House Speaker Mike Johnson has invited Trump to deliver a ceremonial post-inauguration speech to Congress on March 4.
House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) has extended an invitation to President Donald Trump to deliver a customary post-inauguration speech to lawmakers on Capitol Hill during a joint session of Congress that, while not officially a State of the Union address, is expected to have similar pomp and significance.
Johnson’s invitation was issued in the form of a letter to the White House dated Jan. 25, asking Trump to share his “America First vision for our legislative future” at a Joint Session of Congress on March 4.
“America’s Golden Age has begun,” Johnson wrote. “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.”
Trump is expected to accept the invitation, although there was no immediate response from the White House.
The event, though not classified as a State of the Union, follows a tradition since President Ronald Reagan where newly inaugurated presidents deliver speeches that are marked by comparable formality and ceremony. Such speeches are an opportunity for presidents to outline their vision for the nation at the start of their term, and to rally bipartisan support for their agenda.
Reagan’s 1981 address set the tone for this modern custom, focusing on economic recovery and national renewal during a time of economic stagnation and inflation. The priorities Reagan outlined in his speech included the promise of tax cuts, deregulation, as well as measures to curb inflation while encouraging job growth.
“All of us are aware of the punishing inflation which has, for the first time in 60 years, held to double-digit figures for 2 years in a row,” Reagan said at the time. “Unless we act forcefully—and now—the economy will get worse.”
In 2009, President Barack Obama used his address to rally lawmakers and the nation in the wake of the Great Recession.
By Tom Ozimek
