Trump Prepares for a 'Long Speech' at the State of the Union

As he prepared to deliver the State of the Union address, President Trump offered a brief preview Monday: "It’s going to be a long speech," he said, "because we have so much to talk about." He spent part of the weekend reviewing the text with a small group of advisers.

Though he typically avoids practicing speeches out loud, he did mimic the setup of the House chamber. The address arrives at a critical point in his presidency: his approval rating is sliding, Republicans fear they will lose control of at least one chamber of Congress, the Supreme Court has ruled against his signature tariff policy, and he is considering military action against Iran.

He is expected to host the traditional lunch with anchors from the five main networks and also invited guests from new media; officials declined to specify which anchors would attend. Ross Worthington, the White House director of speechwriting, led the drafting process, joined by Susie Wiles, Stephen Miller, Karoline Leavitt, Steven Cheung and Vince Haley.

United States

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