Tuesday, February 24 | By Cate Martel |
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Trump's tricky balance for tonight's address Notable guests for State of the Union How authorities found Mexico's drug kingpin Savannah Guthrie ups reward to $1 million Novo Nordisk to slash Ozempic, Wegovy prices FedEx sues Trump for tariff refunds
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Buckle in. It's gonna be a late one: |
President Trump has a tricky line to walk tonight during the first State of the Union address of his second term. This is his opportunity to tout his accomplishments with the attention of millions of Americans, while outlining talking points Republicans can use heading into a critical midterm election year. He does have accomplishments to brag about — the tax cuts in his One Big Beautiful Bill Act and lowered prescription drug prices, to name a few. But it hasn't all been good. His approval rating is underwater (more on that below). Many Americans are feeling the pain of economic affordability. And for critics, the daily chaos of the Trump administration has returned. Tonight is the president's chance to explain his longer-term strategy while acknowledging the work ahead for his administration. How things have changed in the past year: "His prized tariffs have been sharply curtailed by the Supreme Court. His most visible immigration push—federal surges into U.S. cities to carry out mass deportations—has become broadly unpopular since two Americans were killed by his masked agents. War with Iran seems to be approaching, yet Trump has not tried to sell the public on the conflict, articulated his goals, or laid out what would come next. He is facing an onslaught of questions about his ties to Jeffrey Epstein … as well as his efforts to use the Oval Office to enrich himself and his family." Read more in The Atlantic: 'Trump's Suddenly High-Stakes State of the Union' The dynamics inside the room: The president will look out from the dais and see many political adversaries during his address tonight. He will see some of their invited guests, highlighting the negative impacts of his policies. He will also likely see Supreme Court justices who just shot down his sweeping global tariffs — whom he says are now just "barely invited." It will be awfully tempting to veer off-script and air those grievances. The president has already said to expect a "long speech" (his address to a joint session of Congress last year, which was technically not a State of the Union speech, clocked in at more than 90 minutes). But for many Republicans, especially those in tough reelection fights, talking directly to the camera and selling Americans on his agenda will be key tonight. 💬 Follow today's live blog |
➤ WHAT WE KNOW ABOUT TONIGHT'S ADDRESS: |
When and where: Trump will begin his address in the House chamber around 9 p.m. How long will it last?: The exact length is unclear. His 2025 address to Congress set a record as the longest joint session speech, running nearly 1 hour and 40 minutes. The Democratic rebuttal: Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger (D) will then deliver the Democratic response. Guests to look out for in the room: The family of the Rev. Jesse Jackson, multiple Epstein survivors and YouTuber Nick Shirley are expected to attend, among others. 📝 List of expected guests The U.S. men's hockey team will be there: Members of the U.S. men's hockey team will attend the address after winning the Olympic gold medal. "Yeah, we're excited to go. I mean, it's something you don't get to do … I don't know what day it is … every Tuesday. But it's going to be special for us," hockey player Quinn Hughes told ABC News. However, the women's team declined Trump's invitation. In the wings: Keep an eye out for the Trump Cabinet secretary tapped as the administration's "designated survivor." Veterans Affairs Secretary Doug Collins served in the role last year. Tidbit: Democrats have picked Rep. Mike Thompson (D-Calif.) as their designated survivor, reprising a role he's held over multiple years. |
➤ WHAT DO DEMOCRATS HAVE PLANNED?: |
Democratic leaders have begged their members to be strategic in their protests this year. House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries (N.Y.) urged Democrats who choose to go to attend with "silent defiance." Some Democratic lawmakers are holding an alternative "state of the union" on the National Mall. Some are bringing guests to Trump's address to highlight the negative impacts of Trump's policies, such as people detained by federal immigration agents. And others are skipping the address altogether. Read more on the alternative event |
➤ HOW HAS TRUMP'S POLLING SHIFTED IN THE PAST YEAR?: |
When Trump took office in January 2025, his approval rating hovered around 50 percent. Today, it's down to less than 42 percent, per Decision Desk HQ. The Hill's Sarah Fortinsky scoured through polls and found that his most significant polling drop happened among young voters. Read Trump's polling breakdown by demographic and issue areas |
Tonight: Tune in for The Hill's live coverage ... Blake Burman anchors a digital broadcast from 8-11:30 p.m. ET on TheHill.com and The Hill's FAST Channel. Additional reporting will be provided by White House correspondent Julia Manchester, Rising's Lindsey Granger and Robby Soave, Decision Desk HQ's Scott Tranter, NewsNation contributor Sean Spicer and more. |
Savannah Guthrie's new $1 million reward: |
"Today" show co-host Savannah Guthrie made a new plea this morning, saying her family will offer up to a $1 million reward for information leading to the location of her missing mother, Nancy Guthrie. From Savannah Guthrie's new video: "It is Day 24 since our mom was taken in the dark of night, from her bed. And every hour and minute and second, and every long night, has been agony since then, of worrying about her, fearing for her, aching for her, and most of all, just missing her," she said. Guthrie also announced that her family will donate $500,000 to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. |
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How authorities killed Mexico's most-wanted kingpin: |
The New York Times's James Wagner posted a behind-the-scenes look at how Mexican authorities killed notorious drug cartel leader Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes — or "El Mencho." How it happened: Authorities found El Mencho hiding in a cabin in the mountains by tracking his lover. It was a deadly mission: "In all, Mexican authorities said they arrested 70 people and killed 34 suspected cartel members in the chaos across the country on Sunday, while 25 members of the national guard were among the dead. Local news outlets reported a civilian killed was a pregnant woman who had been caught in a shootout." Read more |
➤ AMERICANS IN MEXICO HAVE BEEN CALLING A CRISIS HOTLINE:
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The Northeast got pummeled: |
The next British ambassador: |
"Just hours after former UK Ambassador to the U.S. Peter Mandelson was arrested in London on Monday on suspicion of leaking government secrets to Jeffrey Epstein, his successor was feted at a welcoming party in Washington." The Hill's Sarakshi Rai spoke with incoming British Ambassador to the U.S. Christian Turner about stepping into the role. Check it out |
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The House and Senate are in. President Trump is in Washington. (All times EST) |
Today: Special elections in Pennsylvania and Maine. What to watch 12:30 p.m. Trump participates in an annual State of the Union luncheon in the Blue Room. 1:30 p.m. First House votes of the week. 📆 Today's agenda 4 p.m. Last House votes of the day. 5 p.m. The Senate votes. 📆 Today's agenda 9 p.m. Trump delivers his State of the Union address. 💻 Follow live |
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🧀 Celebrate: Today is National Tortilla Chip Day. 🌠 Pull out your telescope: Mercury, Venus, Jupiter and Saturn will be visible to the naked eye on Saturday. Plus, Uranus and Neptune will be visible with a telescope or binoculars. |
📺 Miss the previous issue of this newsletter? Catch up with a 1-minute video. |
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