Trump to roll out massive tax cuts and a golden ‘three years’ to supercharge the economy in his State of the Union: Live updates

Donald Trump previewed his speech to reporters during a traditional, off-the-record lunch with network news anchors.

CNN’s Jake Tapper and ABC News Chief Washington Correspondent Jonathan Karl revealed what they learned at the lunch.

‘He gave us a little bit on the record about some of what he’s going to say tonight, including plans to advocate for a form of tax cuts corporate and mostly personal, he said, and to announce deals with AI and tech firms for data centers that consume so much electricity from local communities,’ Tapper said.

‘On the record he said, tonight’s pitch would be that, quote, the country is about to have the best three years economically in the nation’s history, and it’s already started. Unquote.’

Trump reportedly revealed the ‘magic words’ Iran refuses to say to prevent a strike

‘He said Iran wants a deal more than I do, but they just can’t say the magic words, which he said was that they won’t build a bomb,’ Karl said of the lunch on X.

Tapper added, ‘Amid the massive US military buildup and threat of conflict with Iran, the president said that Tehran wants to make a deal more than he does but so far, the Iranians have been unwilling to say explicitly the sacred phrase that they will not build nuclear weapons,’ Tapper said.

The eyes of America – and much of the world – will be fixed on Donald Trump on Tuesday night as he strides to the Speaker’s rostrum to deliver his historic fifth State of the Union.

It comes at a moment of explosive global tension. The standoff with Iran is edging toward boiling point.

Cartel violence is tearing through Mexican tourist hotspots. And back home, the White House is sharpening its message with the high-stakes November midterms looming large.

Democratic Representative Al Green is in the chamber for Donald Trump’s State of the Union speech and appears to be planning to attend the remarks after reserving his seat with a hand-written cardboard note.

Green avoided the question when asked earlier this month if he would attend after his antics last year.

Just minutes into Trump’s address to the joint session of Congress on March 4, 2025, Green interrupted to protest the president’s plans to cut Medicaid by repeatedly shouting: ‘You have no mandate!’

The Texas Democrat was forcibly escorted out of the House chamber by the Sergeant-at-Arm after he refused to comply with Speaker Mike Johnson’s orders to stop the interruption.

President Donald Trump is preparing his most dramatic and possibly longest State of the Union address yet for Tuesday, as he is putting finishing touches on his planned speech after just one year in his second term.

‘It’s going to be a long speech because we have so much to talk about,’ Trump previewed to reporters during a White House event, touting the ‘greatest economy we’ve ever had.’

For top advisors and presidential speechwriters, the president’s speech is their Super Bowl, as they spend time with the president drafting and fine-tuning the speech for the big night.

While 20 members of the 25-strong squad were in attendance, five players chose not to go to America’s capital to continue the celebrations.

Donald Trump’s highly anticipated State of the Union speech tonight could be his longest one yet.

He has warned it will be lengthy.

‘It’s going to be a long speech because we have so much to talk about,’ Trump told reporters on Monday.

CSPAN broke down the average length of Trump’s previous State of the Union Speeches and the average is nearly 80 minutes.

Last year, he spoke for 99.63 minutes.

Democratic Senator Mark Kelly of Arizona will be attending the State of the Union tonight in the US House Chamber.

Kelly, a veteran of the US Navy, was one of six Democratic lawmakers who filmed a video urging service members to resist ‘illegal orders’ from the Department of Defense, also known as the Department of War, under the Trump administration.

‘Just two weeks ago, Donald Trump tried to have me arrested because he didn’t like what I said,’ Kelly wrote in a post shared to X.

‘So yes, I’ll be at the State of the Union tonight because he can’t intimidate me or stop me from doing my job,’ Kelly added.

Federal prosecutors in Washington, DC officially dropped their case against the lawmakers earlier on Tuesday afternoon.

The Department of Homeland Security announced Democratic lawmakers plan to bring ‘illegal aliens’ as guests to Donald Trump’s State of the Union.

‘Today, some Democrats in Congress are planning to bring illegal aliens as guests to the State of the Union,’ DHS wrote on X. ‘Once again, they are putting illegal aliens above the safety of American citizens.’

‘Yesterday alone our officers arrested pedophiles, rapists, and violent criminals from our communities. President Trump and Secretary Noem have made it abundantly clear: if you come to our country illegally and break our laws, we will find you, we will arrest you, and you will NEVER return.’

It is unclear which Democratic members plan to bring migrants to the speech. DHS has not stated if they plan to arrest the migrants if they do attend.

Trump has made mass deportations the centerpiece of his domestic agenda since entering office.

A source close to the First Lady revealed to the Daily Mail that sitting alongside her while President Donald Trump addresses Congress will be ten-year-old Everest Nevraumont and 24-year-old Sierra Burns.

State of the Union guests are invited each year to symbolize the administration’s priorities.

Nevraumont was chosen because she’s an ‘AI education advocate and history champ.’

‘This is connecting back to Melania Trump’s efforts in education and technology for American children,’ the source explained.

Burns is a former foster child who is among the recipients of the First Lady’s efforts to secure housing for those previously in foster care.

A host on Donald Trump’s favorite news network asked the President not to bring up the Supreme Court tariff ruling at his first State of the Union address of his second term.

Fox News’ Brian Kilmeade urged Trump to steer clear of the topic because it would give Democrats a ‘lay-up,’ after he already called the justices ‘disloyal’ and an ’embarrassment.’

Speaking on The Five ahead of the speech, Kilmeade said straight to camera, ‘Mr. President, please don’t comment on the Supreme Court justices.’

He advised Trump:

I would point out what’s not working. I’d say, ‘Hey, beef is too high. I’m working on that. It’s a lot to do with no cattle because they thought they were destroying the ozone layer. That was wrong. There’s some drought that is hurting the bananas and the coffee. We’re working on that. But here’s what I’m going to do.’ And somehow bring up Iran, I agree with you. Also, enjoy yourself. And also, do not attack the Supreme Court Justices. Don’t give everyone a lay-up. Don’t say, don’t do what President Obama did.

It came after three conservative justices sided with all three liberal justices to strike down Trump’s sweeping tariffs policy.

A designated survivor is a member of the presidential line of succession selected to skip a large gathering of the federal government, such as tonight’s State of the Union, in case of a cataclysmic event.

The person is kept in a secure, undisclosed location during the event, and would only become president if a catastrophe kills the President, Vice President and other top officials in the line of succession.

This means they must meet the qualifications required by the Constitution to serve as president: being a natural born citizen and at least 35 years old.

Having a designated survivor is not required by the Constitution, but the tradition dates back to the Cold War.

When Trump addressed a joint session of Congress last March, Veterans Affairs Secretary Doug Collins was chosen as the designated survivor.

Trump has not picked his designated survivor for tonight.

The Democrats have chosen California Representative Mike Thompson as the party’s designated survivor.

Dozens of Democrats will be boycotting Donald Trump’s State of the Union by attending counterprogramming.

Two counter-programming events are planned in Washington, DC. The ‘State of the Swamp’ will take place at 7pm at the National Press Club, with lawmakers and media stars scheduled to speak, and activists encouraged to wear swampy frog costumes.

A second event, the ‘People’s State of the Union,’ will start at 8pm on the National Mall, including Trump nemesis Adam ‘Shifty’ Schiff of California.

Representative Katherine Clark, the House Democratic whip, said she will skip the State of the Union address and instead attend an alternative event.

‘Rather than listen to Donald Trump lie to the American people, I will be hearing from the people of my district about their personal experiences with skyrocketing costs, new barriers to health care, dismantled Social Security services, and brutal cuts to medical research,’ she said in a statement.