Trump Invited to Address Congress in March, First of Second Term

WASHINGTON — House Speaker Mike Johnson on Saturday invited President Donald Trump to deliver an address to Congress in March, marking what would be Trump’s first joint address to Congress since the start of his second term.

In a letter, Johnson requested that Trump speak to both chambers of Congress on March 4 to outline his “America First” vision for the nation’s legislative future. “I eagerly await your response,” Johnson, R-La., wrote.

Joint sessions of Congress are typically reserved for the president or foreign leaders to address legislative priorities. Last year, three joint sessions were held, featuring addresses from then-President Joe Biden, Japan’s former Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, and Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

While presidents traditionally deliver the State of the Union address in February or March, Johnson’s letter did not specify whether Trump’s speech would serve as such. Instead, Johnson emphasized Trump’s leadership, stating, “America’s Golden Age has begun. Thanks to your strong leadership and bold action in the first days of your presidency, the United States is already experiencing a resurgence of patriotism, unity, and hope for the future.”

The White House has not yet responded to requests for comment on the invitation.

Trump has addressed joint sessions of Congress four times previously. Three of those speeches were State of the Union addresses, while his first occurred just over a month into his initial term. His most recent joint session speech took place in February 2020, shortly before the Covid-19 pandemic disrupted the nation. During that address, Trump criticized his political opponents as part of the “radical left” and awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom to conservative talk show host Rush Limbaugh—an unusual move for the annual event. Then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi famously tore up a copy of Trump’s speech after he concluded.