WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump on Tuesday night will deliver the first joint congressional address of his second presidency.
It’s not officially called the State of the Union, a title reserved for a president’s annual address to Congress during other years of an administration. But it is an opportunity for Trump to lay out his priorities for the year.
What time does Trump’s address to Congress start?
Trump’s remarks to Congress are slated to begin Tuesday at 9 p.m. ET.
The speech will take place in the U.S. House chamber. Larger than the Senate chamber, it can accommodate both House and Senate lawmakers as well as other officials who are typically invited to such events.
A number of networks plan to air the Republican president’s address across their broadcast and streaming platforms, including this website, with special programming before and afterward.
After Trump’s speech, Democrats will offer a message in response to the joint congressional address. This year, Michigan Sen. Elissa Slotkin, who previously served in the House, will give the Democrats’ response, which is also televised.
Who else will be there?
Members of the U.S. Supreme Court and Trump’s Cabinet will attend.
There’s always one Cabinet member missing, though. Called the “designated survivor,” that person — who by position is in the presidential line of succession — is intentionally left out of such events to ensure that someone could assume the office of the president in case of a catastrophic or mass-casualty event.
The president typically invites guests who join the event from the balcony above the House floor and are seated with the first lady. Sometimes, there are personal connections, and other times the guests have an association with an issue the president intends to highlight in his remarks.
In his first joint address after taking office in 2017, Trump invited the widow of late Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia, as well as the widows of two California police officers killed by a man living in the country illegally.