Donald Trump

President Donald Trump to address Congress, and here's what to expect

The speech is set to take place at approximately 8 p.m. Central on Tuesday night

NOTE: A live stream of the address will appear in the player above as it begins at 8 p.m. CT Tuesday.

President Donald Trump will deliver an address to a joint session of Congress on Tuesday night, laying out the agenda for his first term in office.

Trump is also expected to discuss his first six weeks in the Oval Office, and to call attention to a variety of issues that he has focused on early in his term, including Ukraine, tariffs on Canada and Mexico, immigration and several others.

Here’s everything to expect during Trump’s address.

When does the speech start?

Trump is expected to arrive at the Capitol by 8 p.m. Central time. The address will air live on NBC Chicago, in the NBC Chicago app, and in the player above.

All eyes are on the nation's capital as President Trump delivers an address to the joint session of Congress.

Why isn’t the speech technically a “State of the Union”?

The term “State of the Union” is reserved for a president’s annual address to Congress, but that speech does not traditionally take place in a president’s first year in office.

That is because the “State of the Union” is meant to be a look back at the previous year, and in Trump’s case, he did not become president until January of this year.

Instead, the speech will be more correctly known as a joint congressional address, according to officials.

What is the theme of the speech?

According to information given to NBC News by a senior administration official, the theme of Trump’s speech will be “The Renewal of the American Dream.”

President Donald Trump and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer discussed the Russia-Ukraine war in a joint presser at the White House on Thursday.

What issues will Trump touch on?

A senior administration official told NBC News a good chunk of Trump’s address will focus on immigration issues. The president is expected to request additional funding from Congress to help bolster deportation efforts in the United States, and to request funding for a border wall between the United States and Mexico.

Trump is also expected tout his administration’s work in ending Diversity, Equity and Inclusion initiatives in the U.S. government, and efforts taken to curtail such efforts in the private sector.

He also plans to tout the Department of Government Efficiency’s work, and the importance of implementing tariffs to help balance trade deficits and to limit the flow of illegal drugs into the U.S.

Will there be special guests at the address?

Billionaire Elon Musk, who has been a high-profile ally of the president and a driving force behind the DOGE operation, is expected to attend the address.

Trump’s official list of guests includes Marc Fogel, who was held prisoner in Russia and was recently returned to the U.S. Stephanie Diller, the widow of NYPD Officer Jonathan Diller, and the family of Corey Comperatore, a Pennsylvania firefighter who was killed in an assassination attempt of Trump, will also be in attendance.  

Democrats are expected to invite individuals who have “suffered under the Trump administration’s policies,” according to a spokesperson for Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer.

Will Democratic lawmakers protest during the address?

House Democratic leadership has asked members not to be disruptive during the address, along with several key senators including Pennsylvania Sen. John Fetterman.

Members of the Democratic caucus could potentially wear clothing meant to protest the Trump administration, according to officials. The Democratic Women’s Caucus asked its members to wear pink, calling it a “color of protest.”

"Pink is the color of protest. It is a color of women's power and persistence. Trump is raising costs, not lowering them, and we will push back,” according to an email obtained by NBC News.

Members of the Congressional Black Caucus, including Illinois Rep. Lauren Underwood, plan to wear black to the speech to "capture the party's somber mood," according to her and to reports from Axios.

Other members are planning to wear blue and yellow to show solidarity with Ukraine, just days after the Trump administration ordered a pause on military aid to the country.

That group includes Illinois Rep. Robin Kelly, according to multiple reports.

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