Start Here Trump Readies His State of the Union Address
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Feb 24, 2026 Shannon Kingston, ABC correspondent covering global affairs and cartel violence in Mexico. James Longman, ABC chief international correspondent tracking UK fallout from Jeffrey Epstein documents. Mary Bruce, ABC chief White House correspondent analyzing White House strategy and approval ratings. They discuss Trump’s State of the Union messaging, UK arrests tied to Epstein, and cartel violence affecting Americans in Mexico.
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Trump Aims State Of The Union At Swaying Skeptical Voters
- President Trump will use the State of the Union to directly sell sweeping policy goals while facing a 60% disapproval in ABC/Washington Post/Ipsos polling.
- Mary Bruce says he'll emphasize affordability wins like lower gas and eggs but faces uncertainty from the Supreme Court tariffs ruling and persistent high grocery prices.
Administration Sidelines Congress On Tariff Strategy
- The White House is pursuing tariffs and other economic tools without relying on Congress, sidelining lawmakers in major policy choices.
- Mary Bruce highlights the administration's use of non-legislative authorities to keep tariffs central despite institutional pushback.
Make Military Objectives Clear Before Striking Iran
- Before any further strikes on Iran, the president needs to publicly explain objectives and end-states to the American people.
- Mary Bruce stresses questions about whether action aims at nukes, regime change, or limited deterrence.