Happy Fat Tuesday, which also happens to be National Pancake Day (free pancakes at IHOP today!). Today's forecast in DC: ⛅ 55° (Find your weather here)
In today's issue: |
- Trump address preview
- White House’s guest list
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Retaliatory tariffs shock U.S. markets
- GOP senators ‘disappointed’ over Ukraine
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Why must these addresses happen so late?!: |
President Trump is delivering his joint address to Congress today, and this will be his time to defend his often dizzying strategy of flooding the zone with executive orders and contentious early policy moves.
^Fun fact: It’s not called a State of the Union address right after an election!
Like, the economy: Trump campaigned heavily on the economy, arguing former President Biden’s policies increased inflation and hurt the economy — that was a top reason voters elected him. But in his first 43 days, his focus hasn’t been on lowering those prices. This morning, Trump’s 25 percent tariffs against the U.S.’s two neighbors kicked in, sending the stock markets into a tumble, sparking retaliatory tariffs and causing likely price increases on groceries, gasoline and cars.
And then there’s Ukraine: Trump abruptly paused all U.S. military aid going to Ukraine after his fiery spat with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Friday. Republican senators in particular will be watching to see how Trump discusses Ukraine. The Hill’s Alexander Bolton reports that some Republicans are “disappointed” with the Zelensky blowup and are hoping Trump will salvage the relationship. (FWIW, the White House press secretary said she found Trump’s fight “refreshing.”)
Other things to watch: -
Elon Musk: Will Trump mention tech billionaire Elon Musk, who has taken the lead in purging the federal government?
- DEI: Trump is likely to highlight his administration’s effort to purge diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) efforts.
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Transgender athletes: The White House invited a woman who sustained a concussion after a transgender athlete spiked the ball during high school volleyball. Trump will likely highlight his administration’s priority to bar transgender athletes from competing in women’s sports. Senate Democrats blocked a bill Monday that would do just that.
- The government shutdown: Government funding runs out on March 14, and congressional negotiators still seem far from reaching a deal. Both parties are averse to being tied to a shutdown. And with GOP control of Washington, expect Trump to try to get ahead of it.
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What’s the schedule?: Trump will leave the White House at 8:30 p.m. and begin his address in the House chamber at 9:10 p.m. Per the White House schedule, he isn’t scheduled to leave the Capitol until 11:20 p.m., so expect a potentially long speech. (Most recent addresses have been roughly 60-90 minutes long.)
How to watch: We will be livestreaming it at TheHill.com. It will also air on major networks and cable news.
Who will be sitting with Melania Trump?: The White House invited 15 people to sit with the first lady, including family members of people killed by migrants and a former Russian prisoner who was released in a Trump-brokered prisoner swap. 📝 List of Trump’s guests
Who’s delivering the rebuttal?: Sen. Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.) will deliver Democrats’ response to Trump’s address tonight. Slotkin’s election was one of the few big Democratic victories in 2024.
^ You think she will match the energy of Sen. Katie Britt’s (R-Ala.) apocalyptic response last year? 📹 Throwback
What tricks do Democrats have up their sleeves?: Axios reports that some Democratic lawmakers are planning ways to disrupt the speech, including dramatic walkouts and noisemakers. However, Politico reports that Democrats are taking a more calculated focus on Trump’s message instead of a splashy disruption.
Democrats have also invited a slew of recently fired federal workers to attend the address, hoping to highlight the real-world effects of Trump's policies.
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➤ SPEAKING OF THE FUNDING DEADLINE: |
Punchbowl reports that Trump will meet with some House Republicans to iron out some issues on the government funding saga. |
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OK, so about these tariffs: |
President Trump’s 25 percent tariffs on Canada and Mexico and another 10 percent tariff on all Chinese imports took effect today.
Why?: To cause economic pain as an incentive for Canada and Mexico to curb the flow of fentanyl and migrants into the U.S. ^ Yes, but that goes both ways: - Canada hit the U.S. with 25 percent retaliatory tariffs on $30 billion in goods. Oh, and a Canadian premier told the Toronto Sun he will cut off electricity exports to the U.S. “with a smile on my face.”
- China said it would impose 15 percent tariffs on U.S. chicken, wheat, corn and cotton, plus 10 percent tariffs on sorghum, soybeans, pork, beef, seafood, fruits vegetables and dairy products, per The Associated Press.
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Mexico is expected to announce retaliatory tariffs later this week.
This sent stocks tumbling: The stock market opened with big losses this morning. The Dow lost 0.8 percent, the S&P 500 index lost 1 percent and the Nasdaq was down 1.2 percent. 📹 Watch the Fox News stock ticker plummet as Trump spoke 😅 |
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Trump’s next target — Liberal colleges: |
President Trump threatened to cut federal funding for colleges and universities “that allow illegal protests” on their campuses.
He posted on Truth Social: “All Federal Funding will STOP for any College, School, or University that allows illegal protests. Agitators will be imprisoned/or permanently sent back to the country from which they came. American students will be permanently expelled or, depending on on the crime, arrested. NO MASKS! Thank you for your attention to this matter.” 🔎 Read Trump’s post
Another layer to Trump’s threat to keep in mind: Trump has previously floated deporting international students who participate in protests. |
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🥞 A reason to celebrate: Today is National Pancake Day!
🏆 The new Guinness record for the longest acceptance speech: Actor Adrien Brody spent 5 minutes and 37 seconds accepting the Oscar for best actor, reportedly breaking the record for the longest acceptance speech ever. |
🍝 Spotted at Osteria Mozza: Former President Biden and former first lady Jill Biden, per Washingtonian’s Jessica Sidman.
📺 Could we see Elon Musk on ‘The Daily Show?’: Tech billionaire Elon Musk has been going back and forth with “The Daily Show” host Jon Stewart over potentially appearing on the show. Read the conversation |
The House and Senate are in. President Trump and Vice President Vance are in Washington. (all times Eastern)
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- 12:30 p.m.: Senators meet for weekly caucus luncheons.
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1:30 p.m.: First and last House votes. 📆 Today’s agenda
- 8:30 p.m.: Trump and first lady Melania Trump leave for the U.S. Capitol.
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9:10 p.m.: Trump delivers his joint address to Congress. 💻 Livestream
- 11:30 p.m.: Trump returns to the White House.
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