The Evening: Trump’s big speech

Also, Canada and China retaliated against U.S. tariffs.

View in browser|nytimes.com March 4, 2025 By Matthew Cullen Good evening. Here's the latest at the end of Tuesday. Trump's address to Congress Retaliation against tariffs Plus, award-winning architecture President Trump at the White House last week. Doug Mills/The New York Times What to expect from Trump's address to Congress President Trump goes to the Capitol this evening for his first address to a joint session of Congress since his return to the White House in January. The speech will offer him his most prominent platform so far to promote his sweeping transformation of the federal government and lay out his vision for the future. "He has had a whirlwind first 43 days, a blitzkrieg of action," Luke Broadwater, our White House correspondent, told me. "Now he's going to tout all of the things that he's done that he believes are good for the country. And he will be cheered by Republicans." There is nothing constitutionally mandated about the event. It's not technically a State of the Union speech. But every president since Ronald Reagan has used the address to reach a wide audience. And Trump, ever the performer, is not one to turn down an opportunity like that. The president promised to "TELL IT LIKE IT IS" during the speech, which is scheduled to begin shortly after 9 p.m. Eastern time. The Times will stream the address here, with live analysis from reporters. Here are three things to watch for: 1. Trump will probably mention Ukraine. The president has said he wants to be remembered as a "peacemaker," and he is expected to discuss his promise of a quick end to the war in Ukraine. But his support for Ukraine has seemed to erode: Recently he had a combative meeting with President Volodymyr Zelensky and then, last night, the U.S. temporarily suspended aid to the country. Zelensky offered new terms today to stop the fighting with Russia. So, as Luke pointed out, it will be interesting to see how Trump addresses Ukraine and whether he still talks about the country as an ally. 2. Trump is expected to talk up Elon Musk's team. The president is expected to highlight the efforts he and Musk have undertaken to cut government spending — including by firing workers and suspending foreign aid — using executive authority alone. An earlier iteration of the Republican Party might have objected to the president's apparent disregard for Congress's control of the purse, Luke told me. "But this Republican Party has, block by block, been remade in Trump's image," he said. "For many, it's their dream presidency." 3. It's not clear how Democrats will react. Democrats have had a rough few months. Their party is out of power. They are largely leaderless. And they have struggled to respond to the frenzy of activity from the Trump administration. "Many Democrats think he is tearing down the government, offending allies abroad and turning the country backward," Luke said. They want to use tonight to express their concerns, but it's not clear what will resonate. Some will boycott the speech, and others are inviting fired federal workers to attend. Senator Elissa Slotkin will deliver the party's rebuttal. In other politics news: The I.R.S. is preparing to cut as much as half of its staff. Veterans are feeling the brunt of the administration's push to downsize the federal work force. Comments from Trump's commerce secretary renewed concerns that the administration could seek to interfere with federal statistics. Musk's cost-cutting team has barely touched the biggest sources of contract spending in the federal budget. After several angry town halls, a top Republican told House members to stop holding them. Deportations have lagged behind Trump's goals. Here's what the data shows. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau of Canada, in Ottawa today. Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press, via Associated Press Canada and China retaliated against Trump's tariffs The governments of Canada and China condemned the sweeping tariffs imposed today by the Trump administration. They both immediately imposed retaliatory measures. President Claudia Sheinbaum of Mexico said her country would also announce countermeasures if the U.S. tariffs, which have upended global markets, are still in place on Sunday. The trade measures are perhaps the most significant economic gamble Trump has made. He has offered a confusing mix of reasons, leaving America's biggest trading partners baffled and angry. For more: The growing trade war could harm many U.S. businesses, including farmers and carmakers. American views on tariffs depend largely on the question you ask. Destruction in Jabaliya, in the northern Gaza Strip, in January. Mahmoud Al-Basos/Reuters Arab leaders came up with a plan for Gaza's future Arab leaders endorsed their own vision for Gaza's postwar future today at an emergency summit in Cairo that was held in response to Trump's plans to "clear out" the enclave. An Egyptian plan called for spending $53 billion to rebuild Gaza, leaving residents in place, but not the Hamas government. In related news, the Israeli military said that it had killed a Hamas military commander in the West Bank. More top news Pollution: The Supreme Court sided with San Francisco in a challenge to water quality regulations issued by the E.P.A. Guns: The justices appeared skeptical that the Mexican government could legally sue U.S. gun makers over claims that they share the blame for violence by drug cartels. Weather: An unusually strong storm system was poised to bring wildfires, blizzards and tornadoes to much of the U.S. Wind knocked out power to 400,000 customers in Texas. Health: The C.D.C. sent "disease detectives" to West Texas, where a measles outbreak is continuing to spread. Books: Short stories by Harper Lee will be published for the first time this fall. Climate: The world's largest iceberg has come to a halt near the island of South Georgia in the South Atlantic Ocean. Lives Lived: James Harrison, whose blood had a rare antibody that might have helped more than two million babies in Australia, died at 88. TIME TO UNWIND Liu Jiakun and his "West Village" in Chengdu. Tom Welsh for the Hyatt Foundation and Chin Hyosook, via the Pritzker Architecture Prize Subtlety wins architecture's top prize At 17, Liu Jiakun was sent to labor in the countryside as part of China's "re-education" efforts during the Cultural Revolution. Now 68, he has won architecture's highest honor: the Pritzker Prize. Liu has built more than 30 projects in China, often using local materials to create understated works that incorporate their surroundings. His "West Village" project, in Chengdu, is open yet enclosed, with pathways for cyclists and pedestrians and views of the environment. See more of his work. Carl Dean, who was married to Dolly Parton for nearly 60 years, died on Monday. Instagram Dolly Parton's husband inspired 'Jolene' In the early years of her nearly six-decade marriage, Dolly Parton noticed that her husband was spending a lot of time at the bank, where he had developed a crush on a teller. She told him to knock it off. She later channeled her feelings into the 1973 song "Jolene," which became a hit — one of several inspired by her husband, Carl Dean, who died yesterday at 82. Her fans have been singing the chorus ever since: Jolene, Jolene, Jolene, Jolene I'm begging of you please don't take my man Jolene, Jolene, Jolene, Jolene Please don't take him just because you can. Timothée Chalamet in butter-yellow Givenchy at the Oscars ceremony on Sunday. Nina Westervelt for The New York Times Dinner table topics Butter yellow: The color has been on the ascent, with fans praising its positivity and warmth. Southern rebrand: Texas may rename the New York strip steak. A lasting impact: The U.S. star Ilona Maher attracted tens of thousands of fans to a semiprofessional women's rugby league. Ask our Well desk: My partner snores. How can I get some sleep? WHAT TO DO TONIGHT Kelly Marshall for The New York Times Cook: Make your own king cake with strawberry and cream cheese filling. Watch: Stream these shows and movies before they leave Netflix this month. Read: "The Cannibal Owl" is one of the best new historical-fiction releases to check out. Wear: Take inspiration from our fashion photographer's look of the week. Wash: Just because your shirt has a dry-clean label, doesn't mean you need to. Design: These stylish items will upgrade your home. Compete: Take our quiz to see how well you know books set in state capitals. Play: Here are today's Spelling Bee, Wordle and Mini Crossword. Find all of our games here. ONE LAST THING "What the Whale Told the Tuna" performed in Vienna. Wiener Staatsoper/Michael Pöhn Serious opera, with a silly side In European cities like Vienna and Berlin, children's operas are a regular feature of musical life. They are often no less impressive than operas for adults. In fact, quite a few composers enjoy the freedom of writing for children. The genre forces composers to see the world from a young person's point of view and allows them to ignore stereotypes about modern classical music. "I really love writing for children," one composer said. "I feel like I can really express my candor and my joy for music." Have an artistic evening. Thanks for reading. I'll be back tomorrow. — Matthew Sean Kawasaki-Culligan was our photo editor today. We welcome your feedback. Write to us at evening@nytimes.com. Writer: Matthew Cullen Editors: Carole Landry, Whet Moser, Justin Porter, Jonathan Wolfe Need help? Review our newsletter help page or contact us for assistance. You received this email because you signed up for The Evening from The New York Times. To stop receiving The Evening, unsubscribe. To opt out of other promotional emails from The Times, including those regarding The Athletic, manage your email settings. To opt out of updates and offers sent from The Athletic, submit a request. Subscribe to The TimesGet The New York Times app Connect with us on: Change Your EmailPrivacy PolicyContact UsCalifornia Notices The New York Times Company. 620 Eighth Avenue New York, NY 10018