State of the Union latest: Trump to address tariffs crisis amid dire polling numbers

The president can be relied upon to spend a considerable portion of his State of the Union address this evening listing what he regards as the first year achievements of his administration and delivering rally-style attacks on his perceived enemies at home and abroad.

Here’s what Andrew Feinberg has to say about how he might respond to his dreadful polling, which would give many a leader pause for thought:

“Trump could, in theory, look at the dismal polling and the brushback he got from the Supreme Court on his signature – and unpopular – tariff policies last week and try something different in response.

“Or he could look to reassure Americans about affordability, the economy or his overall message is right for the nation.

“But Trump isn’t a traditional politician, much less one who accepts bad news or changes course. Now more than ever, he only doubles down.

“When Trump lost the 2020 election, his response was to pull every lever he could in a fruitless attempt to retain power. And since returning to the White House in January, he has continued to maintain that his only electoral loss in his decade-long political career was ‘rigged’ against him.

“Now, he claims – without offering evidence – that the polls are similarly fraudulent.”

While most recent polling signals widespread discontent with Trump’s handling of the economy and the cost of living crisis, it’s worth noting that he was still insisting in the East Room Monday:

“We have the greatest economy we’ve ever had. We have the most activity we’ve ever had. I’m making a speech tomorrow night, and you’ll be hearing me say that.”

Here’s more from White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt on what we can expect to hear later:

Recent State of the Unions have seen dramatic partisan displays from the onlookers, notably ex-House speaker Nancy Pelosi pointedly tearing up her copy of Trump’s 2020 speech, MAGA members of Congress jeering Joe Biden and Texas Democratic Rep. Al Green being forcibly removed from last year’s joint session address by the sergeant-at-arms.

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries has this time called for a cooler tone from his fellow Democrats.

“The two options that are in front of us in our House [are] to either attend with silent defiance or to not attend and send a message to Donald Trump in that fashion, which will include participation in a variety of different alternate programming that is going to take place in and around the Capitol complex,” he told reporters Monday.

The president will “put the economy front and center” of his address this evening, “pairing working-family guests with a data-driven case on affordability – while also making economic policy announcements,” according to Fox News Digital.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told the conservative outlet:

“President Trump’s State of the Union Address will celebrate 250 glorious years of our nation’s independence and excellence, highlighting incredible stories of American heroes throughout the speech.

“In one year, President Trump has turned our country around from the brink of disaster, and he will rightly declare the State of Our Union is strong, prosperous and respected.

The president will proudly tout his administration’s many record-breaking accomplishments, and also layout an ambitious agenda to continue bringing the American Dream back for working people.”

The president lashed out at Democrats Monday with false claims of election fraud and accused foreign nations of sending undesirable people to the United States as he signed a proclamation honoring the families of Americans killed by immigrants.

Trump declared February 22 “Angel Family Day” in honor of Laken Riley, a 22-year-old nursing student attacked and killed by an undocumented migrant in 2024, part of an effort to rally his anti-immigrant base and revive public support for his deeply unpopular immigration crackdown.

But he could not resist dwelling on old grievances.

Let’s take a look at some more general matters concerning the president for the moment.

Trump’s decision to attack Iran will largely be guided by the advice of his special envoy Steve Witkoff and his son-in-law Jared Kushner, according to reports.

Last week, the president said he was seriously “considering” air strikes against Iran ahead of last-ditch nuclear deal talks in Geneva Thursday.

The U.S. has been building up its military presence in the region with two of its biggest warships, the USS Gerald R Ford and the USS Abraham Lincoln, moving closer to the Iranian coast. They will be supported by fighter jets and naval forces.

On Monday, an official told The Guardian that Witkoff is part of a group advising the president on how to proceed with Iran after they file their new nuclear proposal later this week.

The president has reportedly received multiple briefings on military options, including one on Wednesday in the White House Situation Room.

Here’s more from Maira Butt.

As is customary at the annual presidential address, lawmakers from both sides of the aisle are entitled to invite special guests to witness the commander-in-chief’s words, their choices often pointedly political.

Here are a few of this year’s most noteworthy invitees:

Nick Shirley – the conservative YouTuber whose documentary film about alleged migrant fraud in Minneapolis made waves in right-wing mediaJeffrey Epstein survivors – a number of women sexually assaulted by the disgraced financier are expected to be in attendance, including Haley Robson, Jess Michaels, Annie Farmer and Dani Bensky. The family of the late Virginia Giuffre have also been invited by top Democrats.Claire Lai – the daughter of the Hong Kong pro-democracy protester Jimmy Lai, who has been sentenced to 20 years in prison by ChinaMubashir Hussen, Aliya Rahman, Marimar Martinez, and Raiza Contreras – four people impacted by the administration’s federal immigration crackdown over the last yearCatherine Rayner – a woman from Norfolk, Virginia, who has struggled with fertility complications and IVF treatment for five years, invited by Trump himselfMegan Hemhouser – a Pennsylvania waitress and mother who has benefited from the president’s ‘no tax on tips’ policy, another Trump inviteeThe family of Marc Brock – House Speaker Mike Johnson’s guest is the family of a Louisiana police officer killed in the line of duty last year

Another awkward presence in the chamber will be the nine justices of the U.S. Supreme Court, six of whom voted down Trump’s tariffs last Friday, leading the president to berate and insult them at a press conference and even say their families should be ashamed of them.

Abigail Spanberger, the first female governor of the state of Virginia, has been tapped to provide the opposition’s official rebuttal to the president’s speech.

Spanberger, who served three terms in Congress, won the state’s gubernatorial race by a double-digit margin last year, campaigning on affordability and lowering costs for families.

“Gov. Spanberger will lay out a clear path forward: lower everyday costs, protect healthcare, and defend the freedoms that define who we are as a nation,” Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer said.

House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries added that Spanberger “embodies the best of America as a mother, community leader and dedicated public servant.”

President Donald Trump will deliver the first State of the Union address of his second term before a joint session of Congress at 9 p.m. ET this evening.

Major news outlets, including ABC, CBS, NBC, PBS and Fox News, will air Trump’s speech with coverage beginning at around 6 p.m. on many networks.

You can also watch online, including on C-Span and other news outlets via livestreams on their website and YouTube.

And, of course, we will be covering it live right here.