Washington, 24 February 2026 (dpa/MIA) - US President Donald Trump is set to deliver the first State of the Union address of his second term on Tuesday, outlining the results of his contentious first year back in the White House.

The speech to both chambers of Congress in Washington could offer a glimpse into Trump's assessment of his administration's performance ahead of midterm elections in November.

While State of the Union speeches tend to focus heavily on domestic developments, Trump's second presidency has been marked by its strong focus on foreign affairs, from efforts to end wars in Ukraine and Gaza to the capture of Venezuelan ruler Nicolás Maduro and the conflict with Iran.

Trump spoke to a joint session of Congress in March 2025, but that was not technically a State of the Union speech.

Tuesday's address comes days after Trump's landmark tariff policies were struck down by the US Supreme Court in an embarrassing defeat for the president that has left global trade partners scrambling to understand the consequences.

Domestically, Trump's brutal crackdown on immigrants carried out by the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency has provoked massive protests against raids in many cities, including Minneapolis.

Resistance to the administration has come from the streets and from Democrats in Congress. Following the violence in Minneapolis earlier this year, Democrats have continued to block funding for the Department of Homeland Security.

The traditional response by opposition to the president's address is to be delivered by Democratic Governor Abigail Spanberger of Virginia.

This State of the Union comes in a particularly significant year for the US, which celebrates 250 years since the Declaration of Independence in July.