trump’s State of the Union address tonight, a decision party leaders have left up to individuals.
Klobuchar told reporters on Capitol Hill earlier:
If he’s coming to our house, you got to be there. Otherwise, you let him own the house.
At least a dozen Democrats are planning to skip the address tonight and attend a rally organized by progressive advocacy groups on the National Mall instead.
Players from the US men’s hockey team are expected to attend Donald Trump’s State of the Union address later, White House officials said, after meeting with Trump at the White House this afternoon.
Texas representative Tony Gonzales refuses growing GOP calls to resign over former staffer affair allegations
Representative Tony Gonzales refused growing calls to resign from his fellow Republicans today amid a furore over allegations that he had an affair with a staffer who later died by suicide.
The Texas congressman has been accused of sending sexually explicit text messages in which he appeared to pressure the senior staffer to share images of herself and, eventually, coerced her into a sexual relationship.
He has previously denied having an affair with the late staffer, Regina Santos-Avilesbut has not addressed the newly released text messages, which appear to show him pressuring her for intimate photos and discussing sex acts.
Gonzales, who is married with six children, told reporters on Tuesday that he was not going to resign.
There will be an opportunity for all the details and facts to come out. What you’ve seen is not all the facts. And there will be ample time for all of that to come out.
Representative Thomas Massie of Kentucky joined Lauren Boebert of Colorado, Anna Paulina Luna of Florida, Nancy Mace of South Carolina, and others in demanding that Gonzales step down immediately over the report. It followed calls from Texas Republicans Brandon Gill and Chip Roy for his resignation on Monday. “America deserves better,” said Gill, endorsing Gonzales’s main opponent. “Tony should drop out of the race.”
The US House speaker Mike Johnson said earlier today that he would speak to Gonzales about the allegations, which are also being investigated by an internal House ethics commission. The accusations “must be taken seriously”, Johnson said, but he stopped short of calling for his resignation. Donald Trump endorsed Gonzales in December.
“In every case like this, you have to allow the investigation to play out and all the facts to come out,” Johnson said. “If the accusation of something is going to be the litmus for someone being able to continue to serve in the House, a lot of people would have to resign or be removed or expelled from Congress.”
House fails to pass bill in response to 2025 midair collision near Washington DC
Moments ago the House failed to approve a bill crafted in response to last year’s midair collision near Washington DC killing everyone on board.
The legislation would have required all aircraft flying around busy airports to have key locator systems to prevent such crashes.
Here’s more from the Associated Press:
The National Transportation Safety Board has been recommending such Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast systems to be installed since 2008. The bill that already passed the Senate would have required aircraft to be equipped with a system that can receive data about the locations of other aircraft. The complementary ADS-B Out system that broadcasts an aircraft’s location is already required.
The families of the victims who died when an American Airlines jet collided with an Army Black Hawk helicopter strongly supported the measure. But the Airlines for American trade group, the military and the major general aviation groups that represent business jets and small plane owners backed a competing and more comprehensive House bill that was just introduced last week.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio was expected to brief top lawmakers Tuesday on Iran as the administration weighs possible strikes. Asked about the briefing, Schumer said if the administration wants to “do something in Iran, and who the hell knows what it is, they should make it public and discuss it with the public, and not keep it in secret”.
“When you do these military operations in secret, it always causes longer wars, tragedy, more expenses and mistake,” he said.
Jeffries, speaking shortly before the briefing was due to begin, said the administration needed to explain its contradictoray positions on the status of Iran’s nuclear program.
“Now we’re to believe that there’s an exigent circumstance where Donald Trump may need to strike militarily in order to prevent Iran, presumablyfrom achieving its nuclear ambitions,” Jeffries said. “Wait, what happened to Iran’s nuclear program being completely and totally obliterated? Donald Trump’s words, not our words.”
“The American people understand that under no circumstances, should the Trump administration get us into another failed foreign, forever war,” he told reporters. “We know the outcome, particularly in the Middle East: It’s going to cost American lives. It’s not going to lead to any decisive resolution. And it’s going to waste taxpayer dollars that should be spent, making life better for the American people.”
“Congress needs to act and authorize military force before any military action is taken by Donald Trump and his administration,” he added, vowing to make the point “very clearly” in the briefing this afternoon
US to provide on-site passport services in West Bank
US officials have announced the US will begin providing on-site passport services in Efrat – an Israeli settlement in the West Bank widely considered illegal under international law.
It is the first time the US will offer consular services to people in the occupied territory.
According to the announcement, US consular officers will be on site to provide routine passport services for American citizens in Efrat on Friday, with “planned outreaches” in the coming months to “Ramallah, Beitar Illit, Haifa, Jerusalem, Netanya and Beit Shemesh”.
The US Men’s Olympic Hockey Team has arrived at the White House, according to the pool report. Some members of the team are expected to attend tonight’s state of the union their gold medal victory against Canada at the Winter Olympics in Milan.
The Trump administration has faced questions – and backlash – over the decision by FBI Director Kash Patelan avid hockey fan, to fly to Milan on a justice department plane and attend the game in what a spokesperson has insisted was official business. A video emerged afterward of Patel celebrating Team USA’s victory with the athletes in the locker room after the game. He chugs a drink as beer sprays across the room and Toby Keith’s Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue plays in the background.
“I love America and was extremely humbled when my friends, the newly minted Gold Medal winners on Team USA, invited me into the locker room,” Patel later wrote on X.
Jeffries: 'It's up to every individual member' to decide whether they attend Trump's speech
Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer and House leader Hakeem Jeffries have given their members discretion in whether to attend the State of the Union this evening.
Dozens of Democrats are planning to boycott, but others will attend in “silent defiance”, Jeffries said.
“It’s up to every individual member to make the decision that makes the most sense for their constituents,” Jeffries told reporters on Capitol Hill.
Jeffries will attend with his guest, a bus driver from his district who has taken on extra shifts to help afford food and healthcare, as well as relatives of the late civil rights leader Jesse Jackson, who died last week.
Senator Padilla to speak about 'out of control' immigration policy in Spanish language rebuttal
Senator Alex Padilla of California, who is delivering the Spanish language rebuttal to Trump’s speech, said he would talk about the Trump administration’s “out-of-control” immigration crackdown that began in his hometown of Los Angeles last year.
“This is not a focus on the worst of the worst,” Padilla said. “The vast majority of the peopel that have been detained, arrested, many deported, without due process, do not have criminal convictions.”
A standoff over reining in ICE has triggered an ongoing funding lapse for the Department of Homeland Security.
He noted that federal agents have rounded up legal immigrants, US citizesn and veterans alike. He also said he would talk about the security of the US election system ahead of the midterms. “The Trump administration is not being shy about threatening to undermine and steal this November election,” he said.
Senator Mark Kelly, the Arizona Democrat who was one of the veterans the Trump administration has attacked as “seditious” over a video urging troops not to follow illegal orders, said he understood colleagues boycotting the president’s speech, but said he would be in the audience.
“I’m going to be sitting there in the House to make a point to this president, who about three weeks ago tried to indict me and try to send me to jail for something I said,” Kelly said. “I will be sitting there to make sure that he knows that so far he has failed, and that the American people, they’re really not into this.”
Minnesota Senator Amy Klobuchar, wryly suggested she might have the “hottest ticket in town,” seated behind the supreme court justices in the chamber, days after they struck down Trump’s signature tariff policy. “That’ll be interesting,” she said, accusing Trump of fearing the court.
Klobuchar said she was bringing a brewer “walloped” by Trump’s tariffs as a guest to the state of the union. She said he represented the many small business owners who have become “the roadkill” of Trump’s policies.
The Minnesota Democrat, who is running for governor, hailed the resilience of her fellow Minnesotans, saying they showed Americans how to stand up to the president’s administration. “He’s afraid of the voters,” she said.
Top Senate Democrat predicts 'long, painful and tedious' Trump speech
Chuck Schumer, the Senate Democratic leader, predicted a “long, painful and tedious” state of the union speech on Tuesday evening.
The New York Democrat accused Trump of living in a “yuge bubble” with an “ego” that “does not let him see reality”.
“Never in our lifetime have we gone into a state of the union where the president’s rhetoric and the country’s reality are so far apart,” Schumer said at a press conference on Capitol Hill.
Schumer suggested the one topic Trump would “avoid” was the Epstein files.
“When will he release all the Epstein files?” Schumer said, calling it another example of the “corruption” of his administration.
The state of the union is part speech, part spectacle – and one of the enduring rituals are the guests invited to sit in the first lady’s box in the Capitol.
In something of a break from precedent, Melania Trump has invited two guests to highlight her work with the foster care system and a responsible AI initiative, while the president, separately has invited guests to reflect the accomplishments he plans to tout in his address this evening.
“The first lady will have two great children with her as part of her Fostering the Future initiative,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told Fox News. “The president himself has invited some extraordinary guests this year who, again, truly exemplify what it means to be a patriotic American”.
The White House announced on Tuesday that Melania Trump will be joined in her box by Sierra Burns, a participant in the first lady’s Foster Youth to Independence Program, and Everest Nevraumonta 10-year-old Texas student and AI-advocate.
As previously noted, Trump has invited Erika Kirk, as well as a Pennsylvania waitress who is benefitting from a no tax on tips or overtime policy and members of the military.
The White House has also said it’s trying to bring members of the US Olympic men’s hockey team. The team won gold in Italy this weekend after defeating Canada.
