President Trump will address a joint session of Congress tonight for his first State of the Union address since returning to the White House just over one year ago.
It’s an opportunity for the president to tout his agenda and shape his party’s messaging ahead of this year’s midterm elections.
But the prime-time address comes at a moment when the president has seen his agenda complicated on multiple fronts. That includes trade, where his tariff policies were dealt a rebuke last week by the U.S. Supreme Court, and immigration, where Trump and congressional Democrats are deadlocked over funding the Department of Homeland Security.
Democratic U.S. Representatives from Illinois including Delia Ramirez, Mike Quigley, Sean Casten, Jan Schakowsky and Eric Sorensen are skipping the address.
U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth is also bowing out. They cited costly tariffs, wealth inequity, and brutal deportation campaigns as reasons for skipping the speech.
Others have decided to bring guests affected by immigration enforcement, rising healthcare costs, and lawsuits involving the Trump Administration.
NPR contributed to this report.