President Trump set to address Congress tonight

President Trump is set to address a joint session of Congress tonight.

NBC- President Trump is set to address a joint session of Congress tonight – laying out what he calls progress on reshaping the federal government. Trade tensions are rising as China announces retaliatory tariffs on select U.S. food imports, and Canada vows similar measures. The response comes after new U.S. tariffs took effect overnight, including a blanket 25% tariff on all imported goods from Canada and Mexico and an additional 10% tariff on Chinese imports. “What they have to do is build their car plants, frankly, and other things in the United States, in which case they have no tariffs,” said President Donald Trump.

American businesses now face the challenge of absorbing the increased costs or passing them along to consumers. A Michigan auto parts producer that imports 30% of its materials from Canada is bracing for the financial impact. “It means dramatically increased costs so we might not be able to recover,” said Chuck Dardas, President of AlphaUSA.

At the same time, President Trump has paused military aid to Ukraine, according to two U.S. officials. Following a public clash, the president inquired about the conditions necessary to restart negotiations with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy toward a peace deal with Russia. “I just think he should be more appreciative because this country has stuck with them through thick and thin,” said Trump.

Democrats are calling for swift action. “Without our assistance, this gets very, very hard for the Ukrainians, and by the way, it gets easy for Russia. This is what Russia wants,” said Senator Mark Kelly (D-Arizona). Democratic lawmakers have invited fired federal workers to President Trump’s address to Congress tonight. Among them is Erin Rehill, who lost her job with the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency after being assured by her boss that she was safe. “We have justified why you’re vital to the organization,” Rehill said. She hopes to humanize the struggles of the federal workforce. “When you work for this country, you feel a pride in the work that you do,” she added.