On Tuesday, former President Donald Trump will deliver his first address to a joint session of Congress since returning to power and has promised a “golden age” for America. The president will lay out his second-term vision in a chamber packed with members of Congress and their guests, following a radical start that has dramatically reshaped both domestic and foreign policy.

Since being sworn into office, Trump has empowered Elon Musk to downsize the federal workforce, threatened allies with tariffs, and initiated mass layoffs of federal employees. He has also mobilized officers from nearly every federal law enforcement agency and the US military to carry out his campaign promise of mass deportations. The administration has rattled Europe with its pursuit of a peace deal to end Russia’s war in Ukraine on terms preferential to Moscow.

New polling shows warning signs for Trump, as more Americans hold a negative view of his presidency than a positive one. Nevertheless, Trump has shown no signs of changing course, even as backlash brews at town halls and protests across the country. Democrats out of power in Washington have largely watched from the sidelines, rallying public support and backing legal challenges they hope will provide the checks and balances that Republicans will not. Federal judges have slowed or halted some of the administration’s actions, but Democrats and observers fear that some of the damage will not be easily undone.

Source: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/mar/04/trump-state-of-the-union-address