Seoul Gazette - Trump to pledge new 'American dream' in Congress speech

The Republican president's speech comes after a whirlwind first six weeks in office, in which the United States has been roiled by a radical bid led by billionaire Trump advisor Elon Musk to overhaul the federal government by closing down agencies and firing many workers.

The 78-year-old Trump has also caused turmoil on the global stage, pausing military aid for Ukraine as he pivots toward Russia, vowing to "own" Gaza and unleashing tariffs against US allies.

The White House said the theme of the speech at 9:00 pm (0200 GMT Wednesday) would be "the renewal of the American dream," in social media posts linking to a story on Fox News, the administration's preferred outlet.

Fox said Trump would cover four areas: his second term's achievements so far at home and abroad, the economy, a push for Congress to pass border funding and Trump's plans for "peace around the globe."

"President Trump is the greatest orator we've ever had in the Oval Office. Every time he's done one of these addresses, Americans have been overwhelmingly blown away," his Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller told reporters on Monday.

"It's an opportunity for President Trump, as only he can, to lay out the last month of record-setting, record-breaking unprecedented achievements and accomplishments that have made this the most successful opening to any presidency."

Trump himself promised in a post on his Truth Social platform on Monday that the address to Congress "WILL BE BIG" and vowed that "I WILL TELL IT LIKE IT IS!"

In a sign of Musk's influence in Trump's administration, the world's richest person will reportedly attend the joint session of the House and Senate.

- Economic pressure -

Trump's address at the US Capitol comes just over four years after his supporters stormed the building following his 2020 election defeat.

Trump is likely to strike a triumphant tone as he returns to a Republican-controlled Congress, determined to exert more executive power than any president in decades.

Trump, who notoriously painted a picture of "American carnage" when he was inaugurated for his first term, is expected to tout the record blitz of executive orders he has signed since his return to the White House.

Together with Musk, Trump has shown his intent to push through his "Make America Great Again" agenda -- even if it means testing the constitutional limits of his authority or straining ties with allies.

Trump has moved to unilaterally dismantle federal agencies, fired thousands of government workers, ended diversity programs and begun holding undocumented migrants at the US military base at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba as part of his crackdown on foreigners without papers.

On the world stage, Trump will discuss his efforts to redefine US foreign policy.

He said on Monday that he would "let you know" during the speech about progress towards resolving the Ukraine conflict, after freezing military aid to Kyiv and stunning the world by starting talks with Russia's President Vladimir Putin.

His speech will come just four days after an extraordinary clash in the Oval Office with Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky, which left US support for Kyiv hanging in the balance.

Trump's presidential offensive has left the Democrats, already stunned by their 2024 election defeat, flailing for ways to counter him and his hogging of the news cycle.

But with his poll numbers softening, Trump will also know he faces pressure to deal with stubborn issues facing Americans -- most importantly inflation.

Trump's tariffs threaten to weigh on the economy, with US stocks closing sharply lower on Monday after he confirmed the levies would come into effect one minute into Tuesday against major trading partners Mexico and Canada.

P.Hwang--SG