President Donald Trump is set to give a joint address to Congress tonight, his first message to both chambers of Congress since taking office for the second time.
The address arrives amid a contentious moment for the president after he enacted 25 percent sweeping tariffs on Mexico and Canada on Tuesday, which led Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to announce retaliatory tariffs.
In an angry press conference, Trudeau declared that he would also impose 25 percent tariffs on U.S. goods.
“It's not in my habit to agree with The Wall Street Journal, but Donald, they point out that even though you’re a very smart guy, this is a very dumb thing to do,” the Canadian prime minister said on Tuesday.
The president responded by mocking Trudeau, calling him the “governor” of Canada and threatening to “immediately” issue reciprocal taxes on Canadian goods.
Trump’s latest trade war endeavor sent the U.S. stock markets tumbling.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell over 670 points by the end of trading, compounding Monday’s drop of 650 points, and the S&P 500 lost all of its post-election gains amid rising concerns that the U.S. might be heading for a
Key Points
- Justin Trudeau calls Trump’s tariff war a ‘very dumb thing to do’ and announces retaliatory tariffs
- Trump mocks 'Governor Trudeau' and claims he will add more tariffs to Canada
- Stock markets see sluggish opening as Wall Street reacts to Trump’s new tariffs on Mexico and Canada
- Volodymyr Zelensky ‘regrets’ meltdown meeting with Trump and vows to work together for peace
- Trump to deliver first joint congressional address of second presidency tonight
Vance to visit U.S.-Mexico border on Wednesday
01:19
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Oliver O'Connell
Vice President JD Vance will travel to the U.S.-Mexico border for a firsthand look at the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown, the Associated Press reports.
Vance will be in Eagle Pass, Texas, on Wednesday, according to state officials and local activists. Federal aviation officials have also cleared air space for Air Force Two to make the trip.
The vice president is making a series of stops, including Shelby Park, a municipal park along the Rio Grande that Republican Gov. Greg Abbott seized from federal authorities last year in a feud with the Biden administration.
Trudeau addresses Trump directly as he rips into his ‘dumb’ tariffs
01:15
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Oliver O'Connell
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau had a frank message on Tuesday for his counterpart Donald Trump, telling him that the administration’s 25 percent tariffs on its North American neighbors were a “dumb” course of action.
Josh Marcus reports.
Watch: Rubio and Kennedy arrive for Trump's address to Congress
01:05
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Oliver O'Connell
Trump's tariffs: Is the US economy headed for a recession?
01:00
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Oliver O'Connell
As President Donald Trump’s trade tariffs on Canada and Mexico begin, the stock markets have taken a tumble with major retailers forecasting a gloomy 2025. The economy has held strong despite some economists voicing concerns with Trump’s policy - the question now will it continue or head to a recession?
Rhian Lubin reports.
Watch: Mace says Democrats boycotting Trump address 'hate our country that much'
00:55
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Oliver O'Connell
Texas measles outbreak: RFK Jr praises unconventional treatments but not vaccines in Fox interview
00:50
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Oliver O'Connell
Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. praised unconventional treatments, but didn’t mention vaccines, in an interview on Fox News about the expanding measles outbreak in West Texas.
In the prerecorded interview, Kennedy said that the federal government was sending vitamin A to the epicenter of the outbreak in Gaines County. He added that the government was also helping to arrange ambulance rides.
Gustaf Kilander has the story.
Watch: Bannon calls Zelensky a ‘punk’ and declares its time for US to cut its losses
00:45
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Oliver O'Connell
Trump proxy Alina Habba slams DOGE-fired veterans as ‘not fit to have a job at this moment’
00:40
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Oliver O'Connell
Top Trump lawyer Alina Habba has insultingly suggested that some U.S. military veterans who were fired from government jobs as part of ongoing massive federal workforce cuts “were not fit to have a job at this moment.”
Habba, who defended Trump in his high-profile sexual abuse case against writer E. Jean Carroll and now works as a counselor to the president, said that the Trump administration cares “tremendously” about veterans but had a “fiscal responsibility” to “pay people that actually work.”
Mike Bedigan reports.
Why aren't we calling this a 'State of the Union' speech?
00:30
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AP
It will look like the State of the Union, and will be broadcast on live television, but it’s called something else entirely: a joint address to Congress.
President Donald Trump will stand at the front of the U.S. House chamber to address a joint session of Congress, the first of his second term in office, on Tuesday night.
The joint address has its origins in the first term of President Ronald Reagan.
Read on...
UK defense minister to meet US counterpart Hegseth on Ukraine peace plan
00:25
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Reuters
British defence minister John Healey will meet U.S. Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth in Washington on Thursday to discuss a peace plan for Ukraine, Britain's Ministry of Defence said.
Healey's visit comes as European leaders race to draw up a peace plan to present to Washington after President Donald Trump paused military aid to Ukraine on Monday following a fallout with President Volodymyr Zelensky.
After meetings with world leaders at the weekend, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said he would continue to speak with friends and allies to secure a path to a lasting peace.
"We will advance that work in Washington over the coming days," Healey said in a statement on Wednesday.
Watch a different Marco Rubio hail US vow to defend Ukraine
00:22
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Oliver O'Connell
Secretary of State Marco Rubio has said that the Trump administration should do just about anything to get Russian President Vladimir Putin to the negotiating table to reach a deal on the Ukraine War — even though Putin has reportedly already been talking to Donald Trump for weeks without Ukraine.
Now the Trump administration has halted military aid to Ukraine, and Rubio has called for an apology from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky after a heated While House clash Friday during which Zelensky was berated by Trump.
Just over a decade ago Rubio spoke passionately about America’s moral imperative to defend Ukraine against aggression after the nation gave up up its nuclear stockpile following the fall of the Soviet Union.
Mary Papenfuss reports.
Watch: Burchett gives one-word answer on what he wants to hear from Trump
00:19
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Oliver O'Connell
Marjorie Taylor Greene repeats defense of Canada tariffs already dubbed ‘bogus’ by Trudeau
00:14
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Oliver O'Connell
Marjorie Taylor Greene has, unsurprisingly, backed Donald Trump’s exorbitant tariffs on Canada, using a defense previously described “bogus” by Justin Trudeau.
Speaking hours before the president’s address to a joint session of Congress, the Georgia rep spoke to The Independent.
Katie Hawkinson at the Capitol and Mike Bedigan in New York report.
GlobalFoundries chief says tariffs could benefit US chipmakers
00:00
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Oliver O'Connell
Thomas Caulfield, Chief Executive Officer of semiconductor manufacturer GlobalFoundries, said on Tuesday that tariffs on foreign-made chips could benefit U.S. chip producers by increasing demand for chips made domestically, Reuters reports.
Caulfield shared at an investor conference hosted by Morgan Stanley that the $52.7 billion CHIPS and Science Act, along with an investment tax credit for chip-making equipment, has significantly increased U.S. capacity to manufacture chips. He noted that tariffs making foreign chips more expensive would encourage customers to opt for chips produced in U.S. factories.
“I don't think one or the other is enough. I do believe you need (the) CHIPS (Act) and the (investment tax credit) to create the capacity, and the tariffs to kind of create the dynamics to make the demand want to come home,” said Caulfield, who plans to transition to an executive chairman role next month.
His comments arrive as some industry players anticipate potential changes to the CHIPS Act grant conditions under President Donald Trump.
Watch: Marjorie Taylor Greene trolls Democrats over boycott
Tuesday 4 March 2025 23:53
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Oliver O'Connell
ANALYSIS: Why some Democrats are attending Trump’s address while others boycott it
Tuesday 4 March 2025 23:40
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Oliver O'Connell
Eric Garcia writes:
Rep. Madeleine Dean of Pennsylvania is an ardent opponent of Donald Trump’s. She served as a manager for his second trial when Congress impeached him over the January 6 riot.
Nevertheless, Dean says she will be coming to listen to first Trump’s joint address to Congress since returning to the White House earlier this year. Dean – wearing white, the color of the women’s suffrage movement – said she wants to “stand up to the lies that he will tell.”
Some Democrats have made it a point to say that they will not attend Trump’s address or say they will disrupt the president’s speech. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York and Sen. Ron Wyden of Oregon said they will hold livestreaming town halls instead of attending.
But for some, it was important for them to bear witness to it and to show visible opposition to his policies.
Continue reading...
Watch: Rep Chip Roy reacts to Trudeau's claim Trump is trying to wreck Canadian economy
Tuesday 4 March 2025 23:34
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Oliver O'Connell
IRS drafting plans to cut as much as half of 90,000-strong workforce, report says
Tuesday 4 March 2025 23:30
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Oliver O'Connell
The IRS is drafting plans to potentially reduce its workforce of approximately 90,000 employees by half through a combination of layoffs, attrition, and incentivized buyouts, the Associated Press reports, citing two individuals familiar with the situation who are not authorized to speak on the record.
A workforce reduction of tens of thousands could render the IRS “dysfunctional,” stated John Koskinen, a former IRS Commissioner.
The federal tax agency employs nearly 90,000 workers nationwide, according to recent IRS data. People of color account for 56% of the IRS workforce, while women comprise 65%.
These cuts are part of the Trump administration’s efforts to shrink the size of the federal workforce size through Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency.
UK tabloids furious at Vance's 'vile slur' on British war dead
Tuesday 4 March 2025 23:25
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Oliver O'Connell
The British tabloids tomorrow ... pic.twitter.com/iNYug69l1Z
— Paul Mason (@paulmasonnews) March 4, 2025
Full story: Stock market finishes roller-coaster day down 670 points as Wall Street reacts to Trump’s tariffs
Tuesday 4 March 2025 23:20
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Oliver O'Connell
The stock markets endured a turbulent day as Wall Street braced for the impacts of President Donald Trump’s tariffs on the U.S.’s largest trading partners.
The president’s highly anticipated 25 percent trade tariffs on Mexico and Canada took effect Tuesday. He also added an extra 10 percent levies on China on top of the 10 percent he imposed last month.
It was a rollercoaster Tuesday. Hours after opening, the Dow Jones Industrial Average plummeted more than 700 points before picking back up mid-afternoon, when it sat at a loss of more than 239 points, or .65 percent. But the relief was brief; by close of day, the Dow had dropped to close at a loss of 670 points, or 1.55 percent.
Kelly Rissman reports from New York.
Which Trump children will attend tonight's speech?
Tuesday 4 March 2025 23:10
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Oliver O'Connell
The Daily Mail reports that in addition to first lady Melania Trump, the following members of President Donald Trump’s family will be attending tonight’s speech.
- Donald Trump Jr
- Eric Trump and Lara Trump
- Tiffany Trump and Mark Boulos
The outlet reports that it was unclear if Don Jr would bring his girlfriend Bettina Anderson, that Barron Trump is not expected to attend because of his studies at NYU, and a spokesperson did not respond to inquiries about Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner, who live in Miami.
McMahon announces plan to 'overhaul' Dept of Education in Trump's vision — and put herself out of a job
Tuesday 4 March 2025 23:00
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Oliver O'Connell
Linda McMahon wasted no time in announcing plans to “eliminate bureaucratic bloat” at the Department of Education on the day she was sworn into office.
McMahon was sworn in as Education Secretary Monday and it was swiftly followed by her plans to carry out President Donald Trump’s vision for the department — abolishing it. Trump has repeatedly said he wants McMahon, estranged wife of WWE mogul Vince McMahon, to “put herself out of a job” and shut down the departmen
Rhian Lubin reports.
New poll: Less than one-third of Americans approve of Trump's handling of cost of living
Tuesday 4 March 2025 22:49
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Oliver O'Connell
Only one in three Americans approve of President Donald Trump's management of the cost of living in the U.S., indicating growing unease as he implements steep tariffs on imports that are fueling inflation concerns, according to a Reuters/Ipsos survey that wrapped up on Tuesday.
The two-day poll, conducted just before the president is set to speak at a joint session of Congress, revealed Trump's approval ratings falling below 40% on various issues — including the economy, foreign policy, and corruption — with the notable exception of his 49% rating on immigration policy.
Importantly, the proportion of Americans who give him overall approval — remaining steady at 44% — is still higher than those of former President Joe Biden, during the latter half of his 2021-2025 term.
The poll indicated that 31% of Americans approve of Trump's approach to the cost of living, a slight three percentage point drop from 34% in a survey conducted from February 21-23. A majority of 54% express disapproval.
Trump has swiftly moved to reshape America's international relationships, implementing steep 25% tariffs on Mexican and Canadian imports effective Tuesday, along with 20% tariffs on Chinese products.
Economists warn that these tariffs will exacerbate inflation. Trump's success in the 2024 presidential election was partly attributed to widespread dissatisfaction with several years of high inflation under Biden. Only 31% of those surveyed agreed with the notion that tariffs would be a beneficial strategy, even if prices rise.
Government reports last week indicated continued high inflation in January. When adjusted for rising prices, consumer spending recorded its largest decline since February 2021.
The Reuters/Ipsos poll, conducted online and nationwide, surveyed 1,174 U.S. adults and had a margin of error of three percentage points.
Trump administration wants to sell off hundreds of federal properties — including DOJ headquarters
Tuesday 4 March 2025 22:40
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Oliver O'Connell
The Trump administration has designated the headquarters of multiple cabinet departments and federal courthouses across the country as nonessential properties that can be sold off.
A website for the General Services Administration — the agency responsible for managing the government’s office space — detailing “buildings and facilities that are not core to government operations” now includes the headquarters of the Department of Justice, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the federal courthouse in Los Angeles, America’s second-largest city.
Andrew Feinberg reports from Washington, D.C.
Trump administration pushes back on reporting minerals deal will be signed today
Tuesday 4 March 2025 22:27
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Oliver O'Connell
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has quashed earlier reporting by Reuters that President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky will sign a mineral resources deal today.
Bessent told Fox News: “There is no signing planned.”
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent tells FOX, "There is no signing planned." https://t.co/Mc0oslY8oQ
— Jacqui Heinrich (@JacquiHeinrich) March 4, 2025
CBS News further reports that while Ukraine is willing to sign a deal, multiple sources tell the network that it is not finalized.
Per the network:
And the parameters of the agreement could change because the president is now holding out for a "bigger, better deal," said a person familiar with the talks, granted anonymity to speak frankly about the details of the back-and-forth.
Administration officials told CBS there was no plan Tuesday afternoon for Mr. Trump or his top advisers to sign a deal.
AOC issues warning on optics of tonight's speech
Tuesday 4 March 2025 22:20
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Oliver O'Connell
New York Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has issued a warning about Republican tactics to change the optics of what TV audiences will see at tonight’s address to the joint session of Congress by President Donald Trump.
AOC warns on Bluesky that she has heard some of her Republican colleagues have been showing up on the House floor to take seats on the side that would usually be used by Democrats during a State of the Union speech (of which this is a version).
She explains: “SOTU seats are not assigned. There are general seating areas for each body (House, Senate, SCOTUS, etc) but there are honored seats for each party’s leadership and they’re even trying to squat those.
“If it doesn’t sort out, be aware you may see applause on both sides of the aisle but they may be GOP.”
Democrats looking to ‘express our outrage’ at Trump’s speech tonight
Tuesday 4 March 2025 22:05
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Kelly Rissman
House Democrats are discussing a way to "productively" disrupt President Donald Trump’s speech to Congress — but they haven’t come to a consensus on the best protest tactic, according to a report.
Democrats are considering a range of plans to protest against Trump’s joint Congressional address Tuesday evening, Axios reported. Others are weighing other tactics, such as boycotting the speech, but they are aligned in trying to find a way to convey “outrage” at how the president’s first two months in office have gone.
“The part that we all agree on is that this is not business as usual and we would like to find a way — productively — to express our outrage," one House Democrat told the outlet.
Congress members may even hold up noisemakers or other props to demonstrate their frustration.
Some of these ideas include displaying eggs or empty egg cartons — to comment on the all-time high prices. Another is pocket constitutions — to comment on his alleged Constitutional violations — and anti-Trump and Department of Government Efficiency signs, the outlet reported.
Commerce secretary says US will likely meet Canada and Mexico 'in the middle'
Tuesday 4 March 2025 21:57
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Oliver O'Connell
Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick told Fox Business on Tuesday that President Donald Trump will reach a middle ground with Canada and Mexico on tariffs and an announcement to that effect was expected on Wednesday.
Lutnick: "Both the Mexicans and the Canadians were on the phone with me all day today trying to show that they'll do better, and the president is listening because you know he's very very fair and very reasonable. So I think he's gonna work something out with them. It's not gonna… pic.twitter.com/qjzYHzipQr
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) March 4, 2025
Said Lutnick: “Both the Mexicans and the Canadians were on the phone with me all day today trying to show that they'll do better, and the president is listening because you know he's very very fair and very reasonable. So I think he's gonna work something out with them. It's not gonna be a pause. None of that pause stuff. But I think he's gonna figure out, you do more, and I'll meet you in the middle.”
Presenter Larry Kudlow started his show by claiming that the pain experienced by American consumers due to the trade war would be temporary and would not lead to long-term inflation.
the view from Pyongyang pic.twitter.com/739IRUrBkQ
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) March 4, 2025
Trade tensions drag down stock market as Nasdaq nears correction territory
Tuesday 4 March 2025 21:44
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Oliver O'Connell
Wall Street ended the day lower on Tuesday, with the tech-heavy Nasdaq veering near correction territory, as trade tensions escalated following President Donald Trump's new tariffs on Canada, Mexico and China.
The 25 percent tariffs on imports from Mexico and Canada, along with doubled duties on Chinese goods, took effect on Tuesday just after midnight.
China and Canada retaliated while Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum vowed to respond likewise, without giving details.
The Nasdaq Composite ended lower after veering into correction territory during the session but pared losses in choppy trading. The index closed down 9.3% from its record closing high on December 16.
Shares in financials and industrials were the biggest losers among the benchmark S&P 500's 11 main sectors.
Citigroup and JPMorgan Chase fell 6.2% and nearly 4%, respectively, sending the bigger banks index down 4.7%.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 670.25 points, or 1.55%, to 42,520.99, the S&P 500 lost 71.57 points, or 1.22%, to 5,778.15 and the Nasdaq Composite lost 65.03 points, or 0.35%, to 18,285.16.
Car makers Ford and General Motors, which have vast supply chains across North America, fell 2.9% and 4.6%, respectively.
With reporting by Reuters
Who is Elissa Slotkin? Young Michigan Democrat set to give response to Trump’s address
Tuesday 4 March 2025 21:30
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Ariana Baio
Michigan Senator Elissa Slotkin has been selected as the Democratic lawmaker to deliver the liberal party’s rebuttal to President Donald Trump’s joint address to Congress on Tuesday evening.
Slotkin, 48, was only elected to the U.S. Senate in November but previously spent six years representing a Michigan district in the House. She worked as a CIA analyst during the Iraq War and also served in the State Department and Department of Defense under the Obama administration.
Dubbed a “rising star” in the Democrat Party by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, Slotkin has developed a reputation for being a moderate Democrat and highly-ranked bipartisan member of Congress.
In response to her selection as the Democrat rebuttal, Slotkin said she would speak directly with Americans about “what’s actually happening in the country.”
Senate Judiciary Committee members ask disciplinary council to investigate Trump-appointed DOJ official
Tuesday 4 March 2025 21:00
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Ariana Baio
Senators on the Senate Judiciary Committee are asking the disciplinary counsel in New York to investigate Emil Bove III due to “grave concern” over his actions in New York City Mayor Eric’s case dismissal.
Bove, who is currently acting deputy attorney general, sought to have the bribery charges against Adams dropped but faced pushback from career prosecutors.
“Mr. Bove has abused his position in numerous ways, including using the prosecutorial power of the federal government to coerce an elected state municipal officer to pursue policies to the political benefit of President Donald J. Trump,” the letter from Senators read.
“Rather than carry out an unethical order from Mr. Bove, then-Acting U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York (SDNY) Danielle Sassoon, a SDNY assistant U.S. attorney, and at least five career prosecutors in DOJ’s Criminal Division, including the then-acting chief of the Public Integrity Section and a deputy assistant attorney general, resigned.”
Here are the guests at Trump’s address to Congress
Tuesday 4 March 2025 20:30
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Josh Marcus
The White House has unveiled the guest list for Donald Trump’s joint address to Congress this evening.
The administration said the guests were “everyday Americans” and that Trump would tell their stories during his remarks in the House.
Read more here:
Watch: Zelensky stresses importance of stable and genuine partnership with US
Tuesday 4 March 2025 20:15
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Ariana Baio
Trudeau addresses Trump directly as he rips into his ‘dumb’ tariffs
Tuesday 4 March 2025 20:00
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Josh Marcus
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau had a frank message on Tuesday for his counterpart Donald Trump, telling him that the administration’s 25 percent tariffs on its North American neighbors were a “dumb” course of action.
“It’s not in my habit to agree with the Wall Street Journal, but Donald, they point out that even though you are a very smart guy, this a very dumb thing to do,” Trudeau said during a press conference in Ottawa, the day Trump’s 25 percent tariffs on Canada took effect. “We two friends fighting is exactly what our opponents around the world want to see."
Stephen A. Smith now boasts he’d be favorite in 2028 Democrat primary: ‘I can beat them all!’
Tuesday 4 March 2025 19:45
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Justin Baragona
Acknowledging that he’s personally ‘not qualified’ to be president, ESPN commentator Stephen A. Smith said that one merely needs to ‘consider who is on the other side’ and how Trump has ‘gotten away with saying very little in terms of being coherent.’
Read more here:
Fired federal workers expected to attend Trump's joint address
Tuesday 4 March 2025 19:30
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Ariana Baio
Some Senate Democrats are planning to bring recently fired federal workers to Trump’s joint address tonight – a form of silent opposition to the recent federal government restructuring.
Senator Richard Blumenthal told CNN he plans to bring a recently fired inspector general while Senator Elizabeth Warren said she will bring a recently fired federal employee who was working on procuring scientific research money.
“Fring him is the opposite of efficiency. It is actually just cutting off our hands so we can’t do the work that we need to do,” Warren told CNN.
AOC to skip Trump's address
Tuesday 4 March 2025 19:08
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Alex Lang
New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez announced on Bluesky that she will not be in the chamber for Trump’s address to Congress.
“I’m not going to the Joint Address. I will be living posting and chatting with you all here instead. Then going on IG live after,” the liberal congresswoman wrote.
Congressional Republicans advised against holding in-person town halls
Tuesday 4 March 2025 19:00
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Ariana Baio
The chair of the National Republican Congressional Committee advised GOP members of Congress against holding in-person town halls after several lawmakers faced aggressive behavior from attendees.
Several Republican congressional members have been confronted by angry citizens – much of it aimed at the sweeping federal cuts made by Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency.
Some liberal advocacy groups have encouraged people to attend GOP town halls to voice their concerns about the administration’s changes. But there is no evidence they have paid people to attend, an accusation launched by Speaker Mike Johnson.
The advice to Republicans came during a closed-door meeting on Tuesday by Representative Richard Hudson, who compared the recent string of moments to similar events that occurred in 2017 at Republican-hosted town halls, three sources familiar with the meeting told Politico.
The advice is not binding.
Trump mocks 'Governor Trudeau' and claims he will add more tariffs to Canada
Tuesday 4 March 2025 18:40
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Ariana Baio
Trump said he would “increase” tariffs on Canada “by a like amount” after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau threatened to enact retaliatory tariffs on the U.S.
“Please explain to Governor Trudeau, of Canada, that when he puts on a Retaliatory Tariff on the U.S., our Reciprocal Tariff will immediately increase by a like amount!” Trump wrote on Truth Social on Tuesday afternoon.
The U.S.’s reciprocal tariffs, which could match other countries’ tariffs, are set to go into effect on April 2.
Musk to meet with some House Republicans to discuss DOGE, on Wednesday
Tuesday 4 March 2025 18:20
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Ariana Baio
Elon Mu