What Republicans do, and don’t, want to hear from Trump at State of the Union
Who's accountable for the results?
Congressional Republicans are pleading with President Donald Trump to exercise message discipline on major domestic issues in his upcoming State of the Union address as the 2026 midterm elections kick off.
In interviews with the Washington Examiner, GOP lawmakers desire for Trump to acknowledge affordability concerns and immigration blunders, avoid 2024 election gloating, and leave political grievances at the door.
“I think he should avoid being acerbic — kind of taking shots at people — and be aspirational,” said Sen. Cynthia Lummis (R-WY), who’s among the members retiring from Congress next year. “He’s at his best when he’s being aspirational.”
Trump speaks to the public virtually every day in Truth Social posts and remarks to reporters. But his annual speech before Congress, slated for Feb. 24, will mark one of the few remaining opportunities ahead of the midterm elections to speak to a wide audience of the public.
If the president fails to drive home the party’s tax cuts from Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act last year to instead “spend time talking about how we solve the war in Africa, and the little one in Asia, and we’re almost done with the one in Europe, and we’re — it just won’t work for the average person,” said a GOP member of Congress who was granted anonymity to speak candidly.
“Trump ain’t on the ballot, so he’s going to have to get out there and try to pull people across the goal line, because I think people are going to be held accountable for us — we ain’t done anything since July,” Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-AL), who’s running for Alabama governor this fall, said in reference to the GOP tax law. “We haven’t gotten anything done.”
Trump used his 2025 address to Congress in the months after his return to office to take a defiant victory lap on combating illegal immigration and temper expectations that cost-of-living increases could be reversed. The president’s greatest achievement more than a year into his second term is his mega tax law, but his speech will come amid fallout from his administration’s aggressive deportation tactics that he’s vowing to approach with a “softer touch.”
“He’s still committed to removing illegals from this country, especially starting with illegals who’ve committed crimes in this country,” Lummis said. “But acknowledging that the lighter touch is doable — I think that’s important.”
President Donald Trump listens as Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., speaks during an event in the Oval Office of the White …
Who's accountable for the results?
Congressional Republicans are pleading with President Donald Trump to exercise message discipline on major domestic issues in his upcoming State of the Union address as the 2026 midterm elections kick off.
In interviews with the Washington Examiner, GOP lawmakers desire for Trump to acknowledge affordability concerns and immigration blunders, avoid 2024 election gloating, and leave political grievances at the door.
“I think he should avoid being acerbic — kind of taking shots at people — and be aspirational,” said Sen. Cynthia Lummis (R-WY), who’s among the members retiring from Congress next year. “He’s at his best when he’s being aspirational.”
Trump speaks to the public virtually every day in Truth Social posts and remarks to reporters. But his annual speech before Congress, slated for Feb. 24, will mark one of the few remaining opportunities ahead of the midterm elections to speak to a wide audience of the public.
If the president fails to drive home the party’s tax cuts from Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act last year to instead “spend time talking about how we solve the war in Africa, and the little one in Asia, and we’re almost done with the one in Europe, and we’re — it just won’t work for the average person,” said a GOP member of Congress who was granted anonymity to speak candidly.
“Trump ain’t on the ballot, so he’s going to have to get out there and try to pull people across the goal line, because I think people are going to be held accountable for us — we ain’t done anything since July,” Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-AL), who’s running for Alabama governor this fall, said in reference to the GOP tax law. “We haven’t gotten anything done.”
Trump used his 2025 address to Congress in the months after his return to office to take a defiant victory lap on combating illegal immigration and temper expectations that cost-of-living increases could be reversed. The president’s greatest achievement more than a year into his second term is his mega tax law, but his speech will come amid fallout from his administration’s aggressive deportation tactics that he’s vowing to approach with a “softer touch.”
“He’s still committed to removing illegals from this country, especially starting with illegals who’ve committed crimes in this country,” Lummis said. “But acknowledging that the lighter touch is doable — I think that’s important.”
President Donald Trump listens as Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., speaks during an event in the Oval Office of the White …
What Republicans do, and don’t, want to hear from Trump at State of the Union
Who's accountable for the results?
Congressional Republicans are pleading with President Donald Trump to exercise message discipline on major domestic issues in his upcoming State of the Union address as the 2026 midterm elections kick off.
In interviews with the Washington Examiner, GOP lawmakers desire for Trump to acknowledge affordability concerns and immigration blunders, avoid 2024 election gloating, and leave political grievances at the door.
“I think he should avoid being acerbic — kind of taking shots at people — and be aspirational,” said Sen. Cynthia Lummis (R-WY), who’s among the members retiring from Congress next year. “He’s at his best when he’s being aspirational.”
Trump speaks to the public virtually every day in Truth Social posts and remarks to reporters. But his annual speech before Congress, slated for Feb. 24, will mark one of the few remaining opportunities ahead of the midterm elections to speak to a wide audience of the public.
If the president fails to drive home the party’s tax cuts from Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act last year to instead “spend time talking about how we solve the war in Africa, and the little one in Asia, and we’re almost done with the one in Europe, and we’re — it just won’t work for the average person,” said a GOP member of Congress who was granted anonymity to speak candidly.
“Trump ain’t on the ballot, so he’s going to have to get out there and try to pull people across the goal line, because I think people are going to be held accountable for us — we ain’t done anything since July,” Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-AL), who’s running for Alabama governor this fall, said in reference to the GOP tax law. “We haven’t gotten anything done.”
Trump used his 2025 address to Congress in the months after his return to office to take a defiant victory lap on combating illegal immigration and temper expectations that cost-of-living increases could be reversed. The president’s greatest achievement more than a year into his second term is his mega tax law, but his speech will come amid fallout from his administration’s aggressive deportation tactics that he’s vowing to approach with a “softer touch.”
“He’s still committed to removing illegals from this country, especially starting with illegals who’ve committed crimes in this country,” Lummis said. “But acknowledging that the lighter touch is doable — I think that’s important.”
President Donald Trump listens as Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., speaks during an event in the Oval Office of the White …
