By Jack Phillips
The event started at 9 p.m. ET, where the president touted the U.S. economic recovery in a key moment ahead of the 2020 election.
Eleven guests will attend the speech, according to a statement from the White House on Tuesday, and each individual’s story will be highlighted by Trump during his address. They include a Border Patrol deputy chief; a former Venezuelan police chief who was held in detention for 15 years before escaping; military veterans, and the wife of a soldier who was killed in Iraq by forces associated with Iranian commander Qassem Soleimani—who was killed in a U.S. drone strike earlier this year,—and others.
Behind Trump is House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and Vice President Mike Pence.
According to excerpts of his speech, he is expected to talk about the NAFTA-replacement U.S.–Mexico-Canada Agreement, the trade deal with China, tax cuts, and highlight more factories being built in the United States.
“I think that this has gone on for too long and I think that, if you look at the ratings, the American people are frankly bored of it,” White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham told Fox News early Tuesday. “They want to hear what the president has done for this country and what he is planning to do for this country, so it will be very forward-facing.”
