President Trump will address a joint session of Congress tonight, marking the first time he will speak before both chambers since he returned to office six weeks ago.

The president’s address is set to begin shortly after 9 p.m. ET. Its running time remains to be seen. During his first term, Mr. Trump’s 2017 joint address to Congress ran about one hour. Over the next three years, his State of the Union addresses averaged 80 minutes, according to the American Presidency Project.

Presidents typically address a joint session of Congress early in their tenure to outline a vision or agenda. The first speech before lawmakers is not technically a State of the Union, but rather an Address to a Joint Session of Congress.

As is customary, House Speaker Mike Johnson in January invited Mr. Trump to address Congress and “share his America First vision for our future.” In a letter to the president, the speaker wrote that the Trump administration and the Republican majorities in Congress will “have the chance to make these next four years some of the most consequential in our nation’s history.”

“America’s Golden Age has begun,” Johnson said in the letter, echoing a line from Mr. Trump’s inaugural address, while touting a “resurgence of patriotism, unity, and hope for the future.”

The theme of Mr. Trump’s address is “The Renewal of the American Dream,” according to a White House official. The president is expected in the speech to highlight what his administration has done so far, its economic policy, border security and foreign policy plans. The president said in a post on Truth Social late Monday that he will “TELL IT LIKE IT IS!”

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)