The President of the United States, Donald Trump, will deliver his first speech before a joint session of Congress in his second term on Tuesday, March 4, just six weeks after taking office on January 20. Trump's speech is expected to be extensive, as during his first term, his four addresses to Congress lasted on average just over 1 hour and 15 minutes.
The occasion will be special as Trump will address a Congress controlled by Republicans in both chambers, the Senate and the House of Representatives. This time, Democrats have chosen Senator Elissa Slotkin to respond to the president's speech on behalf of the opposition, while Congressman Adriano Espaillat will handle the response in Spanish.
Among the attendees at the speech is Elon Musk, the tech mogul, who has become one of Trump's biggest allies. Additionally, some of the Democrats' guests will be victims of mass layoffs prompted by Musk, which has sparked controversy.
The Democratic Party has accused Trump of "betraying" Americans with budget proposals that benefit the wealthy and include cuts to important programs that will be "devastating" for low-income communities. Congressman Adriano Espaillat has warned that these cuts will have a significant impact on programs like Medicaid, food assistance for low-income individuals, and Medicare.
At a time when Trump is rapidly transforming the state bureaucracy, redefining U.S. foreign policy, and intensifying the fight against immigration, his speech comes at a critical moment. Additionally, it will coincide with the implementation of tariffs on Canada and Mexico, adding a new element of interest to the joint session of Congress.
