By Brendan Scanland
WASHINGTON, D.C. (WZMQ 19 News) — Just over a month into his second term, President Donald Trump is set to deliver a prime-time address to both chambers of Congress and to the American people tomorrow evening.
The joint address will be very similar to a State of the Union Address. Since President Ronald Reagan, new presidents, fresh into their term, deliver a joint address, as opposed to delivering a State of the Union address.
President Trump will deliver his speech Tuesday starting around 9:00 pm ET. The joint address comes amid a flurry of executive actions, including those that have faced pushback in Washington.
“This is an opportunity for the president to be an explainer in chief. And by that, I mean, there’s been a lot of activity coming out of the Oval Office in the past two months. And the president needs to justify, explain and rationalize this for the American people and let them know how this is going to make their lives better,” said Dr. Todd Belt, Professor and Director of the Political Management Master’s Program at The George Washington University.
Among the topics Belt believes will need explanation is the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) and its large-scale downsizing efforts of the federal government.
“Whether or not the skies are going to be safe, whether or not the veterans will be getting the health care they want. This is an opportunity for Donald Trump to try to reset this discussion and explain to the American people how it’s going to be better for them in the long run,” said Belt.
Within the halls of Congress, support for the administration’s downsizing efforts largely falls along partisan lines.
“The federal workforce has grown by about 400,000 people over the last four years. And our budget is spiraling out of control. So we need dramatic action,” said Sen. Dave McCormick (R- PA).
“We want to build a brighter and more vibrant future for our kids and our grandkids, and the current trajectory is not sustainable. This country will come off of the rails if we keep spending at this rate,” said Rep. Nick Langworthy (R- NY).
“To defying court orders, to demonizing judges, everything Donald Trump has done so far is meant to dismantle the rule of law so that billionaires can run the show in Donald Trump’s America,” said Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D- NY).
Trump will likely tout accomplishments and discuss his plans for the future. Experts believe he will also need to clear the air following a turbulent Oval Office meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Friday.
“A lot of people are wondering exactly what happened on Friday and where the U.S. stands in regard to what’s going on in Ukraine,” said Belt.
After the joint address, Democrats will try to effectively counter Trump’s message and the actions by his administration thus far.
“The government’s been doing quite a lot and Democrats seem to be missing in action on this, especially their voters are wondering what exactly are they doing to stop what Donald Trump has been managing to accomplish. And this is a chance for them to explain that as well,” said Belt.
First-term Senator Elissa Slotkin (D- MI) will provide the official Democratic response following Tuesday’s joint address. Slotkin won her statewide race in a battleground state that President Trump carried in November.
“This is a chance for her to have that sort of moment in the spotlight, but it’s also a chance for her to become a public spokesperson for the party to explain exactly what they’re doing, given the fact that they don’t have many levers of power right now,” said Belt.
