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President Donald Trump is gearing up to give the annual State of the Union address next week, the first of his second term — and it’s likely to be one unlike any other in the past.
For one thing, the speech is poised to come during a partial government shutdown, marking the first time a president has given his joint address to Congress while the federal government has been shuttered. The last time a president came close to giving the State of the Union during a shutdown was during Trump’s first term, when then-Speaker Nancy Pelosi postponed the speech during the 35-day shutdown citing security concerns.
This shutdown, of course, is much smaller than any of the others we’ve dealt with in Trump’s second term so far. It only affects the Department of Homeland Security as all the other departments are funded through the rest of the fiscal year.
But that means the Secret Service is currently unfunded, raising questions about security measures during the event. The State of the Union is considered one of the most heavily secured annual events in Washington as it involves the president, the vice president, Cabinet members, Supreme Court justices, members of Congress and more.
So far, there are no plans to postpone the event.
Aside from security concerns, the shutdown could cast a shadow on Trump’s speech as he seeks to tout his policy wins over the last year despite giving the address during the third shutdown in the last six months.
Some things to keep an eye on: If he addresses the funding lapse, whether he tries to cast blame on his Democratic colleagues, if he characterizes the negotiations as positive, or if there is any progress to announce.
Meanwhile, we’ll also see some counterprogramming we haven’t seen before in such full force.
It’s common to see some pushback or even protests during these addresses lobbed from the minority party toward whoever the president is. We saw that last year when Democratic Rep. Al Green got removed from the chamber when he interrupted Trump’s speech, and we even saw it during former President Joe Biden’s tenure when members such as Marjorie Taylor Greene and Lauren Boebert stood up to yell at him.
This year, Democratic leaders seem to want a more subtle tone. In fact, this is what Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., is encouraging his caucus to do:
“The two options that are in front of us in our house is to either attend with silent defiance or to not attend and send a message to Donald Trump in that fashion.”
And Democrats are already planning ways “to not attend,” including a rally on the National Mall scheduled for the same time as the prime-time address. At least 11 congressional Democrats are listed as headliners to attend, and others may follow suit.
But it underscores how Democrats are split on what is the best way to protest Trump. Jeffries himself said he would attend the speech because “you don’t let anyone ever run you off of your block.”
“We’re not going to Donald Trump’s house,” he told reporters on Wednesday. “He’s coming to our house.”
It’s sure to be an interesting night. I’ll be in the House chamber covering the event live — make sure to follow our coverage on Tuesday night.
Stories driving the week
- Map mayhem: It’s less than a month until candidates running for Congress in Utah must make their bids official and file for a congressional district. The only problem: boundary lines are still not finalized as the political parties await a federal court decision.
- Legal trouble: The federal district court for Utah could issue a ruling on Monday, following a decision from the Utah Supreme Court in a related lawsuit. Monday is the deadline to switch to 2021 electoral boundaries before the candidate filing period for U.S. House seats.
- Talks on ICE: The White House and congressional Democrats are still “far apart” on an agreement to implement immigration reforms as part of a deal to fund the Department of Homeland Security for the remainder of the fiscal year, both parties say.
Trump’s State of the Union comes amid growing restlessness
Another looming story in the background of President Donald Trump’s State of the Union address: The small but growing rebellion among some in the president’s own party.
The State of the Union serves as an opportunity for the sitting president to tout his policy wins over the last year and what his party seeks to accomplish in the coming months. But what makes Trump’s address so unique right now is that we are seeing a quiet yet growing restlessness among his party members — which has culminated in some rebellions as of late.
Take for example last week, when the House voted to terminate the tariffs Trump imposed on Canada last year after six Republicans joined nearly all Democrats to overturn them. That dealt a major blow to the president as it marked the first time, really, that Republicans have banded together in the House to challenge one of his main economic policies.
That defeat came just one day after GOP leaders failed to extend a ban on any anti-tariff legislation that has been in place since last April. A handful of Republicans, again, voted against extending the ban despite a pressure campaign from party leaders and the president himself.
Rep. Don Bacon, R-Neb., was among those who voted against extending the ban. After he voted, the Nebraska Republican quickly left the Capitol, and when I found him in the hallways the next day, he told me he got dozens of texts and calls asking him to come back and change his vote.
But, he told me, he wasn’t interested — his vote was final, and he wanted to make that clear.
Republicans will have another chance to push back against the Trump administration with a possible vote next week on restricting the president’s military authority in Iran. That comes as Trump has hinted that he’ll decide whether to bomb the country in the next few days.
That effort is being co-led by Kentucky Rep. Thomas Massie, a known Republican defector who has been a thorn in Trump’s side for months — look no further than his effort to release the Epstein files.
To be sure, Republicans still back Trump and relentlessly defend his policies. But these small moments of rebellion coinciding with his biggest speech of the year could provide political fodder to their opponents.
Quick hits
From the Hill: Sen. Mike Lee joins legal fight to stop states from counting ballots received after Election Day. … Why a Stephen Colbert interview with a Texas Senate candidate became a political flashpoint.
From the White House: Govs. Stitt, Moore and Cox call for civility after disagreement with President Trump. … Why Trump tried to kill this Utah bill. … Will Trump attend the Milan Cortina Olympics after all?
From the courts: As the Legislature races to change the courts, here’s how Utahns feel. … U.S. Supreme Court adopts new technology to help identify conflicts of interest (Reuters)
What’s next
The House and Senate will both return Monday evening. The Senate will stay in session for the rest of the week while the House is scheduled to adjourn on Wednesday.
President Donald Trump’s State of the Union address is scheduled for 9 p.m. EST on Tuesday. As always, feel free to reach out to me by email with story ideas or questions you have for lawmakers. And follow me on X for breaking news and timely developments from the Hill.