Trump, facing headwinds at home and abroad, to address State of the Union

US president expected to address Iran tensions, economy and tariff ruling

US President Donald Trump will deliver the traditional State of the Union address to Congress on Tuesday at a fraught moment for his presidency, with approval ratings slipping, concerns mounting over Iran and Americans grappling with the cost of living ahead of the November midterm elections.

The prime time televised speech to Congress, his second in the 13 months since returning to the White House, offers Trump an opportunity to persuade voters to keep Republicans in power. However, it comes as he faces strong political headwinds at home and abroad.

The appearance follows a turbulent stretch for his administration, including a Supreme Court decision invalidating his global tariff regime and fresh data showing the economy slowed more than expected while inflation accelerated.

Read: Trump threatens countries who ‘play games’ will be forced to pay higher tariffs

The Department of Homeland Security is largely shut down due to a dispute between congressional Republicans and Democrats over the administration’s aggressive immigration policies, following the fatal shootings of two US citizens in Minneapolis. At the same time, Trump has struggled to move past the controversy surrounding the government’s release of files related to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

Trump, who has openly coveted the Nobel Peace Prize and established his own “Board of Peace,” appears to be edging closer to a potential military confrontation with Iran over its nuclear programme, moving warships to the Middle East and weighing options that could include regime change, according to US officials.

Building a public case on Iran

Tuesday’s address could provide Trump his first major platform to publicly make the case for military intervention in Iran.

Two White House officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Trump will discuss his Iran plans but offered no details.

They added he will also highlight his record of brokering peace agreements. The speech comes on the fourth anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, a reminder that Trump has yet to resolve the conflict he once said he could end “in 24 hours.”

Trump is also expected to address the Supreme Court’s tariff ruling, arguing the court erred and outlining alternative legal avenues to reinstate most of the levies.

The president reacted angrily to last week’s decision, launching personal attacks against several justices. Any repeat could create awkward moments, with at least some of the court’s nine justices expected to attend the address.

White House aides and Republican campaign strategists, mindful of a challenging midterm environment, have urged Trump to focus on voters’ economic concerns. His 2024 victory was driven largely by promises to ease the cost of living, but opinion polls suggest many Americans remain unconvinced.

Trump has often struggled to stay on message, at times shifting from economic themes to personal grievances, while at other moments insisting the problem has already been solved.

One White House official said Trump will “claim victory on the economy,” a message that could complicate Republican efforts in competitive races. He is expected to argue he inherited a weak economy from Democratic predecessor Joe Biden and that Democrats have overstated affordability concerns.

The president will likely point to stock market gains, private sector investment and his tax cut legislation as evidence of economic progress. He is also expected to defend his hardline border policies and deportation campaign, despite polls indicating many Americans believe the administration has gone too far in targeting undocumented immigrants.

“This is the one opportunity the president has where the whole world is looking at what he has to say, and this is his opportunity to summarise everything that he’s done and not go off script,” said Republican strategist Amanda Makki.

Trump, known for ad libbing, said on Monday his speech would be lengthy. His 100 minute address last March, technically not a State of the Union but otherwise similar, was the longest presidential speech to Congress in modern history.

White House officials said this year’s address has been prepared with room for unscripted moments.

Read More: What does Trump want in Iran?

“We are planning around it,” one official said.

Some Democrats to boycott

Last year, some Democrats interrupted Trump’s speech with jeers before staging a walkout. This time, more than 20 Democrats in the House and Senate plan to skip the address and instead hold an outdoor rally on the National Mall.

Senator Jeff Merkley of Oregon, among those opting out, said the alternative event would offer a more “honest description” of Trump’s record rather than what he called the speech’s “propaganda push.”

Virginia Governor Abby Spanberger will deliver the official Democratic response.

Democratic Senator Alex Padilla of California, who was shoved to the ground and handcuffed last year after attempting to question Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem at a press conference, will present the Spanish language rebuttal.