FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Tuesday, March 4, 2025
PRESS CONTACT:
esperanza@focalpointstrategygroup.com
Washington, D.C. — Tonight, President Trump will deliver the first joint congressional address of his second presidential term. After a tumultuous month under his administration, the nation has experienced widespread disruption and uncertainty. Trump, alongside Elon Musk’s DOGE, has taken aggressive steps to dismantle federal agencies and undermine congressional authority, leaving the American people to fend for themselves. Funding freezes have wreaked havoc, impacting working families and critical programs from farmers and child care providers to medical research and housing assistance.
Throughout this crisis, Congressional Republicans have surrendered their gavels and have stood by Trump and Musk, supporting every controversial decision that undermines the Constitution and their role as legislators. Tonight, the American people will be watching. Will Republicans continue to cheer on the Trump-Musk agenda, or will they finally prioritize the interests of the very people who elected them?
As Trump seeks to reframe the narrative of his administration’s first month, here are five key things to watch out for during his address:
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Lies, Lies, and More Lies. Tonight’s joint session address may not be a State of the Union, where the President typically outlines his legislative agenda, but instead a speech heavy on rhetoric and light on substance. Expect Trump to spend much of the evening spinning his own narrative, attempting to rewrite the first month of his presidency. With a history of exaggerations and misleading claims, tonight’s address will likely be another round of the same familiar lies.
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House Republicans Cheering for a “Golden Era” for Americans After Voting To Cut Medicaid and Other Essential Programs. President Trump and Congressional Republicans continue to trumpet the idea of a “Golden Era” for Americans, one rooted in his “America First” agenda. However, House Republicans recently voted in favor of a budget bill that cuts $880 billion from Medicaid, $230 billion from SNAP, and simultaneously offers tax breaks for the wealthiest Americans and large corporations while raising taxes on the rest of America.
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Senators Susan Collins’ and Lisa Murkowski’s Reactions to Donald Trump Speech. Senators Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski have been among the few Republican members of Congress to express “concern” about some of President Trump’s agenda, particularly his unqualified Cabinet nominees. Yet, despite some expression of “concern,” Collins and Murkowski have largely acquiesced and supported the vast majority of Trump’s nominees and have done nothing to restrain the Trump-Musk imperial presidency. Collins’ and Murkowski’s inaction already speaks volumes about their priorities but their reaction tonight, as Trump continues to run roughshod over their prerogatives as legislators and spout his regular lies, will be a testament to whether they have the backbone to oppose the Trump-Musk wrecking ball to our constitution.
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Congressional Republicans Cheering As Trump Talks Tariffs. Both Trump and congressional Republicans spent the past campaign cycle claiming that they would lower costs for Americans on day one. Today, Trump implemented tariffs on goods coming in from Mexico, Canada, and China that will increase costs for Americans on thousands of consumer products at the same time that he has done nothing to lower the increasing cost of groceries, rent or gas.
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Elon Musk In The Chamber. Since inauguration day, Musk and Trump have been inseparable, as Americans have watched Musk in press conferences in the Oval Office, in Cabinet meetings, and seated at tables with international leaders. Will tonight’s joint address be another co-president event, or will Trump finally attempt to distance himself from the increasingly visible, controversial and unpopular Musk?