President Donald Trump is set to deliver the first State of the Union address of his second term.
The annual speech to Congress comes as his administration navigates unpopular policies and a partial government shutdown ahead of the November midterm elections.
You can watch live coverage ahead of his speech on Scripps News, followed by the full State of the Union address.
Economic issues front and center
The president is expected to highlight his administration's positions on the domestic economy and on global tariff policies, which were just dealt a significant blow in a Supreme Court ruling last week. In a 6-3 decision, the high court ruled that the International Emergency Economic Powers Act does not give President Trump the authority to impose tariffs.
Members of the Supreme Court will be in attendance at Thursday's address.
"I'm ashamed of certain members of the court, absolutely ashamed for not having the courage to do what's right for our country," Trump said last week.
Unpopular immigration enforcement
For weeks at the start of the year, federal immigration agents descended on Minneapolis, Minnesota, to enforce the administration's immigration priorities. The White House claimed Operation Metro Surge resulted in more than 4,000 arrests of undocumented immigrants. In the ensuing protests, federal law enforcement agents also shot and killed two U.S. citizens: Renee Good and Alex Pretti.
In his address, the president is expected to "call on Democrats in Congress to reopen the Department of Homeland Security," according to White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt. Funding for the department has lapsed as Democrats seek limits on certain immigration enforcement actions before agreeing to restore it.
A potential conflict with Iran
President Trump is pressuring Iran to end its nuclear development ambitions, walking a fine line between diplomatic efforts and the potential of another U.S. military intervention in the Middle East. He is expected to share more policy details in Tuesday night's speech.
The president has dispatched his son-in-law, Jared Kushner, and special envoy Steve Witkoff to continue talks with Iranian negotiators. They are set to hold another round of talks in Geneva on Thursday, according to officials. But in the meantime, U.S. force buildup and precautionary measures near Iran continue.
For weeks, U.S. military assets, including dozens of cargo and tanker flights and at least two aircraft carrier strike groups, have continued to congregate in the region.
The Epstein files
President Trump and other members of his cabinet have defended their appearance in the Epstein files released by the Department of Justice. A string of document releases from the DOJ has highlighted ties between Trump and Epstein that go back years, though Trump has not been accused of criminal activity related to Epstein.
In a press conference before the State of the Union on Tuesday, Democratic lawmakers appeared with survivors and said they would continue their push for transparency from the administration.
"Tonight we are prepared to hear more lies, more deflections, more distractions — everything but the truth that the American people expect and that these brave survivors deserve," said House Minority Whip Catherine Clark (D-MA).
Earlier this month, President Trump urged the country to move on from the matter.
“I think it’s really time for the country to get on to something else. Now that nothing came out about me, other than it was a conspiracy against me, literally, by Epstein and other people,” the president said. “But I think it’s time now for the country to maybe get on to something else, like healthcare, or something the people care about.”
